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Here's a weird one that's got techies from three companies stumped. I installed a SigmaDesigns hardware decoding option for DVD on this WinME system a few years back and it performed great, auto-detecting and playing back every dvd I put into the internal Pioneer drive [also an add-on]. A couple years back, the following strange behavior kicked in: The system started playing only some discs and not others, and the distinguishing characterisitic seems to be that the inexpensive "budget" commercial discs, like arhives of old sitcoms that you find in the bargain bin play just fine, but the first-release titles with more elaborate menus and interactive features don't play correctly, but behave like this: the disc is autodetected, the intro and FBI warning screens play fine, and then there's just a black screen. the playback doesn't actually stop; the app controls indicate that the thing is still in play mode, and you can "pause" and "stop" and all that, but where there'd ordinarily be the opening menu and music, there's nothing.
This distinction could be bogus, but it seems to hold across my collection--I can't play any of my high-end selections, even though all the discs USED to play just fine on the same system, and the budget discs still play just fine.
I've updated all relevant drivers, dvd drive, dvd card driver and bundled app,. etc. Recently I tried replacing my graphics card with one that features an on-board dvd chipset, yanking the SigmaDesigns stuff and using WinDVD....same thing happened!!! the budget discs that played in the old environment still do, and the ones that stopped playing right stop playing right in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY in the new environment, that is, their intros play fine in WinDVD, but at the point where the menu and opening music would start, nothing--and no change in the app controls, they behave as if the movie was playing.
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As I said, the SigmaDesigns people are flummoxed, as are all the techies I know. I personally test hardware for a well-known Redmond, Washington-based software development company, and no one 'round here can fix it either. So, if you have any clues, put yourself down for a big promotion!
The issue seems independent of hardware, since the same problem has occured on the system in multiple hardware configurations, but still, I'm planning to try a new dvd drive just for giggles. Any clues?
Thankx people!
Some system info:
WinMe
Intl PIII 800
new vid card: Asus v9400 series
M/B: Asus CUSl2
128 MB RAM
--hi--
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