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Playback Can Be Adversely Affected if Other System Functions Are Performed

When playing a DVD on a portable system, the playback can be adversely affected if other system functions are performed, such as changing video settings, altering performance options, or running diagnostics.

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Stop Background Processes to Improve DVD Playback Quality

Playing a DVD can be a system resource-intensive operation. Multiple sub-systems are involved in the playback, including the video sub-system, the processor, memory (both virtual and physical), audio, and the I/O sub-system. For the playback quality of a DVD to be optimal, any other system resource-intensive operations should not be performed while playing the DVD. (Table 1)

Examples of system resource-intensive operations to be avoided while playing a DVD include, but are not limited to, the following operations:

System Resource-Intensive Operations	Description
Power management functions	Suspending a system while playing a DVD can result in various forms of corruption in the playback upon resume. Likewise, forcing a system into hibernate while a DVD is playing can result in corruption of the playback upon returning to the operating system. Generally, DVD player software disables power management time-outs during playback so these issues are not encountered. As a good practice, this feature should not be overridden to force the system into a power management state.
Changing video settings	Changes to video settings should not be made while a DVD is playing. Attempting to change resolution, color depth, or the preferred display device while playing a DVD can result in problems affecting the quality of playback. These problems can include: DVD overlay corruption (artifacts appearing on the DVD playback window) Audio stuttering or skipping Jerky or hesitant video Out-of-sequence audio (the audio does not sync with the video).
Altering performance options	Performance options should be set before playing a DVD. Making changes to the system performance options, including virtual memory settings and hardware acceleration, often require a system restart. Attempting to make these types of changes while playing a DVD may also result in corruption in the playback window.
Running diagnostics	Diagnostic applications should not be run while playing a DVD. Dell Diagnostics, Virus or Spyware scanners, or the Microsoft embedded Scandisk utility are examples of Diagnostic Utilities that can cause DVD overlay corruption and slow playback as the system uses resources to perform the diagnostic.

Table 1: System Resource-Intensive Operations

Stopping these activities should result in better quality DVD playback.

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