HD-200 DVD stutters/pixelates

[hb4]

When I try to play a DVD from the DVD drive on my PC in stand-alone mode, it stutters and pixelates. I copied it to the disk and named it Video_TS and still have the problem. The Extender is cable connected to the network router.

I have a tuner, and the video image was fine in Server mode with SD channels over the wireless connection that I changed to try and solve this problem.

It also plays online videos just fine.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[hb4]

I still have this problem that I cannot play a video DVD and view it the TV using the extender without seeing pixellation and stuttering to the extent that it is impossible to view the video, whether the extender is in standalone or server mode. I do not have any problems viewing the DVD on the PC using STV on the PC.

Since I am able to see live video on the TV via the extender (from a USB tuner connected to the PC), I don't think the network speed between the PC and the extender is the issue. To summarize:

DVD drive to extender/TV in standalone - problem.
DVD drive to extender/TV in server mode - problem.
DVD rip from HDD to extender/TV in standalone - problem.
DVD rip from HDD to exender/TV in server mode - haven't checked.

Live video from tuner to extender in standalone - no problem.
Live vide from tuner to extender in server mode - no problem.
DVD from STV on PC - no problem.
DVD rip from HDD to STV on PC - no problem.

Can anyone suggest a reason, or additional tests to perform?

[gplasky]

You're not going to be able to view a commercial DVD in a PC drive without somehow using a commercial paid for decoder. The extender in standalone mode would not have that capability. It would be like trying to play a DVD on your PC DVD drive without purchasing something like Cyberlink PowerDVD.

Your rips to a harddrive should work fine if you use the right program and place it in a video_ts folder on the hard drive.

Gerry

[iammike]

You might try recording something with your tuner and see how big the file is and then compare it to the DVD's size. SD television doesn't take a huge amount of space. If the tuner isn't creating a particularly high quality recording the file size may be small enough for your network to handle while the DVD may be too large. What speed is your network running at? If the network speed is 100Mbit or higher you might want to check your network cables. A flaky cable can cause slower connect speeds and/or a lot of error traffic.

[hb4]

Thanks for the replies, folks.

Gerry,
This is an older DVD, early 90's, that I can view on my PC from my DVD drive via Sage TV and Windows Media Player. My rip to the hard drive was simply a Windows copy. Both the copy and the DVD play fine on the PC but not on the extender.

Mike (or Iammike),
The router and NIC card is 100Mb; not sure how to measure the actual speed accurately. I will check my cables. The DVD is 120 minutes, and has 4.3Gb of video

[hb4]

Anyone have a suggestion for this problem? I sent a support request a week ago or more and haven't heard anything.

[gplasky]

Again-is is a commercial DVD? If all you did was a Windows copy the PC could have a commercial decoder like PowerDVD that can play commercial DVDs. But if you just did a copy nothing else will play it. You need to rip it in a diiferent way. Forum rules preclude discussing those programs that can play anydvd.

Gerry

[hb4]

Gerry,
It is a commercial DVD ca. 2002. If copying files was involved, I'd understand, but it happens whether it's a PC copy or not.

Here's what I can do:
1. Start up SageTV on my PC.
2. Select the DVD drive.
3. Watch the DVD (on my PC).

Or, I can
1. Start up the Media Extender
2. Select the DVD drive

Here's what I can't do:
3. Watch the DVD (on my TV).

Can you tell me, or suggest a way to find out if
1. This is a special feature of the SageTV software.
2. A problem with copy protection, or
3. A problem with the Media Extender?

If #1, then I'll watch it on the PC (not my preference).
If #2, I can accept that.
If #3, then I need some help from SageTV.

[gplasky]

You say it is a commercial DVD so:
#1. With a commercial decoder (like Cyberlink PowerDVD) this should work everytime.
#2-Start up Media Extender and select the DVD drive. This should NOT work. The extender CANNOT run a commercial decoder. (There is a possible exception to this but the discussion is not allowed. I mentioned it above in my previous post. You may want to google the last word in the sentence post #7)
#3-You could watch it on your TV if you connected the PC video to output to your TV. The only way to get an extender to play a DVD is to rip it to the server. Copy will NOT work. Disccusion of defeating the content protection of a DVD is NOT allowed on the forum.

Gerry

[hb4]

Thanks, Gerry

I think I got it. The DVD is protected. SageTV software can play it on my PC using a commercial decoder (which I must have, even though I don't know it - I bought a few video programs a couple years ago for playing with my ReplayTV saves, it must be one of them) The Media Extender can't.


This is not necessarily true for any_dvd.