Can't get dvd's to play on my pooter

[sean0801]

OK friendlies, you've never let me down yet, please do your stuff

My dvd drive on my pooter at home won't play dvd's. It plays music ok though. It thinks there is no disk in the drive and asks me to insert one.

So i bought a new all singin all dancin drive that should play write erase just about everything known to man, i've banged it in and loaded all the sofware that came with it. This one wont play dvd's either but gives me a different error message, telling me to lower my screen resolution and colours. Plays music fine though.

The pooter is decent, fast and has loads of memory, Runnin xp sp 2, graphics card is an nvidia summat or other and was good 4-5 years ago when it was new.

Ok, any ideas from the legendary YD massive?

[Finless]

Have you tried several diff DVD's and got the same results? My new PC/DVD had an issue with one particular disc and insisted there was nothing in the drive?

[fishyheid]

What software are you using to play the DVDs. It sounds like you don't have a compatible player installed.

WinDVD is one of the better ones but I don't think it's free.

[IanRMartin]

Have you got specific DVD player software loaded or failing that an mpeg2 decoder installed?
Ian

**EDIT**
Download Stinky's should allow you to play DVDs with Windows Media Player.

[sean0801]

I've tried lots of different dvd's in both drives and got the same results

I've tried using a few different media players, windows, real, quicktime etc

Dunno about dvd software? the old player used to play dvd's no problem but just stopped. The new player had a cd with it with all the drivers and a nero thingy on it, surely that would have dvd playing software on it? but what do i know?

Is it worth shelling out on another graphics card? and how much should i spend. I dont play games so it don't have to be a dogs bollox one

[IanRMartin]

I wouldn't bother with a new graphics card!
You said the old drive didn't recognise the DVD (Insert disc message)
Does the new drive do that or does it recognise there is a disc present and just not play the movie?

[sean0801]

The new one recognises the movie, even says the name of it when you go to my computer and look at the drives. Then says i need to lower my screen resolution and colour quality. I have done both, right down to the lowest settings and it gives the same message. Now am bleedin from me eyeballs

[IanRMartin]

First of all make sure you have set the region on your DVD drive, unless you are playing region free DVDs (Remeber you can only change it 5 times!)

If it still doesn't work then i would try reloading an mpeg2 decoder incase the existing one is corrupt, see previous post.

[sean0801]

Originally Posted by IanRMartin

First of all make sure you have set the region on your DVD drive, unless you are playing region free DVDs (Remeber you can only change it 5 times!)

If it still doesn't work then i would try reloading an mpeg2 decoder incase the existing one is corrupt, see previous post.

How do i set the region? and can i region free it up 'cos i have region 1 and 2 dvd's.

I will try the mpeg thingy soon as i get broadbanded at home, should be on next tuesday.

'ppreciate the help, duly greened

[IanRMartin]

I think you can region free most PC DVD drives but it will probably be a firmware update where as most home DVD players can be done by entering a code.
To set the region go to device manger select properties of the DVD drive in question and there will be a DVD region Tab, just select the country and click OK it should warn you about how many times you can change it before applying the change.

Check this guide out for making your dirive region free
NOTE i havn't done this my self - I go the other way all my movies are region free rather than the player!

Ta for the green hope this helps.