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@tntmnm wrote:

Problem: Video playback of mpeg files are filled with artifacts. Behavior occurs with Windows Media Player 10 and 11, Real Player (latest) and other players.

 

This fixes it temporarily: While the video is paused or playing, changing the Hardware Acceleration setting down one position from Full, or back up to Full, and hitting 'apply' will cause the video to play back perfectly. However, closing the file and re-loading the same video again returns playback to the same artifact-filled behavior.

 

This started when I switched to a 22" wide screen LCD monitor from a 19 inch 4:3 monitor. I am running it at 1680 x 1050.

 

What else I have tried, with no change in the above behavior.

1. Restarting after changing the hardware acceleration setting to fully apply the change.

2. Reducing the screen resolution.

3. Updating to the latest Intel display adapter driver at the Dell support site.

4. Updating to the latest driver available from Intel (now I am at 6.14.10.4764, 1/13/2007)

5. DirectX Diagnostic tool: DirectDraw and Direct3D diagnostic tests pass.

 

I have also tried reducing the Hardware Acceleration setting more drastically, which eventually results in only audio playback with no video.

 

I don't believe this is a codec problem, since I can do the above and have perfect playback.

 

My system:

Dimension 4700

2.5 GB RAM

Display Adapter: Intel 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family

Display: Hanns-G HG216D, analog connection, 1680x1050, 60 Hz

 

Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

Tim

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Try and download this, what are the files you are trying to play any errors in diagnostic test F12 at Dell logo on starting PC. Boot to utility partition.

http://www.divx.com/

Thanks for taking an interest in my plight!

1. F12 tests - I only ran the video tests, everything seemed to pass.

2. divx.com - I was able to download and convert of the "problem" videos to divx and playback with no corruption (although there was no sound, but that does not concern me).

Examples of problem videos (WM10 File Properties):

File ext, Size, Aspect, Audio Codec, Video Codec

a. .mpg, 352x480, 4:3, Sonic Cinemaster(r) MCE Audio Decoder, Sonic Cinemaster(r) DS Video Decoder

b. .tivo, 480x480, 4:3, MPEG Audio Decoder, Sonic Cinemaster(r) DS Video Decoder

c. .tivo, 1280x720, 16:9, Sonic Cinemaster(r) MCE Audio Decoder, Sonic Cinemaster(r) DS Video Decoder

Plays back fine:

a. .mpg, 720x480, 3:2, MPEG Audio Decoder, MPEG Video Decoder (Dell supplied Experience.mpg file)

Different problem: Video and audio plays fine, but length of video is listed much shorter than it really is; video plays for the reported time and stops (bar graph reaches 100%), but audio continues through to the expected end. Playback of these used to work fine. The Hardware setting I mentioned earlier has no effect. All of these were recorded by my 4MP digital camera:

.MPG, 640x480, 4:3, MPEG Audio Decoder, MPEG Video Decoder

I have fiddled with the DECCHECK utility from Windows, randomly trying different codec choices with no effect. Also changing WM10 accelerator settings (Performance tab) has no effect.

So, if this is indeed caused by the Sonic codec, how do I make the system use a different one? Or know which one is being used on playback? I have seen lots of tools to list codecs on the system, but not much on how to control what is used when. DECCHECK reports the Sonic one as 2.5.4.1051.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Well, I plugged in my old 19" LCD monitor, and the same playback problems exist, as well as the temporary fix still works as described. I think that tells me I don't need a new display card or driver...

I think you need a sonic update for your music software, are the drivers in device manager got any red marks or yellow ?

What could be causing this when did the trouble start, any new software you installed a driver for your Intel Integrated graphics for instance ?

how did you install the Intel driver from Intels website. 

No problems shown in Device Manager.

The Sonic Cineplayer program plays the files fine, both the ones that had artifacts and ones that are too short as described earlier. However, it does not know how to play .tivo files, so I still have a problem there. WMP10 / WMP11 still shows the same symptoms with the same files.

I installed the Intel Display Adapter using instructions from another thread in this forum. The first time I tried it, it said that the version was not approved for installation by Dell. But the forum message said to first ununistall the existing one from Dell, then install the new one from Intel, which worked.

So, my current conclusion is that WMP10 / WMP11 are choosing a codec that is not working right. I don't know what caused this, since it had been a while since I did much video fiddling. It isn't my new monitor.

How do I find out what codec(s) Windows Media Player is choosing and then remove it so it will try another? I will have to research that again from sites that offer help there.

Thanks,

Tim

Fixed Fixed both problems!

First Gspot (http://www.headbands.com/gspot/) and dsfm (http://www.softella.com/dsfm/index.en.htm) are the tools that helped me solve this.

dsfm shows codecs and other elements installed on your system. Gspot lets you open a video and see what configurations of codecs that might work; I was able to watch it playback the same video correctly, and with green block artifacts on the lower half of the screen. Looking at the codecs in use, my suspitions regarding loading TiVo desktop came up. I had recently installed Tivo Desktop, and did not realize that is what caused the problems (it isn't obvious, since it launches WMP and they want you to pay more for their own set of codecs to export video to portable devices, etc).

So then I went to the Tivo forum and found descriptions to my exact problems:

1. The short video playback with sound continuing problem had a direct posting with a solution: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=313459 ; The dsfm tool let me make the "MainConcept MPEG Demultiplexer" unlikely to use, so that "MPEG-I Stream Splitter" would be used instead. After making the change in dsfm, I had to reboot to have the change take effect.

2. The corrupt video problem is described in http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaypost?postID=10279458.

I also reduced GplMpgDec.ax to "do not use" based on advice from other forum threads, but I did not do this by itself to verify it needed to be done or not. I may put it back, but I am too tired tonight.