Play DVD - blank screen

TV-Server Version: RC1 with 19228
MediaPortal Version: RC1 with 19228
MediaPortal Skin: Indigo
Windows Version: XP SP3
CPU Type: AMD LE-1600
HDD:
Memory: 2 GB
Motherboard: GA-M61PME-S2
Video Card: 8500GT
Video Card Driver: Nforce 175.16
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: DTV1000S
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: DTV1000S
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Antec 2480B
Cooling: Stock
Power Supply: Stock
Remote: n/a
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:

Just completed the install of MediaPortal last night. Haven't hooked up TV/antenna yet - figured I'd just check DVD/music files first. Music files play OK, but when I try to watch a DVD, the screen is just blank. The drive light flickers but nothing happens. Also, MP locks up and won't respond. DVD plays fine in MediaPlayer. I tried it with a couple of different codecs (MP built-in, Cyberlink).



Anybody got some tips on where the problem might lie? The installation instructions said Media Player 10 or later - I installed Media Player 11. Is Media Player 11 actually supported, or should I go back to 10?

Cheers,
Craig

 

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Windows MediaPlayer 11 is fine.

Is the DVD that you tried to play, protected?

Could you repeat the exercise and attach the resulting MediaPortal.log file here - that might provide a clue ...

 

Hi there,

I am having the same problem. It seems to occur when I want to play a single .vob file, although I also had some problems playing Stargate Atlantis DVD’s (copied to local disk).

When I play the same file in WP10 of Nero ShowTime there is no problem. The movie is playing, sound is ok and subtitles are working.

There seems to be a workaround to convert the vob file to mpg, but you will loose some features such as subtitles. So I wouldn't recommend it.

I think it has something to do with codecs MediaPortal uses. I will have a look at it tonight because it starts to piss me off

 

I store all my DVD's on a local disk as directories (video_ts) and access then from My Movies. A few of these DVD's show a black screen when you start them. Sometimes it helps to go back and start the movie again. Often it helps to just click OK on the remote. I think it is something to do with the way the DVD menu is authored.

 

I tried several times playing the VOB file from My Videos and My TV Series and both show a black screen.

The stange thing is all external media players like Nero and WMP dont have problems.

I still think its a combination of codec and Media Portal as DVD is MPEG-2
Maybe the VOB file header is diffrent from others?

 

Try reinstall DirectX 9, other ppl seem to have problems with blank screen, where DX9 seems to be the culprit!
OR, It could be a encryption/anticopy protection thing issue, go install this: DVD43 and see if it works,
OR, install ffdshow and try setting MP to use it under DVD playback codec choice in the configuration!

 

Does MediaPortal uses its own player or does it run Windows Media Player on the backgorund?
I have the same problem with WMP. I get a black screen with the error it can't skip to the requested location.

I can define an external player, but I dont like to popup.

It there a way to load an other internal player?

 

Hi guys,

OK, so I had two minutes to very quickly test this a little further (no logs yet, though, as I haven't had a chance to look through the logging process).

I tested with a few copy-protected DVDs and some worked fully, some kind of, and some not at all. Example: Gilmore Girls (won't start at all, blank screen), That 70s show (plays promo chapters, but won't load menu - blank screen), Pirates 3 (plays fine). The couple of non-copy protected disks that I tried worked with no problems at all.

So I gather this is a disk-specific thing - but the fact is that Media Player 11 plays ALL the disks with no issues at all. Is it a codec problem for Media Portal? I only have the built-in Media Portal codecs, plus some Cyberlink codec that came with my DVD-drive's bundled software (DVD Suite 7) and a Leadtek digital decoder (that came with the tuner cards).

I guess I'll try Magda's suggestion of installing ffdshow - unless other people have suggestions of how they get around this sort of problem????

Anyhow, I'm happy at least that it's playing SOME dvds ok - next step is to get TV working. Worst comes to worst I still have the stand-alone DVD player, or I can look at using Media Player as MP's external DVD player.

Cheers,
Craig

 

It sounds like you need to install a utility that removes the copy protection (on the fly) from the DVD stream. Unfortunately, the MP forum rules forbid me from mentioning, or including links to, suitable utilities - but "Google is your friend" ...