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View Full Version : Very wierd DV-AVI playback/capture problems. Please HELP!!


xeen
30th August 2003, 01:44
For the past 3 days I've been trying to figure out why Windows 2000 is suddenly having trouble with DV-AVI files. When I attempt to play a DV-AVI file in any media player it plays the first two seconds or so normally, and then begins to jitter and slow down until it reaches a speed of 6-8 frames per second instead of the normal 29-30. The file then plays awfully slow, and takes up 100% of the CPU. Whatever the problem is also affects capturing via firewire from a DV Camcorder. The first second or two are captured normally, but then lots of frames start dropping (although it is fine in Preview while not capturing).

Before when everything was fine Windows 2000 was always to play DV files without any trouble right from the start after a clean install. I tested Windows 2000 on another computer with Generic Microsoft VGA drivers, DirectX 7.0, and Direct3D/DirectDraw both disabled. DV-AVI files would still play absolutely fast and fine (although with crappy colors obviously).

I have tried everything that I could possibly think of to determine the problem or to rule things out. On the same computer (a Dell Inspiron 8200) everything works absolutely fine in Windows XP, so the problem is not hardware related (ie - nothing is physically damaged).

Even though I've figured out Windows 2000 doesn't really need any DirectX features or any real drivers to play DV-AVI at full speed, I still tried different DirectX versions. I've re-installed Win2000 several times using DirectX 8.1 and 9.0a. I've also tried different versions of the drivers for the video card. I've also checked the BIOS but there was nothing helpful there. I can't think of anything else to try.

So to summarize, I've ruled out the following:
It's not a hardware problem because everything works fine in Windows XP.
I dont think it's DirectX because DV works fine on another Win2000 computer with DirectX 7.
I dont think it's Direct3D or DirectDraw because it also works fine on another Win2000 comptuer with both of those things disabled.
I dont think it's the video drivers because I've tried different versions and Generic VGA drivers seem to work fine on the other computer too.
THe problem is not in too many processes running. All unnecessary services are off and no applications are on. Only the 13 or so mandatory Win2000 processes are on.
The answer is also not in any Windows 2000 service packs because I have NEVER EVER used any service packs and everything was just fine.

I suspect the problem MIGHT have something do with DirectShow but I have no clue as to how do go about solving that or even checking if that's the problem. This is getting really annoying and frustrating now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Pentium 4 1.8 Ghz
512 MB RAM

bb
30th August 2003, 08:47
Have you checked the processes in Task Manager if there's anything eating up your CPU time?

bb

xeen
30th August 2003, 16:15
Everything in the task manager is fine. All unneccessary services are turned off and no programs are funning in the background.

bb
30th August 2003, 16:37
Sorry, no clue... Maybe a DirectX9 problem?

bb

xeen
31st August 2003, 03:43
OK, after doing tons of experiments and reinstalls of the OS I figured out that the problem is not just in capturing the DV, but playing back DV files too. Everything is fine in Windows XP, it plays DV files normally and can capture too. But in Windows 2000 (which has now been re-installed from scratch 5 times) DV just doesn't work. I tried both DirectX 8.1 and 9.0a. I tried both old and newer drivers. I also tried different chipset drivers. The problem apparently isn't in any of those because a)nothing changes from them and b)they all work in XP.
Right now I have a completely blank re-installed Windows 2000. It has DirectX 7 (which it comes with already), no video drivers (only the generic ones), no nothing.
When I launch an existing DV-AVI file in Media Player 6.4, it plays but horribly - only plays a few frames, then freezes the video, then skips the audio, then continues to another frame and so on. It's like theres no DV Codec or something. This has never happened before on this computer or on any other. Windows 2000 always was able to play DV files right away without directx or anything. I don't know what to do anymore. Any ideas?

bb
31st August 2003, 11:09
All I could recommend is to install the latest W2K service pack. Maybe there are patches or updated drivers available for some pieces of your hardware, too.

bb

xeen
31st August 2003, 18:48
I've edited my original post as I've did some tests and experiments on the system. Please read and help if possible. Thanks.