Playback on PC not at all as good quality as real dvd-video???

[admin]

Just a note that computer monitors are way sharper than TVs, and so, any imperfection on PC monitors will be infinitely more visible than on a TV. It's not that standalone players playback DVDs better, it's just that you are less likely to see the imperfections (such as digital noise, or compression artifacts) on TV because it's so blurry. People with high definition projects also have problems with the apparent "quality" of DVDs (and hence, why they can't wait for HD-DVDs to be released).

Computer monitors are designed for clarity of text, rather than smoothness of movement, so that's also why movies sometimes looks choppy on PCs.

[PCDVD-crazed]

Sorry to butt into this thread, but I'm very interested -- crazed, in fact -- by the topic. I've recently been trying to chase down what I'd describe to be a very subtle choppiness with DVD playback on my PC.

I thought I might have a Bad Problem with Windows XP, but recently I started thinking that the last link in the chain (the monitor) was maybe part of what I've been noticing. So do others out there corroborate that a so-so CRT monitor may be partly to blame? I'd love not to have wipe my system clean and start again!!!

[PCDVD-crazed]

more on DMA in Windows XP

A message to shiny#3:

In light of the aforementioned subtle choppiness with PC DVD playback, I've been trying to get my DVD-ROM drive into DMA mode, seemingly unsuccessfully.

When I saw your detailed step-by-step instructions for going into Device Manager, I gave them a shot. However, I still seem to come up with just PIO Mode, even after trying to "toggle" -- any suggestions?

Thank you!

[hobo3121]

PLAYBACK ON PC

Seb

I use POWER-DVD 5 for video playback (and have used WIN-DVD.)

One of the things I read in its' documentation was that POWER-DVD recommended a processor of 1 gig or better. (I just barely made it with 1.1.) So that may be why U see sub-par playback.

I think that it may be that in the future u might continue to have playback quality issues as an 866 mhz processor is a little below the curve. But hey, at least you can see the movie.

Now i don't know what type of video card you are using, (mine is a old 64 meg Nvidia mx 420.) But i think that if you went to one of those 128 or 256 meg cards (depending on your BIOS) you might see better playback. (After all a new card is cheaper than a new processor.)

My $.02,

hobo3121

[Easier Way?]

Seb if you are in a country using scart connectors try getting a cheap standalone dvd player and view dvds on a tv. The quality of such a set up is very pleasing and is much more photographic than watching pixel perfect razor sharpness on a pc moniter. On my set-up "svhs/composite" looks a bit like a pc monitor but when the dvd player has "rgb scart" enabled it is both detailed and smooth. The best picture I saw on tv was using a mail order player that cost gbp55/usd80.

PS was Mulholland Drive about anything or was it just David Lynch running out of real ideas like the end of twin peaks?