DVDMAX enabled but not currently active

[matroxhater]

Should be "DVDMAX enabled but never active".

I have a huge problem with my G450 16mb card. Great quality card, but what does that really help when I spent a year trying to figure out why it never activates the DVD MAX option. I have the latest drivers and I've been to the Matrox support board 3 billion times without really getting any help. I have a Win2000 and a 1152x864 24 bit resolution. I hear the sound (scart -> tvout cable) but the dvdmax never activates, always says the same. The clone and the zoom works but I don't want jerky stuttery playback of my dvd and divx. WHAT the.... I'm so tired of this.


ANY SMART TIPS? I'm DESPERATE!

[dZeus]

lower screen resolution to 1024x768x32 or x16.. NOT 24 bpp.

DVDMAX always says 'enabled but not active' when you don't have an overlay surface open at the same time you look at the DVD-MAX properties.

[matroxhater]

Doesn't help with lower (or higher) resolutions. It never outputs a picture on dvd max. Is there somewhere to "change" overlay, surface, hardware overlay whatever? Where? Their 5.91 driver is the same stuff. (sep 03)

But thanks . What about Ati?

[mutz]

...peculiar name to choose around here. Matrox has been good to me for many years...

[matroxhater]

Good to me too, but... I don't hate nobody. Matrox are only trying to help, I know that for sure, but the problem is they don't know themselves what causes this. Even a clean format c: and reinstall the whole win2k opsys hasn't helped, so then I'm asking, Ati next? My username don't mean a thing, really...

[dZeus]

Which program do you try to play back stuff?

Have you tried mplayer2 (WMP 6.4)? on an vcd-size MPEG1 video?

to use overlay, certain conditions have to be met. Here are some of them, which may help you pinpoint the cause:
- your desktop refreshrate/resolution has to be under a certain maximum. Set it to 1024x768x16bpp @ 75 Hz just to be sure that it should be ok
- disable dualhead clone and dualhead multi-display modes, those only restrict the above conditions (well, at least multi-display does).
- your video player frontend has to support it. examples are mplayer2.exe (WMP6.4) and sasami2k
- the codec you use for playback has to support it (example ffdshow for mpeg4 streams).

[matroxhater]

- I use the winplayer 9 (ms) (tried windvd, matrox dvd.. etc none worked with dvd max)
- I've set it to teh resolution numbers you specify, without luck. All others are disabled (multi, zoom, clone)
- Tried sasami2k, but the matrox doesn't switch here either. Black screen as usual.
- the codex is divx 5.02

The funny thing is I had the e-TV before, and the DVD max worked for 1-2 months, before it stopped and never worked again. I didn't do anything else then add some programs. Then I bought a new 3ghz machine and a new G450. DVD max never worked here either. Chesus... I mean what can you do. Thanks for the info though dZeus I appreciate any help...

[GNEP]

You've said you've tried different resolutions - but are you sure about the colour depth? There's something nagging me about you sying you used 24 bits in you first post - try 32 or 16 as dZeus first mentioned... can you confirm that you've tried this?

[WyWyWyWy]

dZeus you forgot to mention that horizontal and vertical resolution of the video must be dividable 32.

Matroxhater, I strongly believe the problem is that your system is unale to use overlay on the given (or all) video file, perhaps specific to the software applications you use. This could be due to not enough Vram for using overlay, or another thing is using overlay (there can only be one overlay you know).

Try a very small video file (128x96 or something like that).

Use a tiny video player, such as Media Player 6.4, ZoomPlayer or BSPlayer. Play a small video, and move the player around the screen while playing. See if the video follows the player around, or does it leave a black box behind.

[matroxhater]

GNEP,
yes I did try 16 bit 1024x768 many times with the same results.

Wywyetc I think you have a point, but I do have 1 gigabyte of memory (and the card has 16mb which I thought was enough to use dvd max) I did now try a small video file (200x170) without results, and I moved it around and the video follows nicely. I used the sasami2k which is quite a good player.

One strange I did notice is that when I type dxdiag and get the diagnostics for that up, all three directx features are greyed out and can't be selected. But I have the latest driver (5.91). How come I wonder?... I will try around some more.

Thanks so much for your advices!

[dZeus]

Originally posted by matroxhater
GNEP,
yes I did try 16 bit 1024x768 many times with the same results.

Wywyetc I think you have a point, but I do have 1 gigabyte of memory (and the card has 16mb which I thought was enough to use dvd max) I did now try a small video file (200x170) without results, and I moved it around and the video follows nicely. I used the sasami2k which is quite a good player.

One strange I did notice is that when I type dxdiag and get the diagnostics for that up, all three directx features are greyed out and can't be selected. But I have the latest driver (5.91). How come I wonder?... I will try around some more.

Thanks so much for your advices!

ok there's the source of your problems. Hardware acceleration as reported by dxdiag has to be enabled/available for DVD-MAX to work.

Try to do the following:
- (re)install DirectX 8.1
- (re)install the chipset drivers of your motherboard, to be more specifically, the AGP GART driver of your motherboard chipset.
- make sure 'bustmastering' is enabled in the Powerdesk 'Options' tab in advanced display properties.

in your BIOS, disable 4x AGP if possible, and make sure that the graphics aperture size is not set at the lowest setting (often disables all 'AGP' functionality).

After following these steps, check dxdiag again to see if all acceleration is enabled.

Wywywywywywwywyw:
the 'video width devidable by 32'-problem was due to the MS MPEG4 codec used for 'divx 3.11'. Ffdshow can play back all MPEG4 content with overlay no matter which resolution used.

[WyWyWyWy]

Originally posted by matroxhater
Wywyetc I think you have a point, but I do have 1 gigabyte of memory (and the card has 16mb which I thought was enough to use dvd max) I did now try a small video file (200x170) without results, and I moved it around and the video follows nicely. I used the sasami2k which is quite a good player.

If it follows nicely, that means it is not using overlay!!

Sasami is a bit dated by the way...

dZeus:
Thanks for enlightening me

[matroxhater]

DZeus, thanks oh my god you know what, this might be the problem! I do have Dx 9.0, should I reinstall with the 8.1 instead? I have a Asus P4PE and hopefully they have drivers for this on the Asus site, didn't check yet. The 4x AGP can't be disabled, there are only 2 options, 1x and 4x, but I've set the aperture size up from 128mb to 256 mb (which is max).

There's a reason I've been going through all this braindamaging, I love Matrox for the quality, and I hate to let it go...

[Admiral]

What a stinking attitude
Please go back to the Matrox tech support forum and stop pestering us, at least they're payed to put up with the likes of you.

[dZeus]

Originally posted by matroxhater
DZeus, thanks oh my god you know what, this might be the problem! I do have Dx 9.0, should I reinstall with the 8.1 instead? I have a Asus P4PE and hopefully they have drivers for this on the Asus site, didn't check yet. The 4x AGP can't be disabled, there are only 2 options, 1x and 4x, but I've set the aperture size up from 128mb to 256 mb (which is max).

There's a reason I've been going through all this braindamaging, I love Matrox for the quality, and I hate to let it go...

Just install the chipset driver. Everything else is fine (including Aperture size at 128 MB). You can find the chipset driver on Intel's site.