PowerDVD DX issue

Hi, ek:

Please contact Dell for a replacement disc.

Good luck!

ek0000, I am having this exact same problem on my 1640... I tried to use it today and it will not play Blu-Ray discs. It would previously, but no longer. The Dell re-installation disc is useless, and if they ship it to you and you reinstall it you will loose Blu-Ray playback functionality in the software completely. The software you need you can download at Dells downloadstore website at http://downloadstore.dell.com/media.

Good luck, and please let us know if it fixes the issue for you, because it was absolutely useless for me... I get the stupid FBI warning and rating screens, but the program freezes if I try to skip past the adverts, and if I let them play then it just goes black when it should go to the menu... I am really irritated with Dell and Cyberlink. If I have to buy Blu-Ray software independently this will be the last Dell I buy.

Also note that I am even more irritated that Dells forums deleted my post based on the fact that it included a non-profane colloquialism to define cases of extreme disdain. I assume that this is because it references the more common name for expelled urea.

I am having very similar problems with my blu ray drive in my XPS 1640.  I put in a blu ray you hear it start, but I get stuck at the menu and cant go any further.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled the software three times.  Oh I forgot to mention that I had to have the discs sent to me because they werent included with my software.  And as I looked at my account I think they charged me for them!

Has anyone been able to get any help with this problem?  Does anyone know if its a software or hardware issue?  I feel like I have wasted my money on a lemon.

mrmaze: I feel the same way.

I validated in my case that this is not a hardware issue as it works in PowerDVD 9 trial, but that does me no good unless I want to shell out $100 for something that was clearly included with my computer. Why should I have to go to ADDITIONAL expense on top of the gobs of money I already threw at Dell? Especially if the software was already included. :-(

I feel violated, and it is not like Dell will pay for the software, despite that they have no answer for me.

I have seen posts about similar problems that finger firmware for the drive. I suppose this is a possibility, and that a M$ OS patch brought the problem forward, but why is there no CyberLink patch for this yet?

:-( If I cannot get this resolved, I guarantee you I am not buying the updated version of CyberLink PowerDVD to have this happen all over again on my dime down the road... I will be getting WinDVD 2010...

Dell, as far as I am concerned you still owe me functional DVD software... or a refund of the extra I paid for the BluRay drive over the regular DVD+/-RW...

mrmaze: I feel the same way. I validated in my case that this is not a hardware issue as it works in PowerDVD 9 trial, but that does me no good unless I want to shell out $100 for something that was clearly included with my computer. Why should I have to go to ADDITIONAL expense on top of the gobs of money I already threw at Dell? Especially if the software was already included. :-( I feel violated, and it is not like Dell will pay for the software, despite that they have no answer for me. I have seen posts about similar problems that finger firmware for the drive. I suppose this is a possibility, and that a M$ OS patch brought the problem forward, but why is there no CyberLink patch for this yet? :-( If I cannot get this resolved, I guarantee you I am not buying the updated version of CyberLink PowerDVD to have this happen all over again on my dime down the road... I will be getting WinDVD 2010... Dell, as far as I am concerned you still owe me functional DVD software... or a refund of the extra I paid for the BluRay drive over the regular DVD+/-RW...

I agree with you 100% my friend.  We have had five Dell PCs and Desktops over the years, but this will be my last unless this can be straightened out.  We shouldnt have to deal with this type of problem with a brand new laptop.  I wonder if I can get a refund  :(  I should have lsitened to my wife and got a Mac

In my case, Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) was the culprit. I uninstalled Vista SP2. PowerDVD DX (with 8.2.5024 update) was working again.

When I first got my Dell PC, I was able to play the Blu-ray movie Planet Earth using PowerDVD. It was great that it worked right out of the box with HDMI and 5.1 audio. Then I let it run some updates including SP2 and I installed Avira anti-virus. Later, when I opened PowerDVD again, it prompted for an update. After the update, I tried to play the BD and it would play up to the main menu but with no sound. Then clicking on Play All or Episodes would do nothing. The timer was changing but no sound or video and it would freeze, hang, and not respond. I tried system restore to restore to the point before installing Avira but still had the same problem. I did a lot of research (Googling) before going on and trying anything that could waste my time and/or make things worse, and found out that SP2 for Vista was causing problems for many. After I uninstalled Vista SP2, PowerDVD, even with the update, was working again. I know that at some point SP2 will be needed by some software. But I might upgrade to Windows 7 eventually.

Same problem here, PowerDVD DX installs and runs fine from the original CD included with my system. But, when I launch it, I am prompted to update a critical component of the software. If I choose update, it fails and then won't play any Blu-ray discs. The only solution is to uninstall and reinstall. Now I just ignore the critical update warning and everything works fine. This only began happening after Vista SP2 was installed.

I originally had that exact same problem, but when i tried it today it seem to work fine!  My software udated itself with no problem!  try giving it another shot???   Maybe Cyberlink has updated their update repository!

*** SOLUTION *** !!!

This is from my post in the other section.  After I downloaded and installed the free trial of Power DVD 9, I got a message when I tried to play the Blu-Ray that the mouse controls will not work with the Blu-Ray disks.  I then used the up and down arrows and the enter key to start the Blu-Ray playing.  Once it is started playing, the media buttons and mouse controls then work.  It's some kind of glitch with the Cyberlink software, as we all knew.  But at least the disks will play.  You don't get the message that the mouse controls will not work with the DX version (Dell's Version), but the same thing works, just use the arrow keys and the enter key.  It's odd, cause I could have sworn the first Blu-Ray disk I played started with the mouse controls.  Maybe only certain Blu-Rays do and do not work with the mouse.  You'll see once the disk is started you see "play" in a blue box and "pause" in a blue box when you use the mouse controls, but they only work once you start the disk with the arrow keys and the enter button.  Hey Dell: Thanks for keeping me on the chat for three hours all because you didn't know this!  L.

I'm having the same problem with my 1640.  DELL YOU OWE US A FREE FIX!!! THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!!!

*** PURPORTED SOLUTION ADDRESSES A DIFFERENT PROBLEM ***

Regrettably, This is not a solution to the problem that the majority of us are having. I already knew that BluRay requires arrow navigation... The problem we are having is that the software freezes, or does not work at all. This is not a navigation issue. I can see this clearly in a ProcMon session. I can see the stream break down where it should continue. This happened even on the rare occasion that I could start the main movie. The stream would break down moments in, and the software would freeze. It would not even respond to PowerDVD's on screen controls.

I appreciate your fervor and willingness to share, but your solution is for another problem entirely... The reason for my header above is to ensure that others having my problem do not abandon this thread if they have something constructive to share because they thought the thread was about your problem.

Okay.  Well that's interesting.  We'll have to wait and see.  I can only say I watched "The Last Starfighter"  and "Race to Witch Mountain" on Blu-Ray and it worked virtually flawlessly for me, no skipping or freezing at all.

Did you install all of the latest drivers and all of those things?  There's so many causes for problems like these.

Keep us posted!

L.

This is very odd.

A similar thing has happened to me today. I have Dell XPS 1640. Standard pre installed PowerDVD DX.

Have watched TONNES of Dvds and Blu rays with no problem.

Have not installed any updates.

Then today, it stops working. I get sound, but a black / blank / screen (i.e. no picture at all!).  I got one of the disc menus to work on Quantum of Solace, but no picture at all.

I have just downloaded the latest update ( version 8.2.5711 ) to no effect.

Very very odd (and I'm not happy!)

Also,

Looking at the Windows event viewer, it is causing an error "The device, \Device\CdRom0, has a bad block."

Going back through the logs, I've never had this error before (but discs have played before).

Still on Service Pack 1

Haven't downloaded any windows updates for months (im on mobile broadband) so can't be arsed.

Solved it for me... I tried PowerDVD 9 Ultra demo and it still didn't work.

The more I read, the more it pointed to drivers to do with ATi. When I checked out the ATi settings, under Video tab, basic colour, the "use application settings" was unchecked. Checking this solved the issue. Whether an app had changed this somehow I have no idea....