DVD Player not working - yes I have the codecs!

peterdeg · 02-23-2007, 01:39 AM

Ok people what am I doing wrong - pulling my hair out here.

Have installed ME 2.3.5.
When I select Movies, I get the 'Browse by directory' list.
There's no way to select the DVD drive ( D: )

| I don't get the Browse CD/DVD drive option as seen in the screenshot on mediaengine.org
| http://mediaengine.org/images/progimages/browseall.jpg

I can quite happily watch the DVDs using Windows Media Player v10 and VLC 0.8.6a, so I don't believe it's a codec issue.

What am I doing wrong?

pRoFiT · 02-23-2007, 01:58 AM

Okay first off not to be rude to phat_bastard. media engine hasn't had any updates since early 2006. Try RoadRunner, centrafuse or frodoplayer. Try searching a little more in the mediaengine area first.

I tried to get it to run but VISTA doesn't like it

Guess i should download all the front ends and see what works with vista while i have it installed.

phat_bastard · 02-23-2007, 09:13 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by peterdeg

When I select Movies, I get the 'Browse by directory' list.
There's no way to select the DVD drive ( D: )
What am I doing wrong?

Are you able to see audio cds and / or cds / dvds with media files on them (i.e. non-dvd video compliant filesystem)?

Quote: Originally Posted by pRoFiT

Okay first off not to be rude to phat_bastard. media engine hasn't had any updates since early 2006.

The last revision was released 11/13/2006 which I would hardly consider "early 2006". While I don't discourage anyone from trying out other interfaces, this isn't what he was asking for so I'd appreciate it if you'd not dilute support requests with your misinformed opinions. Further, if you'd like to lodge a complaint regarding support under Vista, it might be more polite and productive to start your own thread relevant to that where others may express their interest in Vista support.

peterdeg · 02-23-2007, 05:20 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

Are you able to see audio cds and / or cds / dvds with media files on them (i.e. non-dvd video compliant filesystem)?

No.

More info though.
In poking around the settings file, I thought it unusual that CDDriveLetter was set to D:\ so I manually changed it to D:
Restarted, and had a look at the settings - the drive was set to NONE.
There was no drive listed in the drop-down selector.
Exited and confirmed that the settings file had NONE configured.
Restarted and again looked at the settings - no drive listed.
I had to manually change NONE to D:\ for the setting to stick.

It's almost like ME can't actually find the drive at all.

| Only 'funny' with this setup is that the dvd is on the secondary controller. Would that affect things?

pRoFiT · 02-23-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

Are you able to see audio cds and / or cds / dvds with media files on them (i.e. non-dvd video compliant filesystem)?

The last revision was released 11/13/2006 which I would hardly consider "early 2006". While I don't discourage anyone from trying out other interfaces, this isn't what he was asking for so I'd appreciate it if you'd not dilute support requests with your misinformed opinions. Further, if you'd like to lodge a complaint regarding support under Vista, it might be more polite and productive to start your own thread relevant to that where others may express their interest in Vista support.

Hmm. My mistake, I looked at the latest software and looked at the post date and not the software date. I see how i messed up. Like i started my post. "Not to be rude" to you.

Anyways, peterdeg: did you get it to work or do you still need help.

peterdeg · 02-23-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by pRoFiT

Anyways, peterdeg: did you get it to work or do you still need help.

Still going bald.

Have tried a few other front ends (frodo, mobilemediacentre, roadrunner) and they're ok with the dvd, so have to think this is a ME specific issue.

And having tried all the others, I must say I want ME - it seems to cope with OziExplorer (gps mapping software)

pRoFiT · 02-23-2007, 11:58 PM

When I setup ME all I had to do was select d:\ as my dvd/cd drive. Then i put in a movie dvd and selected "watch movies" then clicked on browse cd/dvd drive and clicked on the movie and it played. do you have a movie in the drive?

peterdeg · 02-24-2007, 12:10 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by pRoFiT

do you have a movie in the drive?

Definately!
Have tried different disks. All ok with other front ends, windows media player and VLC media player.

It's only ME that can't find the disk/drive.

pRoFiT · 02-24-2007, 12:29 AM

Could be your nasty MDF box causing problems

Ive tried music cd and DVD and both worked right off the bat. The image you linked too in your first post. I get the same thing browse cd/dvd here is what i have in settings. My dvd drive is also on the secondary ide controller from my motherboard.

I guess phat_bastard was right. All i have are misinformed opinions. Maybe someone else has had this happen to them and will answer your posts better then me. Im just an RR FanBoy

Good luck. Keep reading.

phat_bastard · 02-26-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by peterdeg

Only 'funny' with this setup is that the dvd is on the secondary controller. Would that affect things?

No. Is it possible that your cd / dvd drive letter isn't d: (i.e. launch explorer and verify)? Might you have a virtual cd emulator such as Daemon Tools installed?

peterdeg · 02-27-2007, 04:03 AM

Still no go

No Daemon Tools installed.
Autoplay is enabled despite the configuration screen says (Checked with regedit)
Ignore all the removable drives in the 'My Computer' screenshot, I left my normal USB hub at work so had to use a card reader hub.
Third screenshot is what I get when I select 'Watch Movies'
I've tried reinstalling ME (uninstalled and remove all references in the registry first)
Settings file at end of post (renamed to .txt so I could upload it)
Nothing of interest in debug.log

phat_bastard · 02-27-2007, 09:19 AM

Do you see your dvd drive when you click 'Browse Media'?

On a related topic, please hold off on the screen caps unless I ask for them. You've adequately described your problem using language. Screen caps don't create hits on text searches and in this case they didn't explain anything to anyone that has read what you've written.

peterdeg · 02-27-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

Do you see your dvd drive when you click 'Browse Media'?

Browse Media gives me
- Browse Database
- Browse Removable Drive E: (then again for F:, G: and H: )
- Build a new PlayList
- Favourites
- etc

I've also tried deinstalling the DVD and IDE under XP and rediscovering.
It's got me stumped.

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

On a related topic, please hold off on the screen caps unless I ask for them.

Ok (have resized them to something more suitable)
Screen caps do allow for someone else to pick up something stupid I've done and missed because I've been looking too long.

Thanks for the help.

phat_bastard · 02-28-2007, 09:16 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by peterdeg

I've also tried deinstalling the DVD and IDE under XP and rediscovering.

Totally pointless, as is re-installing M/E.

Quote: Originally Posted by peterdeg

It's got me stumped.

You're not alone. There's really nothing you've posted thus far that would indicate the cause of your problem.

Here are a few more things to look at / try:
Have you tried an older build of M/E, say 2.3.3-2.3.4?
Do you have any apps running in the background that could be interfering with things (i.e. a dvd player app)?
You mentioned that autoplay is enabled, why did you mention that and how do you know?
Just to re-cap, you are for sure able to browse the filesystem on the dvds you're trying to play through explorer? What folders / files do you see?

peterdeg · 02-28-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

Have you tried an older build of M/E, say 2.3.3-2.3.4?
Do you have any apps running in the background that could be interfering with things (i.e. a dvd player app)?
You mentioned that autoplay is enabled, why did you mention that and how do you know?
Just to re-cap, you are for sure able to browse the filesystem on the dvds you're trying to play through explorer? What folders / files do you see?

Same problem with 2.3.3
No apps running in the background
Device Manager shows the drive under "DVD/CD-ROM drives" and I can open the properties for the drive.
If I put an audio CD in (shop bought, not one I've burnt), I can browse it using Explorer (Track01, Track02 etc). If I put a video DVD in (shop bought), I can browse it using Explorer (AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders). Data CDs can be browsed as normal.
Autoplay is definately disabled. Confirmed by checking HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Cdrom - AutoRun. I only mentioned it as I thought I was seeing a discrepancy between how ME was configured and what I was seeing.
Bit the bullet and reinstalled Road Runner. DVD plays correctly with the internal player.
Upgraded firmware on DVD drive (TSSTcorp SH-D162C DVD-ROM) and confirmed that the motherboard BIOS was at the latest level.
| Machine scans clean with Sypbot and Ad-Aware. AV sigs are up to date.

Apart from the minimual debug.log file, are there any other debug tools hidden in ME? eg. Something that dumps the system config?
| Does ME interrogate the system looking for drives in some non-standard fashion? I'd assume that the Windows API was being used.

Quote: Originally Posted by phat_bastard

Totally pointless, as is re-installing M/E.

Not really, it can expose corrupted files/registry entries (emphasis on the "can".)