Note to PowerDVD Xp (4.x) users about Hardware DVD playback (and help needed)

[ArdenDag]

I've noticed on my computer that PowerDVD XP doesn't play DVD files as shown in the Playback guide/FAQs on www.doom9.org .

I don't know if this is intentional or not, but PowerDVD Xp, when you select 'Open DVD File on Hard Disk' and you hit play after selecting the correct file, will ask for the DVD from the DVD drive in your computer. But, since the DVD files on your hard disk are no longer copy protected, you should be able to play them without the DVD in the drive.

I did notice, though, that opening the files via 'Open Media Files' which is directly below that, and opening the .VOB files, works fine.

Is this intentional? Is there a way around this for using PowerDVD?

Also, I attempted opening these files with BSPlayer (0.85.492) and Media Player Classic (6.4.0.5) and both don't play the .VOB files correctly (MPC won't play DVDs for me, at all, even those in my computer's DVD drive)

If I open the .VOB files in these respective players, the movie plays 'jagged' (it is progressive for a second, stops for half a second, then continues with another second progressive, etc etc) and also the video looks 'interlaced' when played, whereas if the same video is played via PowerDVD (using the procedure I listed above) plays as if the DVD was in the DVD-ROM drive on my computer.

Is there something I can do to correct this? Or should I just use PowerDVD to play those files from my computer like I have been.

Thanks for any and all help

[cjv]

Originally posted by ArdenDag
I don't know if this is intentional or not, but PowerDVD Xp, when you select 'Open DVD File on Hard Disk' and you hit play after selecting the correct file, will ask for the DVD from the DVD drive in your computer.
When you choose that option, PowerDVD only wants the root folder, and you are telling it that this folder should literally be treated as a DVD drive. Thus, it must contain a video_ts folder, and in that folder, the VIDEO_TS.IFO, VIDEO_TS..etc files (along with your vobs)

If your ripped with SmartRipper the standard way, then it doesn't include these files by default. You have to rip in backup mode, select the files manually, or use IfoEdit to recreate them.

Playing the vobs via "Media file" is fine, but sometimes I find the languages in the VOBs get messed up, and you cannot change the language when using Media Mode.

cjv

[gabest]

ArdenDag: Did you try mpc with winxp? Mpeg2 decoders usually need the overlay mixer on earler windows versions.

[ArdenDag]

Late reply :)

Ok, I understood the 'open media from hard disk', heh

@gabest

I'm using Win 2k pro, just was curious is this was a bug related to my system or not.