INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: JustinChase on November 19, 2003, 02:01:59 pm

Title: playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: JustinChase on November 19, 2003, 02:01:59 pm
Can Media Center play DVD's.  I know there are many programs out there to play back DVD's, and it seems most can have 'filters' installed to help improve the image quality, or de-interlace, and even upscale the image to play on HDTV monitors.  I am wondering if I will need to purchase one of these other players, or if MC does/allows these same types of things internally.

Again, I REALLY want to record/playback/edit/improve all of my media in only one place with only one program, and I LOVE MC.
Title: Re:playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: Felerian on November 19, 2003, 04:13:15 pm
It can...

Version 9.1.291 kept crashing every time I tried to, but I upgraded to 9.1.308 today, and it works fine.

Although I prefer using WinDVD, which came with my graphics card AND with the main board in two different versions for free.
Title: Re:playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: JustinChase on November 19, 2003, 04:23:37 pm
Any way to use any of the 'filters' within MC?

I must be honest, I don't completely understand them yet, but I do spend way too much time reading up on the subject of Home Theater PCs, and am starting to learn.

I should be ready to put mine together in a month or so, wish me luck.
Title: Re:playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: xen-uno on November 19, 2003, 04:51:58 pm
You guys are doing better than I am. 308 crashes hard where earlier builds just complained about the video...and wouldn't play them. Never has liked PowerDVD XP v4 here (MC apparently uses some of the components). I wonder...would P-DVD 5 get along with MC better?

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Media Center Registered 9.1.308 -- d:\MediaCenter\

Microsoft Windows 2000  Workstation 5.0 Service Pack 4 (Build 2195)
Intel Pentium III 698 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 392 MB, Free - 176 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.81 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1276 / Shell32.dll: 5.00.3700.6705 / wnaspi32.dll: Internal ASPI Layer

Ripping /   Drive X:   Copy mode:Normal   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
  Drive Y:   Copy mode:Normal   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
  Drive Z:   Copy mode:Normal   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: No /  Calc replay gain: No /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: No /  Play sound after ripping: Yes  Soundfile:   S:\mp3\RaceRun.wav

Burning /  Drive Y: YAMAHA   CRW-F1E            Addr: 1:0:0  Speed:44  MaxSpeed:44  BurnProof:Yes
  Drive Z: SONY     DVD RW DRU-500A    Addr: 1:1:0  Speed:25  MaxSpeed:25  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: No /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /  Normalization: None


Video is an NVidia TNT2 model 64 (running latest drivers). DX is at 9b.
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10-27
Title: Re:playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: JustinChase on November 25, 2003, 03:27:06 pm
When using these other programs (PowerDVD for example), is MC just shelling out to these other programs, or is the video actually playing inside MC?
Title: Re:playing DVD's in Media Center
Post by: phelt on November 25, 2003, 06:06:53 pm
The video plays within MC in the visualization/track info area, or fullscreen if you choose. IIRC, other DVD players are necessary only for the installation of DVD decoding filters for playback, because of licensing costs. MC leverages those filters for its own playback.