DVD Player not playing DVDs

[DOnut]

Hi,

I have a DVD player on my laptop but it won't play DVDs no matter which software I use. The error that usually comes up is something like "Please lower the screen size" to play the movie. It's already at 800 by 600.

Help?

[rsquirell]

Usually laptops with factory-installed DVD players come with DVD player software (like PowerDVD or Intervideo) installed. WMP will play a DVD as long as PowerDVD-like software is installed...so I'm guessing you either don't have WMP...or changed the "association" for DVD when it asked you what it should use to play to some player incapable of doing so.

[DOnut]

The problem is I guess that I upgraded the OS to win2003 and the software that came with the laptop is not compatible with the OS. Of course there is also no upgrade available online.

The other players I tried (Windvd, intervideo, etc) all say my computer is too slow and I should lower the res. Is that possible? I'm running a 766MHz, that isn't all that slow?

[rsquirell]

I'm totally unfamiliar with win2003...maybe it's time for a downgrade to whatever came with your box.

[DOnut]

I would downgrade but unfortunately my company wouldn't like that too much. It occurs to me that perhaps it has something to do with a hardware decoder not being present? Could that slow things down enough to render DVD-playback impossible?

[Pugwash]

Windows 2003 is server software, not suitable for applications and certainly not for laptops. If you want to play media you'd be much better using XP of some flavour.