Divx Avi Totally Locks my Computer!

[cavaleri]

I am new to the world of divx. My friend gave me a large avi file (final fantasy) to watch which he burned on a cdr. When I tried to watch it the first time, I got the message that it couldn't find the right decompressor (div3) or something like that. I downloaded the Divx 5.0 bundle, and was then able to view the avi file. Everything was works, up until a point shortly after playback where it freezes both the current frame, the audio, and my computer is completely frozen. I have to reset the machine in order to re-gain control. It is not possible to remove the task with the task manager, as ctrl-alt-delete does nothing. No mouse, zippo.

I have the following configuration:
AMD XP 1900 athalon 1.6 ghz
512mb PC-2100 ddram
azza 366XAS SOC-A via ddr motherboard
60 gb ATA-100 hd
sony 16X dvd-rom drive
sony 16X10X40 cdrw
nvidia GFORCE 3 TI_200 64mb DD graphics card set to 32bit color 1280X1024 @ 75hz refresh rate
Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card


os is Windows 2000 w/ DirectX 8 installed.

The problem persists weather the file is run from the CDR in either the DVD or CDR drive, or if I copy the file the the hard drive no change occurs. . I've tried playing with various settings, and just can't seem to eliminate the freezing up behavior. I'm just not sure what could be wrong. It doesn't hang up in the same place either, but it usually occurs within 1-5 minutes into the movie.

Any suggestions, thoughts, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated.

kind regards,
robert

[Deus]

What DivX Player are you using? have you tried another Program? and for the Div3 thing you need to use the AVI FourCC Changer

[cavaleri]

It fails using both the latest version of windows media player (I assume it finds the appropriate compressor now that I downloaded the bundle), and it also fails using the Divx Player 2.0 Alpha. Both exhibit exactly the same problem.

btw, I am most grateful for your help!

-rob

[cavaleri]

Oh, one more thing.. I also downloaded and installed some tool that apparently 'fixes' the 'freezing' problem that some have mentioned, but this apparently did not do anything to solve my problem where the entire machine locks up.


-rob

[Deus]

Try a different Divx Player like gdivx or PowerDivxnextgen

[Batman]

This could be hardware/software conflict.

First of all try GDIVX or WMP 6.4

If that fails to remedy the situation:

uninstall DIVX 5.0 or DIVX 5.01
install DIVX 3.11 alpha (divx-digest.com/software)

If your problem is not solved try this:
install divx 4.12 (NOTE: REJECT any offer to playback DIVX 3.11 ALPHA content)

[Deus]

Yea that makes since but I would go with Divx 4.0 before 3

[cavaleri]

Ok. I will try uninstalling the 5.0 version completely, and installing an earlier version. One of my co-workers said that what he did was to install version 3, then install version 4, but to let 3 be the default, and that fixed some problems that he was having and everything worked great for him.

perhaps the 5 version is still buggy. Guys, thanks for your suggestions, let me try that configuration tonight, and I will report back my findings to you tomorrow. I won't get to try this until I get home tonight, and I don't expect to get home till late.

-rob

[Batman]

I would install divx 3.11 alpha (I still think it's the best but that's also a personal preference). Anyhow, my previous post should be complete.

[Deus]

isnt it more likely that the movie will be in DivX 4.0 than 3.0 ?

[Batman]

Not neccesarily. The Divx 3.11 alpha codec, though it's quite old, is still utilized, and the vast majority of content I have is still encoded with divx 3.11 alpha.

[cavaleri]

results (not good..)

Hi all,

first let me say thanks so much to all who have made some excellent suggestions regarding the problem of my computer locking up during divx playback. Let me tell you where I'm at:

I have tried each person's suggestion above so far, with no resolution to the problem. Installing the 3.11 codec, using the FOUR CC Changer to modify the codec, installing the gdivx player, all failed to solve my problem.

Here is some new information:

I downloaded several other divx media files and all exhibit the problem to one degree or another, so it is not the file itself.

I have another computer (named Pax), and I installed divx there, and the divx media files play great there, except for the 735mb one that is final fantasy. It seems there is a memory leak in the divx 2.0 alpha player, and after about 10 min into the movie, it slows the frame-rate to unplayable levels. All shorter media files played fine with no problems. Clearly, the problem is isolated to my first computer (named Neo)

I am thinking this is not a divx problem at all, but a hardware/system software related one. Here's why: I just installed the drivers for the machine's dvd player. (Neo is a brand new machine, but one that was built out of separate high-quality components, by an internet i-shop. It's not a 'Dell' like Pax is) The DVD's started to play fine, but ultimately they end up having the same problem! After a few minutes of playback on virtually any of the DVD's, they freeze up the machine, hold the current frame, and even the audio just 'buzzes' at whatever point in the DVD it got hung up!

I made sure that all the settings on the graphics card, etc. are at their default, but something must be causing a major problem for the machine to totally freeze up. It's unfortunate that this is an 'intermittent' problem, and doesn't happen right when you want it to, in fact one of the shorter test DVD's played to the end OK, but that was the exception. I suppose my next option will have to be to take this up with the company that I purchased the machine from to see what they have to say. I would imagine that my Divx/DVD problems are related, and that once the problem is discovered, hopefully they will both work.

If anyone happens to have any alternate suggestions that I may not have considered as far as my configuration goes, I am all ears. See my first message to see what my system currently consists of for any possible clues.

The only thing that I don't believe I listed in that post, is that I'm running a 21" Viewsonic G810 graphics monitor, at 75hz, and 32bit color which is supported by the GF3 Ti200 graphics card.

Anyway, thanks for the assistance thus far, I sure hope I can solve this problem...

many thanks,
robert