How to get best DVD performance?

[Grego]

Im looking forward to hearing about your experiences, I hope it is a minor problem easily solved!

Before upgrading any bios, I would recommend upgrading drivers, since that's the least hassle.

[ccoltas]

Updated VIA 4-in-1 drivers. Updated Matrox PD drivers to 5.52. No change. I am not going to be terribly concerned until I see errors on TV-out playback.

[ccoltas]

Stupidly install ATI DVD player. Wow, there's desperation for you. Actually just curiosity. Of course it didn't work, it needs an ATI video card!

Un-installed Matrox DVD player and re-installed it. No change.

Could it be my monitor driver?

I doubt it, but anyways......

[Bixler]

CColtas:

Time to give your machine a DVD enema. Any time I got sick as a child this is what my momma did for me...time for a real good flush.

Uninstall all drivers from Matrox, vidTools, DVD softwares...anything that will call DX API's

Do a thorough registry search on every single DVD player software that you've tried. (including PC Friendly that will install itself from some DVD movies) Delete all references.

Do this again.

Do whatever you can to strip your graphics rendering API's and calls to those API's back to original installation condition.

Try reinstalling DX--take the option to replace any newer files with the original files.

If you are using the VIA chipset, rebuild in this order.

1. Install the latest VIA 4-in-1's

2. Reboot--verify that you are using "Standard VGA" graphics adapter.

3. Install the Matrox 5.55 or 5.52 drivers and the 1.54 VidTools if needed.

4. Install your Matrox DVD player software.

You may also need to check into an updated set of SCSI drivers or try A newer ASPI layer...Some SCSI busses--particularly older ones from the early days of DVD are buggy about this wide, constant, high intensity data stream.

Watch for background programs that can interfere, and turn "AutoInsert" notification OFF on your DVD Drive.

If this is a VERY occasional thing...once every 10 min. or so, and play resumes normally, Matrox has acknowledged this issue in the latest driver release, and promised to fix it.

If you are running the MatroxDVD software that is the Cine99 engine, you may want to upgrade the the MatroxCine2000 engine. Check the Online store for this.

Any personal questions (or perhaps an 'evaluation' copy of M's Cine2000) E-mail me and I'll forward an FTP.

[This message has been edited by Bixler (edited 21 January 2001).]

[FrankDC]

>>Any personal questions (or perhaps an 'evaluation' copy of M's Cine2000) E-mail me and I'll forward an FTP.

Are there any differences between Matrox's Cinemaster 2000 and what's available on the web? (e.g. optimizations?)

[Bixler]

Not Much...as long as what you've gotten is the latest full release...same engine. I'm told that there are a few minor adjustments to accomodate M's driver implementation, but nothing that will slap you in the face.

The 'evaluation' I'm referring to is the one that you can get from Matrox for $6.95.

This Newer Release that comes bundled with the G-450 is QUITE different from the Cine99 version that came with the G-400.

[ccoltas]

Thanks for the info. I will do all the things you said and give my machine an enema! I forgot I had installed PC Friendly by accident when I
watched Matrix.

One question though. I cannot find an up to date and proper BIOS or FIRMWARE update for my drive. The only thing I can find are
general and ambigous drivers for all scsi DVD and CD-ROMS for DOS? That sounds useless. I might also find the scsi update but that too
is elusive on the adaptec site. I really doubt its the drive and/or scsi card though, because I watched the entire Gladiator movie via
DualHead DVDmax on a 32" TV and it was fine. Not ONE SINGLE ERROR and thats 2 1/2 hours long. And yet watching DVD's for 2
seconds on my monitor=errors.

perhaps my Matrox card is not keen using the driver I have installed for my 14" monitor?

So many possibilities. Computers are too damn complicated!!

WHAT SHOULD I USE AS A MONITOR DRIVER IF I CANNOT FIND A MONITOR DRIVER FOR MY MONITOR??

Right now I'm using either Plug and Play monitor, 1024 x 768 or I'm over-riding the Matrox monitor settings!

Perhaps I'll remove all those and just use one!!!

[Bad Sector]

I use the Matrox cd supplied DVD player. Seemed to work fine for me. Now I'm using the AIW Radeon for HARDWARE dvd playback tho...

------------------
P3 700 @ 1.011 GHz w/ATi Radeon 32MB DDR
P3 600 @ 866 MHz w/ Matrox G400 Max

[Bixler]

ccoltas:

Post back in with the Exact Model # of both your DVDRom Drive, and your Monitor.

Do I understand correctly that TV out playback is flawless, and the problem is strictly on your monitor?

Are these DIVX;-) files by any chance?

[Mr. Cold]

this may sound somewhat smartassy, but you can never go wrong with upgrading to a full home theater to watch DVD in the comfort of your living room.

Kenwood makes some rather inexpensive (relatively) HTB systems (home theater in a box), the HTB-503 even supporting DTS 5.1 if i recall correctly.

[Bixler]

ccoltas informs me via e-mail that he's deleted numerous duplicate devices in his registry by booting into safe mode...and the blocky frame stuttering problem seems to have been corrected.

Makes sense to me...

[Grego]

Try visiting www.7thzone.com they have many different firmwares, and might also have one for your drive!

[This message has been edited by Grego (edited 22 January 2001).]