W3V and DVD Playback

Hi,

I've had some trouble with DVD playback on my W3V, which has been mentioned twice (I think) before on this forum--neither of the threads really had an outcome that could guide me in solving this problem.

When I play a dvd via ASUSDvD, I get a garbled, echoed voice, static-like noise, and jumpy playback. This same playback problem occurs when I play dvds in Windows Media Player, too.

When I first got the notebook, I didn't have any issues, but a couple of months later this started to happen more often, and now I am consistently having this problem with the DVD playback.

I downloaded what I think to be the most current ATI driver (version 8.263.0.0) and that has not solved the problem.

I am using Power4Gear.

Any thoughts on the cause and solution?

Thanks!

 

How about trying some different software like VideoLan or re-installing the Asus software.

 

ZaZ,

The VideoLan software has not helped, but I will have to reinstall the Asus Dvd software later tonight.

When I play a dvd, the CPU Usage is about 100%, if that helps any.

Anyone else have an idea of what is going on?

Thanks!

 

That is too high. Look in task manager to see what app is running the CPU.

 

ZaZ,

Under the Task Manager - Process Tab, the CPU is 98 under asusdvd.exe. Everthing else is either nil or 2-3%. This CPU usage is typical of what happens when I have the computer in battery mode and there isn't much change when I adjust the Power4Gear settings. When I plug in the AC line, the CPU usage drops down in the range of 40-60.

 

What happened when you ran VideoLan?

 

The playback issue that I have in AsusDvd occurs in VideoLan, too.

I don't know if it's a problem related to applcations running in the background, but here is a copy of my BootLogXP file:

Started at: 28.06.2006 14:41:51.250
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntoskrnl.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:41:51.250 Duration: 0 sec
System Start: 28.06.2006 14:41:58.200 Duration: 36.563 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SMSS.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:09.970 Duration: 2.054 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\AUTOCHK.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:10.076 Duration: 0 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\CSRSS.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:12.084 Duration: 28.009 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\WINLOGON.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:15.408 Duration: 8.78 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SERVICES.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:15.800 Duration: 12.003 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\LSASS.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:15.812 Duration: 8.201 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\ATI2EVXX.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:16.382 Duration: 1.143 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:16.410 Duration: 9.11 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:16.438 Duration: 0.735 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:16.562 Duration: 54.92 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:16.642 Duration: 2.799 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\S24EvMon.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:17.130 Duration: 0.56 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:17.552 Duration: 0.036 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:17.908 Duration: 16.871 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.558 Duration: 36.68 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.650 Duration: 16.804 sec
E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\ISSVC.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.726 Duration: 9.957 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.068 Duration: 43.502 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.380 Duration: 11.464 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:18.726 Duration: 0.449 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SPOOLSV.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:20.520 Duration: 44.973 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\ATI2SGAG.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:20.676 Duration: 0.006 sec
E:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NAVAPSVC.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:22.220 Duration: 8.428 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\ZCfgSvc.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:22.928 Duration: 0.202 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\ATI2EVXX.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:22.556 Duration: 5.429 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\USERINIT.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:22.580 Duration: 1.947 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\WgaTray.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:22.674 Duration: 5.319 sec
E:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:23.066 Duration: 20.124 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\OProtSvc.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:23.902 Duration: 13.393 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\RegSrvc.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:23.388 Duration: 0.096 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Script Blocking\SBServ.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:23.720 Duration: 0.04 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\WDFMGR.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:23.998 Duration: 0.363 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\1XConfig.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:25.722 Duration: 3.247 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\SVCHOST.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:27.944 Duration: 3.756 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\ALG.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:28.248 Duration: 2.538 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\WBEM\WMIPRVSE.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:28.750 Duration: 6.471 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\WBEM\WMIPRVSE.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:30.126 Duration: 35.475 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\VERCLSID.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:33.938 Duration: 0.254 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\VERCLSID.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:33.482 Duration: 0.076 sec
E:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPLpr.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:34.158 Duration: 0.155 sec
E:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:34.666 Duration: 0.68 sec
E:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:34.078 Duration: 28.537 sec
E:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\ATIPTAXX.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:34.442 Duration: 1.163 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\iFrmewrk.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:34.780 Duration: 2.39 sec
E:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\ATIPRBXX.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.368 Duration: 0.365 sec
E:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EOUWiz.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.474 Duration: 2.063 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\NeroCheck.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.840 Duration: 0.019 sec
E:\WINDOWS\ATK0100\HControl.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.182 Duration: 7.18 sec
E:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LUCOMS~1.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.594 Duration: 1.351 sec
E:\Program Files\SymNetDrv\SNDMon.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:35.814 Duration: 0.004 sec
E:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:36.472 Duration: 1.563 sec
E:\Program Files\ASUSTek\ASUSDVD\PDVDServ.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:36.086 Duration: 0.422 sec
E:\Program Files\ASUS\Power4 Gear\BatteryLife.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:36.822 Duration: 0.482 sec
E:\Program Files\iPod\BIN\iPodService.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:37.160 Duration: 0.714 sec
E:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\CLI.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:37.396 Duration: 34.892 sec
E:\Program Files\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack\TosBtMng1.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:38.000 Duration: 0.057 sec
E:\WINDOWS\System32\IMAPI.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:38.014 Duration: 0.315 sec
E:\Program Files\Greatis\BootLog XP\BootLogXP.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:38.432 Duration: 33.555 sec
E:\Program Files\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack\TosBtMng.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:39.210 Duration: 12.211 sec
E:\WINDOWS\ATK0100\ATKOSD.EXE Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:42.716 Duration: 2.813 sec
E:\Program Files\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack\TosA2dp.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:43.088 Duration: 3.583 sec
E:\Program Files\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack\TosBtHSP.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:47.494 Duration: 4.025 sec
E:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:42:52.722 Duration: 3.997 sec
E:\Program Files\Greatis\BootLog XP\TraceLog.exe Start: 28.06.2006 14:43:11.202 Duration: 0.778 sec
Monitoring stopped at: 28.06.2006 14:43:12.758
Duration: 81.507 sec

 

So your cpu use was in the 90s using the DVD setting in P4Gear, while on battery?

 

ClearSkies,

Actually, the CPU usage has lowered a bit from 100 and now is 60-75% when in DVD Power4Gear mode and roughly the same in Office/Email mode (maybe a bit less).

To make it a little clearer, when the laptop has less power, the playback gets worse and the CPU usage increases. However, even when it has plenty of power, the playback is still bad--jumpy frames..crackly, echo-like voices--and there really isn't that much of a difference in playback between all the modes, except when I use Battery Saving mode where the playback is really bad, which is when CPU usage is at 100%.

I see there are 52 processes running...could that be a cause, even though none of the process are taking up any CPU usage?

 

CPU usage will probably be higher on batt than AC, I think, because the cpu freq is locked lower on the batt modes.

It sounds like maybe the cpu is bouncing back and forth between trying to run a background process and dvd playback, and having trouble keeping up, thus the scattered playback issues. Norton is one strong possibility - you could try disabling the Norton and Symantec processes in msconfig and see what happens on dvd playback after restart.... just turn your wireless off so that you aren't exposed to the net with your pants down (no AV protection) while Norton is off.

 

ClearSkies,

There was no change when I disabled Norton.

 

Try using a better DVD decoder (which necessitates a new player). The fastest decoder I've found is dscaler 5, which is open source, and works well with media player classic. Media player classic is also free and extremely powerful. ASUSDVD really is a repackaged powerdvd, which is a CPU hog. Give it a try, see if it works.

 

it happened also on my asus notebook. did you install direct x9? on the sound what i did was to download realtek High Definition Audio System Software. i think its a realtek audio 880. try it mine works.

 

philibuster:

I will have to try the program you recommended--thanks.

lovan6: I have DirectX 9 installed, and I downloaded and installed the latest Realtek driver (880) and it did nothing to fix the problem.

(Sigh)

I think I will have to call Asus to get some help with this.