Lost DVD playback

[adone36]

I just noticed that since upgrading to V7, I've lost the ability to play DVDs ripped to disk. All I get is audio. This is on server and clients. Recordings and video files (mkv, avi) play fine. I've played around with the video settings, but still nothing. How can I best troubleshoot?

[gplasky]

How are you trying to play them? PC Client, extender or server? On PC Clients and server do you have the codecs installed (like PowerDVD or Arcsoft) and configured for use that can play commercial DVDs? If you do then choose those codecs within Sage.

Gerry

[adone36]

I had tried playing a DVD on a client. The files were even stored on this client. Audio, no video. I then went to the server and tried and the Sage interface crashed.

It turns out this must have been something else. I checked the server and it plays ripped DVDs fine now.

The client is on a machine running Win 7 with a Radeon 5830. When I play a ripped DVD, there is a flash and Win 7 says it is switching to basic mode for display. I have a dual screen set up the monitor on the right is a 19 and runs sage, the left is a 22 with higher res. The ripped DVD plays audio and no video. I just discovered if I drag Sage to the 22", the video is there.

I'll have to experiment tonight, thanks!

[hedly]

This is a "feature" of windows to ensure that all media is not able to play on multiple monitors. It has to do with them trying to placate to the RIAA.

We have the same issue at work when we play videos we create for presentations.

It turns out that videos will only play on the main monitor, not the secondary monitor. The secondary monitor is the one in which you select to extend your desktop to for multi-monitor displays.

You need to make the monitor in which you want to play the movie the "Primary" monitor. I'd tell you how but I have not had to do this yet on Win7. Our conference room is still using XP. I have not run into the issue yet on my work computer; and my home computers all have single monitors.

[adone36]

Yes, no matter what I tried, I cannot get ripped DVD video on the secondary monitor with Sage 7. I guess the RIAA thinks mkv and avi are alright though. They play fine. I don't recall having this problem with v6. PowerDVD will play the ripped dvd on the secondary.

[Nelbert]

I'd suspect it's less to do with the RIAA and more to do with how the application sets up render viewports when is starts or the video driver informs about hardware (cards and displays) and acceleration.

I've run into the same issue with remote java console access on servers before. Move the console between screens and all the video goes. Start the app on the 2nd screen and it works until you move it to the primary screen and vice versa. It had no understanding of a dual head display and the max video size would be the resolution the display it started on was using.

[adone36]

Its not an RIAA thing. If I run in the primary, I have video. As I drag to the secondary, video disappears. I can have half and half if i pause dragging. i read something that on a dual monitor only the primary will support a program using "overlays". The secondary does not support overlays. Programs like Powerdvd work because they don't use overlays. I still don't know whether this is cast in stone or can be "fixed".

[Nelbert]

Can you change the render method in the sagetv setup option?

In Video/Audio setup what's the current setting?

Can you select DirectX9 or EVA instead?

Doing a quick test on the multimonitor at work, overlay blanks as it changes between monitors, DirectX9 or EVA doesn't and videos play even when spanning monitors.

The could also be limitations with the video card driver though.

[adone36]

Videos of all kinds play fine. It is only DVDs ripped to disk that don't play. I'll try experimenting again tonight.

[Ericft]

I am having a similar issue but on both my hd300 extenders. I am able to play all the dvds on my client computer but when I select certain dvds from the extender, it gives me a blank screen, no audio or video or main menu. some dvds play fine, others have the problem. never had this issue before. All movies stored on unraid server, even tried spinning all drives on and still no go. kinda strange, i'm at a loss as I know codec issues shouldn't be plaguing me here with the hd300. any thoughts? know it's not a drive mapping issue as some of the dvds on teh same subfolder play fine.
BTW tried both my movies SMM access and also native video folders in sagetv 7: movies in video_ts folders

[gizmo3141]

Would somebody pleeeeaase...tell me what the 'new' trick is for playing DVD disks? Upgraded from a previous version of SageTV 7 to the newest one and DVD playback is broken again. This is locally,from a drive mounted in my machine!

Why does SageTV insist that I have to figure out some secret combination of settings in the detailed settings menu to accomplish a simple task that other players 'just do' whithout complaint? Why are sage users required to spend hours on forums to get simple tasks accomplished like playing a dvd, or using transparancies on menus without the video tearing? Or using closed captions? Why all the confusion, when every other player in the known universe that is any good at all just does the appropriate thing without constant and continual re-configuring?

How do I play a DVD?!?!? The config hasn't changed since my upgrade to the release version of v7...but now it just keeps taking me back to the main menu no matter what I do. Regardless of what decoders or renderer or audio output I use. And yes I took note of the ones that worked previously before I entered this gulag of configuration pergatory earlier today......Pleassssse.....what's the new trick to this?

[gplasky]

AFAIK there is no trick. Upgraded or clean isntall still plays DVDs for me and most everyone. If you're on a PC Client make sure in the DVD settings (not video/audio) you have a decoder chosen that will play commercial DVDs. Make sure if you are using Windows 7 you have set the permissions correctly on any shares including physical DVD drives.

Gerry

[gizmo3141]

Well, I think I can tell you it's none of those things.

Worked with the beta, made no changes to Sage's settings or the PC. Upgraded to the release version. Suddenly doesn't work. Not at all, not with any setting as I carefully went through them one by one taking note of the originals before beginning, and of each combination and permutation of settings as I made them.

Playback works in VLC, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, KMPlayer, and ripped DVD's play fine in Sage.

Exactly the same symptoms on the client and the server. Both were updated at the same time, and both stopped working at the same time.

So what's so 'special' about playing a physical disk from the drive? It just refuses to.

I'm on my 4th machine testing this so far, and none of them will play a DVD either on Windows 7, Windows XP, Ubuntu, or Ubuntu Netbook edition. Why wouldn't it work 'out of the box'. DVD is a fairly uniform standard I should think...

Correction, my burned disks are also not playing, but it seems as if every other file format is.

[gplasky]

Playing DVDs requires having a decoder like PowerDVD, Arcsoft TMT, etc that can play commercial DVDs. Sage does not comes with a decoder that plays DVDs. Please see the manual or other threads for further information.

Gerry

[gizmo3141]

Really? Every other player seems to work, so I must have such a thing on my system. Are you suggesting that I go out and buy a redundant decoder when I already have one that works? Why did the Microsoft decoder stop working for DVD's? Suddenly after the release version became available?

Why is it that VLC, KMPlayer, etc...seem to be able to use a 'free' decoder and SageTV cannot?

Do I have to wait for you to do another beta before I can watch a freakin' DVD?

I'm having more than a little trouble believing this...

[gizmo3141]

Downloaded Power DVD, changed my decoder to it. Still no playback.

What now?

[gplasky]

Open a ticket with Sage support. VLC and KMPlayer have their own builtin decoders for commercial DVDs. Windows 7 should have the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder which should play them. Try changing the video renderer from EVR to VRM9 to Overlay to see if you get anything. Do you have the DVD ripped in the format of drive:\MovieTitle\VIDEO_TS as described in the manual?

Gerry

[gizmo3141]

My settings were....
DVD-ROM Drive=Yes
Renederer=EVR
Decoder=Microsoft DTV-DVD
Audio Decoder=AC3Filter

Yes, I think the format should be correct, as they did work in the past. I'll try opening a ticket...

[gizmo3141]

Updated Windows Media player, and suddenly the decoder started to work. Weird. Always had it installed, but of course, I can't stand how WMP works so I hadn't used it in nearly a year.

Thanks for your help..