Play DVD - blank screen (1 Viewer)

[craigparris1]

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

 

[Taipan]

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 ...

 

[Spragleknas]

Other questions (a yes/no is enough):
- Are you using Nero DriveSpeed or similar?
- Does the DVD contain PCFriendly (!) or InterActual software?

 

[Sphero]

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

 

[synthdood]

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.

 

[Sphero]

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?

 

[madgabz]

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!

 

[Sphero]

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?

 

[craigparris1]

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

 

[Taipan]

unless other people have suggestions of how they get around this sort of problem????

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" ...