NVidia GeoForce2 and DVD playback

[Erickarn]

I'm running Win 98 SE on a 500 Mhz PIII with a Pioneer DVD-ROM DVD-114, DirectX version 8.1. The original NVidia TNT2 (16Meg) card went out on me, so Gateway sent me a GeoForce2 MX 200 (32Meg) as a replacement. Data and music CDs are fine, but now the two DVD players (Ravisent Cinemaster 99 and InterActual Player 2.02) can't play DVDs. The programs start up fine, and there's a brief introduction from the DVD, but after about 5 seconds both of them freeze up and stop responding (Ctrl-Alt-Del to End Task). I've uninstalled and reinstalled the players and GeoForce and monitor drivers, still the same problem. Tech support thinks I should reinstall the OS, but that sounds rather drastic. Any ideas? Thanx.

[Enchanter]

Try disabling Hardware Acceleration from within the DVD player software.

[Erickarn]

Thanx for the reply. I couldn't find any reference to hardware acceleration in both packages. Their "preferences" options seem rather limited, almost dumbed down. Any other DVD players with better features? Thanx.

Erickarn

[Erickarn]

I just downloaded a trial version of PowerDVD Version 4.0 and it works!! At default settings. How??

[Enchanter]

If it works, then it's time you keep it and get rid of the old programs you were using. Anyway, both PowerDVD and WinDVD are the two most popular DVD player software available out there, apart from the ATI DVD player (which is supposedly of better quality, but is problematic to users -> bugged).

[miguelbgood]

Same problem with DVD player not playing dvd's?

I THINK I have the exact same problem with a Gateway computer and NVidea video card that they just sent me as a replacement. Not sure of the model (I'm not at home right now). I have the Hitachi dvd unit and it is supposed to be using Cinemaster 99 software, however, while the Cinemaster software is listed in my add/delete programs list, but I cannot find any preferences or any such "program" on my HD, only a DVD icon in the Ravisent folder. But when I click on that, I just get a list of the files on the dvd.

Like you, I can play a cd or a cd-rom, just not a dvd.

I don't know if I've used my dvd player for dvd's since I replaced the video card, so I don't know if it is the video card that is the problem.

When I put in a dvd it seems to want to start to load and then I get this message:
"Another application is preventing dvd playback."

I used Ctrl-Alt-Delete to kill all open programs except Explorer, and STILL get the same exact error message with no clue as to which application is preventing it from playback!

Anyone have a clue as to what the problem is? Is it the Nvidea video card? Is there an adjustment I can make somewhere?

I was going to reload my Cinemaster 99 software from my Gateway restoration cd, but it is not on there. I called Gateway and they said, "Sure, we can send you one out for $15 PLUS $20 SHIPPING and HANDLING!" I said, "Are you kidding me? How do you figure $20 shipping and handling??!!"

So:
#1. Is it indeed a problem with my Cinemaster Software, or is it something else? For one thing, I can't even find the software. All I find is a Ravisent folder with a DVD player icon, but there is no Unistall file or Preferences or anything in there

#2. Is there anywhere I can download any software that will work with this 99 Hitachi DVD player in place of CineMaster, that doesn't cost over $20 or so? (sorry, I don't have the model number of the DVD player, I'm at work right now.)

If my problem is the same as that of the original poster, which it appears it is, then the problem is apparently not the software anyway, since he re-loaded the software and it didn't fix the problem.

Any other ideas as to how to get my dvd up and running again?

Thanks for any suggestions in advance!
p.s. By the way, Gateway just lost my business for my next computer thanks to their boneheaded decision to charge me $35 for a restoration cd that they have copies of and all they have to do is send me one in the mail for about 74 cents! Smart business decision, guys! I would have paid $10-15, but $35? NO WAY!

[miguelbgood]

re Gateway tech support and NVidia problems

See my reply re my similar problem below (or is it above?) . But this is about the tech's suggestion that you re-load Windows:
DON'T do it!

A few years ago, Gateway had good tech support and were very customer service oriented. Now they are horrible. 98 times out of 100, "Reinstall Windows" is the advice of an incompetent tech support person who can't figure out the problem so it's just easier to tell you to Reinstall Windows. When my Nvidia card went out, that's what the Gateway tech told me to do: Reinstall Windows. I didn't do it. But he DID convince me that it was a bad monitor, so I went out and bought a new monitor, only to come back and find the same exact problem (horizontal lines on the screen). So I got stuck with a new monitor.

Now, they are telling me that I must pay $35 for a Restoration cd that has the CineMaster software on it, yet apparently you have already tried reloading it and that doesn't solve the problem. I think the problem must be that the NVidea card they sent us is not compatible with the Hitachi dvd or Cinemaster 99 software. OR, there is an adjustment to be made somewhere that will alllow the HItachi to play dvd's with the NVidia card?

I don't know, but I am going to call back Gateway and INSIST that they put me over to a tech who KNOWS something, and resolve my dvd playback problem! That is, if someone here doesn't beat them to the answer...

By the way, I'll never buy another Gateway computer, even though the computer has been very good up until now, and I was planning on buying another one from them. But lately, their tech suport is horrible, and the nerve of them to tell me I have to pay $15 and $20 handling for a resoration cd of my system software, is the last straw!

[miguelbgood]

PowerDVD 4 doesn't work either

Realizing that PowerDVD 4 solved your problem, I tried it, too.
Did not work for me. See my other post re DVD KEEPING ME UP NIGHTS for the whole story. Please help if you can!

[Erickarn]

I'm the original poster. I downloaded the PowerDVD *trial* version from

http://www.softnews.ro/public/cat/11/2/1/11-2-1-3.shtml

It's only a 30 day evaluation copy, and plays sound for only five minutes, so you have to press stop and play to get the sound back. Otherwise it's far superior to the Cinemaster 99 that Gateway ships. The best part is being able to insert your own bookmarks, and a crude kind of "Pan and Scan" zoom that works most of the time, for widescreen movies like Matrix.

My System Restoration CD is Version 10.4. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to folder:
E:\Win95-98\DVD\SoftDVD

Double-click on setup to install Cinemaster 99. It may offer to uninstall the existing version. As already mentioned, Tech support doesn't care if you lose data. Don't reinstall the OS! Thanx.

Erickarn

[miguelbgood]

My problem was solved with DirectX

See my post under "DVD Problem is keeping me up nights" for the full explanation. The problem turned out to be directx. I didn't have it. I downloaded it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp

Make sure you download the one for YOUR version of Windows.