Please help - G450/WIN2K/DVD problem

[Thomas Hansen]

Hello,

My system came with PowerDVD 2.5 pre-installed on my system (TB1000, 256mb, A7V, G450, WIN2k, 2x19" monitors). I had been using v2.5 while in DH multi-display mode (3200x1200x85hz) with no problems. I decided to upgrade to PowerDVD 3.0. I uninstalled 2.5 and installed 3.0 and ran the diagnostic program. Now when I try to play a DVD, I get the following error:


"PowerDVD does not support the current display mode. (DDraw Overlay mode is recommended)

Please lower the screen resolution and color depth, for example, 800 x 600 with 256 colors. Or you may adjust the refresh frequency, for example, to 75 Hz."

And just a blank PowerDVD window (sound is fine!). I checked Cyberlink's website but didn't find much, but they did recommend reloading DirectX, so I reloaded DX8 and tried again and received the same error message.

If I disable DH multi-display and drop the resolution to 1024x768, PowerDVD 3.0 works fine.

Is there something special I have to configure to get PowerDVD to work in DH multi-display mode? I just can't see why it won't work now when the previous version did. I didn't change any hardware configuration (i.e. screen properties) so I'm at a loss as to why this isn't working now.

I want to be able to play DVD's while in DH multi-display mode (not DVDmax).

I have also tried WinDVD and PowerDVD 2.5 and neither of those work (PowerDVD DID work up until I upgraded to v3.0)

My questions are these;

1. Can I play a DVD while in DH muli-display mode? (It must be possible since it was working, but I thought I better ask just in case it was a fluke!)

2. What is the best DVD software to use with the G450 and Win2k?

3. What is the deal with the Matrox DVD player that comes bundled with the G450? I was told it doesn't work with WIN2K and that I must use a different program (thus PowerDVD).

I appoliguise for the long newby post, thanks for any assistance you can offer.

Cheers,


------------------
Thomas Hansen
Calgary, AB
Canada, eh!

[Rags]

Whoever told you the DVD player that comes with the G450 doesn't work in win2k is full of it. It fully supports win2k and works VERY well. Use it.

Rags

[Thomas Hansen]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Rags:
Whoever told you the DVD player that comes with the G450 doesn't work in win2k is full of it. It fully supports win2k and works VERY well. Use it.

Rags

</font>

Thanks for your reply!

I tried to install the Matrox DVD player. It installed fine, but when I try to play a DVD, I just get a blank DVD player window. The sound is fine (keeps playing). This is basically the same thing that happens with PowerDVD (except without the error message). I even tried to drop my resolution to 1200x1024 and it still just displays a black window. I didn't try to disable DH Multi-display.

Any other suggestions? Does anyone play DVD's while in DH Multi-display mode at 3200x1200x16? Does it work?

[Rags]

Which drivers are you using?

Rags

[dZeus]

With Rags answering your questions 2 and 3 already, here's the answer to question nr. 1:

Is there something special I have to configure to get PowerDVD to work in DH multi-display mode? I just can't see why it won't work now when the previous version did. I didn't change any hardware configuration (i.e. screen properties) so I'm at a loss as to why this isn't working now.

You can watch video (including dvd = mpeg2 video) in any dualhead mode, although in Dualhead clone and multidisplay, they will only be visible on the primary monitor when using overlay, because the G4x0 doesn't support overlay playback in dualhead clone and multidisplay mode (I believe I've read tgat the dualhead multidisplay mode is even a limitation of Win2k).

However, the reason you are not getting playback, is because of lack of memory on your card. I don't know if you have a 16 or 32MB G450, but at 3200x1600x16 bit you already don't have enopugh memory on the card to create an overlay surface with even the 32MB card. Try lowering your resolution/colour-depth and see what happens... to test it, try 1280x480x16 and see what happens.

[Thomas Hansen]

Thanks for replying!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">
You can watch video (including dvd = mpeg2 video) in any dualhead mode, although in Dualhead clone and multidisplay, they will only be visible on the primary monitor when using overlay, </font>

I won't understand the "using overlay" portion. Is that something I have to configure??

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2"> the reason you are not getting playback, is because of lack of memory on your card. I don't know if you have a 16 or 32MB G450, but at 3200x1600x16 bit you already don't have enopugh memory on the card to create an overlay surface with even the 32MB card. </font>

I have the 32mb G450. It does work if I drop the resolution. When I first received my PC, and for the first 3 months or so of use, I was able to play DVD's in multi-display mode with the desktop at 3200x1600x16x85hz using PowerDVD 2.5. I can't see why it won't work now when it did work fine for 3 months - even after going back to the original PowerDVD 2.5.

I'm using the 5.12 drivers for Win2K, they have been VERY stable for me so I'm hesitant to change them. Is there a better driver I should be using?

Any other comments/suggestions?

[dZeus]

the only thing that I can say is that I am surprised that it worked before... maybe the old version of PowerDVD didn't use overlay somehow, or less overlay surfaces? (I don't know all the datails on how overlay works, but I've read that some players use more overlay surfaces than others, thus requiring more memory?)

[Indiana]

This whole problem sounds like it's related to this topic: http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/010101.html

Overlays DID work on the G400 in Clone-mode on the secondary out with the PD5.x drivers, so this is NOT a hardware-limitation. Why Matrox deliberately dropped overlay-support with PD6.x and keeps claiming that it's supposed to be that way when this is just plain wrong stays unclear.

OK, this all was under Win98, but since M suddenly dropped support for Overlays on the second output in Clone-mode under Win98, maybe they've done the same with the Win2k drivers? This would fit with the report that it did work at one time.
So: install the oldest Win2k driver you can find and test DVD-playback on this. If it works you can try some newer drivers to find the last one that supported Overlays in Clone-mode.

[Digital_Hell_Native]

Did you use Microsoft Netmeeting by any instance? If the answer is yes read this topic:
http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/For...ML/002869.html

[Thomas Hansen]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Digital_Hell_Native:
Did you use Microsoft Netmeeting by any instance? If the answer is yes read this topic:
http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/For...ML/002869.html</font>

Hmmm....you may be onto something here. Other than installing PowerDVD 3.0, the only thing I have done recently is install a Logitech Webcam. I wonder if that played with any of the NetMeeting stuff? I'll check it out when I get home.

Thanks,

[dZeus]

Overlays DID work on the G400 in Clone-mode on the secondary out with the PD5.x drivers, so this is NOT a hardware-limitation.

ok, let's put it this way: what if you find out that your G400 _can_ use overlay in dualhead clone, and your G450 can't? What's the best thing for Matrox to do in such a case? indeed, disable it on both cards... many things work like that, if you like it or not