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Sat 7 Apr, 2007 07:36 pm
Got a Thinkpad 600E with 224MB RAM and equipped with the pretty much standard Toshiba SD-C2102 DVD player.
The DVD drive doesn't seem to have any trouble playing a standard pre-recorded DVD, using PCFriendly DVD software. However, when I try to run some DVD-Rs that I've created on my Panasonic DVR, the software seems to be able to read the "chapters" on the disc, but when you try to invoke the movie, the whole thing locks up - and all you see is about a half-inch band of jumbled pixels running across the top of the screen.
The Toshiba SD-C2102 specs seems to say that it will play DVD-R, that are single border (single vs. dual layer?), but the actual playing is still no-go. Any suggestions?
I thought I would try to find an alternate solution to this problem on my own, while I wait for some other suggestions. To that end, I piggy-backed on an idea mentioned by another poster on this forum.
He suggested making the move to using the Media Player Classic DVD software. I downloaded the most recent version, but when I tried to install it, I got the error message:
The MPLAYER.EXE file is linked to missing export DDRAW.DLL:DirectoDrawCreateEx.
C:\My Download\mplayerc.exe A device attached to the system is not functioning.
I'm not sure what that tells me. The MPC version (6.9.7.4) seems to be compatible with my OS. Any suggestions on what the problem is?
There are a few possibilities here. The first guess would be that you don't have a CODEC installed that is compatible with the DVD's made by your DVR.
The second error you are getting sounds like you don't have DirectX drivers installed (or they aren't copmpatible with your PC). DirectDraw is a part of the DirectX package. Try installing the latest DirectX and see if you can install the Media Player software after that.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx
You you know the model number of your Panasonic DVR?
I'll give the update of the DirectX a try and see how that works.
The DVR that I purchased was a PANASONIC DMR-ES30VS VCR/DVD COMBO PLAYER RECORDER PRO.
Sorry for the delay in responding. I don't seem to be receiving email notifications when these questions get replied to.
Okay, I downloaded and installed the most recent DirectX software. That actually seems to have had some kind of effect. However, now when I try to install my Media Player Classic, now I get the following error dialog box:
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
Runtime Error!
Program: C:\MY DOWNLOAD\MPLAYERC.EXE
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the applications' support team for more information.
Any other thoughts?
I always feel good when I'm able to come back, and provide an answer to my own question (sort of validates that thing where my mom would always tell me I was a "good boy").
I can report a fix that may benefit others, from the software side of town. I noted previously difficulty in playing home-recordered DVD discs using any of a number of media player programs that are on the list of usual suspects.
I caught a good article in PCWorld and they advocated the media player from Videolan (www.videolan.org/vlc). The VLC media player seems to be quite versatile and plays everything from CD's to DVD's - and probably everything in between (whatever that might be). It solved the problem on my media player issue. Give it a try - it's a winner.
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