NVIDIA Drivers

I think the issue you are having maybe has more to do with windows media player/center missing "video codecs" rather than the correct drivers themselves (although both are necessary).

Here is a work around that might get it to work for you (versus purchasing vidoe codecs).

Update (again) to the lastest video drivers as you have done before.  Then don't test the dvd yet. Instead, just download the the very latest VLC media player and reinstall overtop of your current version (or you can unistall the old one if you want). Note: if you have the latest version...still do this reinstall of it...... 

As you go thru the new installation, make sure you "associate"  DVD movies with VLC player ( i.e. have that box clicked, you may also want to click divx as well if you have divx movies and anything else you want for that matter). 

After the installation is complete you can then pop a dvd movie in and see if windows media player/center will play the video. ( i have xp and it asks what player to open with, i don't know about vista)

If this works, then i think it is because the windows media player now has video codecs that it needs and can use (i.e free/public ? codecs from VLC player that get there thru the reinstallation of it).

Hope it helps.

oh, you can associate DVD  files back to windows media player/center later if you want....although it often seems to happen on its own thru updates anyway.

Thanks very much for that information.  I had worked it out now that it was something to do with the video codecs.  I have downloaded some codecs specifically for Vista, so I was going to try the driver update again and install the codecs also. I will try your method first though.

Martin

Excellent ...... :emotion-2:............

It did work for me recently when i had a similar issue....also, i forgot to say, reboot after installing VLC ...in case windows has to 'know' /  see the new codecs.

good luck

I have just done what you said, but it still does not work.

Martin

 When you "update the drivers"  i hope you are letting windows go online and choose the drivers that are best for your system.  I think that is how i did it and it did a nice job of choosing the latest nvidia drivers for me, gave me the nvidia control panel and everything.  before that i was get some default drivers (maye from the nvidia cd that came with the card)  and i think there were yellow exclamation marks in device manager for the video card.

....sorry the original solution didn't work.

Thanks. I did let windows chose which driver to install, but I still could not play the dvd`s. At the moment I have just rolled back the driver to the original one. I will still keep trying, as it is obviously a codec problem, it is just finding the correct codecs.

Martin

Thanks very much. The computer that I am having trouble with is running Windows Vista Home Premium and I have Media Player 11 installed. I don`t know that there is an update to Windows Media Center. Like I said, I have just rolled back the video card driver to the original version until i can get the correct codecs. I will try the links that you have mentioned.

Martin

The secnd link was for an xp system so please scrap that one.  If you try the first CNET link then i would set a "system restore" point before installing just in case there are issues afterwards.

It seems (perhaps you already know this) that that series video card, vista and nvidia have had some issues in the past with many people at that time blaming nvidia (- i did a quick google scan) at least with certain laptops.

I am not sure if it is worth getting "the latest" drivers if it actually deteriorates things (i.e. no dvd video playback).  If it were me unless there is another compelling reason, i would just use VLC for DVD movies and not bother with WMP or just keep the old drivers and use WMP....actually VLC is what i currently use for everything myself anyway.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to update the driver once more and then install the cnet codec pack (maybe it allows selective codec installing -  you don't want to mess up your system with all new video/audio codecs unless you have to......if things get messed up reinstall VLC to renew your current codecs). 

For interest, I read some of the user reviews for that CNET codec pack......a few  things came out of it.

First , if you choose "expert" install then you can select which particular codecs you want.  Second, it comes with an optional tool bar installation...personally i would not install it.

Lastly the reviews in general are very positve for the pack.