MMC 7.7.01 DVD stopped working, PC Check doesn't detect MMX?

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi.

For some odd reason my ATI DVD PLayer on my Samsung P10 Notebook (ATI
M7) stopped working at some point. It starts up, and when I hit play the
DVD spins for a second and immediately stops again, the window size
changes but stays black. That's all it does.

I ran PC Check from the MMC configuration, and now it's getting weird.
It claims I don't have MMX support (on a 1.7ghz P4-M), and that directx
components are not installed properly.

Well, each other software needing MXX works, e.g Sandra sees and can
test MMX just fine. DirectX9b *is* installed (just for the sake of it I
reinstalled it), and dxdiag also finds no problems whatsoever.

I somehow believe the DVD codec is broken (as no other app, e.g
Mediaplayer) can playback DVD any longer either, but the failure to
detect MMX in pc check makes me wonder what's up?

Anybody seen this or a tip how to troubleshoot this?

TIA,
Massimo

 

[Skid]

Hi.

For some odd reason my ATI DVD PLayer on my Samsung P10 Notebook (ATI
M7) stopped working at some point. It starts up, and when I hit play the
DVD spins for a second and immediately stops again, the window size
changes but stays black. That's all it does.

I ran PC Check from the MMC configuration, and now it's getting weird.
It claims I don't have MMX support (on a 1.7ghz P4-M), and that directx
components are not installed properly.

Well, each other software needing MXX works, e.g Sandra sees and can
test MMX just fine. DirectX9b *is* installed (just for the sake of it I
reinstalled it), and dxdiag also finds no problems whatsoever.

I somehow believe the DVD codec is broken (as no other app, e.g
Mediaplayer) can playback DVD any longer either, but the failure to
detect MMX in pc check makes me wonder what's up?

Anybody seen this or a tip how to troubleshoot this?

The PC check is broken, and the MMX and DX errors are normal. Why ATI can't
fix it after all this time, I can't say, but your problem is unrelated. My
only suggestion is to uninstall everything ATI, drivers, control panel and
MMC, and then put then back in that order.

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

The PC check is broken, and the MMX and DX errors are normal.

Aaah, good to know, so I can stop worrying about it.

My
only suggestion is to uninstall everything ATI, drivers, control panel and
MMC, and then put then back in that order.

Well, if all else fails I have to try this, thanks. I already
reinstalled the DVD player, but this doesn't help.


Thanks,
Massimo

 

[patrickp]

Hi,


Aaah, good to know, so I can stop worrying about it.


Well, if all else fails I have to try this, thanks. I already
reinstalled the DVD player, but this doesn't help.


Thanks,
Massimo

That could have something to do with it, Massimo. MMC 7.7.0.1 upgrades DVD
7.6 to 7.7: if you then reinstall the DVD player, that might well mess it
up.

Probably a good idea to uninstall the DVD player and MMC, then reinstall DVD
7.6, then MMC 7.7.0.1.

Incidentally, rather than reinstalling, a better method of fixing the
installation is to select MMC (not DVD player) in Add/Remove programs, click
the Add/Remove button, but then select Repair rather than Remove. However,
if you've already tried reinstalling the DVD player, you may have messed
this up. Better to uninstall and reinstall.

patrickp

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

That could have something to do with it, Massimo. MMC 7.7.0.1 upgrades DVD
7.6 to 7.7: if you then reinstall the DVD player, that might well mess it
up.

I know. No matter what I do, neither 7.6 nor 7.7 will work, not even
after a full deinstall and reinstall of everything remotely ATI related.
In the meantime, I've found that some DVDs at least start a bit, but
behave extremely erratic, with extremely stuttering sound and only a few
visible frames every few seconds, often followed by a crash of the DVD
player. Other DVDs don't even start at all. By the looks of it, it
behaves a bit as if there's a hardware or utilization problem, but I can
rule that out by now. I installed the demo version of windvd5, and it
works perfectly fine.
The only changes I made between the ATI DVD player working and not
working which might be related are updated drivers for the card
(Catalyst 3.7 originally, and now 3.8, when it worked last time I still
was on Catalyst 3.2 IIRC), and I installed DirectX9b (from 8.1).
For now I have to assume that there's an incompatibilty of the older
MMC/DVD apps 7.X with either the newer ATI drivers or Directx9b.

CU,
Massimo

 

[JAD]

you cannot use the DVD 7.x with MMC higher than 8.1 the DVD decoder is entirely different and when you install the old DVD over the
top it will kill ALL the ATI SW.

solution buy the 9xxxx install CD or use power DVD5+

..

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

you cannot use the DVD 7.x with MMC higher than 8.1

I know. I never installed any MMC higher than 7.7. Where did you read
that I did?

CU,
Massimo

 

[patrickp]

Hi,


I know. I never installed any MMC higher than 7.7. Where did you read
that I did?

CU,
Massimo

One other thing, Massimo, I notice you're having these problems on a Samsung
Notebook. Would I be right in thinking your graphics are a mobility chip
rather than an actual card?

AFAIK neither Catalyst drivers nor MMC are recommended by ATi for use with
mobility chips. You should be using Samsung's proprietary software - beyond
this, I understand that Omega drivers will work with mobility chips, might
be worth trying them. I don't know what you can do for a multimedia
solution if Samsung don't offer anything, apart from standalone apps such as
PowerDVD.

patrickp

 

[JAD]

You mentioned the 'no MMX' that was a hint that you may have tried it, as that anomaly didn't show itself until 3.7 and MMC 8.6.
Good call by Pat mobility is not the same as a desktop in many ways....I missed that..

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Patrick,

One other thing, Massimo, I notice you're having these problems on a Samsung
Notebook. Would I be right in thinking your graphics are a mobility chip
rather than an actual card?
Correct.

AFAIK neither Catalyst drivers nor MMC are recommended by ATi for use with
mobility chips.

Yes, but we all know that this limitation is totally artificial and
driven by marketing/support thoughts, not in any way technical. The only
difference between samsungs (or any other notbbook vendors) drivers and
those from ATI is the list of recognized PCI IDs to allow the install to
go on. The driver files themselfs are not altered in *any* way, they're
just normal, but outdated Catalysts. In case of the Samsung NOtebook,
the latest drivers from Samsung are Catalyst 3.2 IIRC.

You should be using Samsung's proprietary software

No way. These are the ATI drivers that crash with Java applications.

- beyond
this, I understand that Omega drivers will work with mobility chips, might
be worth trying them.

Yes. I've used them, but I've also modified original catalysts .inf
files to allow them to install. I'm currently running self-modified
Catalyst 3.8.

CU,

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

You mentioned the 'no MMX' that was a hint that you may have tried it, as that anomaly didn't show itself until 3.7 and MMC 8.6.

It definitely happens with MMC 7.7 too.

CU,

 

[JAD]

what driver and MMC 7.7....this did not happen with any regularity with drivers prior to 3.7

 

[JAD]

also was reading a tech site and there was mention of a bios problem with some samsungs NB after driver changes. Have you already
approach from this angle?

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi,

what driver and MMC 7.7....this did not happen with any regularity with drivers prior to 3.7

3.7 and 3.8 catalyst. But I wonder what role the driver plays in regard
to the pc check.

CU,
Massimo

 

[Massimo Rosen]

Hi again,

also was reading a tech site and there was mention of a bios problem with some samsungs NB after driver changes. Have you already
approach from this angle?

Yes, the Bios is up-to-date. And *everything* else works perfectly fine
(OGL, D3D, 2D, any other application, Media Player, Windvd, you name
it), just ATIs own DVD player does not.

CU,
Massimo

 

[JAD]

well one thing the capture drivers....which affects the DVD

older DVD decoders installed over the new capture will kill the DVD and possibly TV and other AIW sw

 

[Mark H]

What O/S are you using?

Hi.

For some odd reason my ATI DVD PLayer on my Samsung P10 Notebook (ATI
M7) stopped working at some point. It starts up, and when I hit play the
DVD spins for a second and immediately stops again, the window size
changes but stays black. That's all it does.

I ran PC Check from the MMC configuration, and now it's getting weird.
It claims I don't have MMX support (on a 1.7ghz P4-M), and that directx
components are not installed properly.

Well, each other software needing MXX works, e.g Sandra sees and can
test MMX just fine. DirectX9b *is* installed (just for the sake of it I
reinstalled it), and dxdiag also finds no problems whatsoever.

I somehow believe the DVD codec is broken (as no other app, e.g
Mediaplayer) can playback DVD any longer either, but the failure to
detect MMX in pc check makes me wonder what's up?

Anybody seen this or a tip how to troubleshoot this?

TIA,
Massimo