DVD playback on the SAM

I'm struggling to get DVD playback on the SAM, using DVPlayer, to work at all.

After reading various forum posts I ensured I have got the following codecs in place:

avcodec v51.52 in libs (I replaced the version already in place)
a52_codec v52.2 in libs\avcodecs (a draw I had to create)
dcacodec v51.1 in libs\avcodecs

Using DVPlayer and choosing Project - Open DVD/VCD results in my system freezing after the DVD drive spins up.

If I instead go to Open File and try to play one of the VOB files (any of the VOB files) in the Video_TS directory I get the error "Volume <volume name> has a read/write error". Sometimes after cancelling this a few times I get an error about the file format not being recognised.

If I try to copy a file off the DVD I get a message about the DVD having a read/write error as the system tries to list all the files.

To ensure the DVD drive is not at fault, I tested an ordinary Magazine DVD cover disk and the system reads the files OK, displaying Jpegs and PDF's etc off the disk without errors.

I've naturally tried several DVDs

Anyone have any ideas?

[ edited to correct bad grammer :) ]

@tommo1975

Could be copy protection, the movie industry started producing DVDs that won't play on PCs.

Grab dvddvplayer.lha off OS4 Depot, it's for playing copy protected DVDs. Worth a shot. It replaces the existing dvplugins file.

@sundown

Wow, that did it! Thanks you!

A lot of distortion on the DVD playback, with artificats on the screen etc but I had heard this was a problem with the SAM?

@tommo1975

That's new to me. I don't get any distortions on the Sam, never did. What kind of DVD drive do you have?

@COBRA

The DVD driver is a Pioneer DVR-216.

@COBRA

There's a good chance he's still in PIO mode. I don't have a SAM, so maybe start there & get him into DMA mode


@tommo1975

Read the "ide" document that came with the software, maybe you can figure it out.

@tommo1975

yes

issue this command in a shell prompt and reset your SAM then try it again...

nvsetvar sii3114ide_xfer GGGG

do not listen to anyone who says subsitute any G for 0 (or not used) since this for me has caused some problems... at least sticking with G (works out the correct speed itself) works flawlessly

I very much doubt anything working on SATA needs to be set to one level below (old remedy for some problems on IDE controllers)

btw, try out mplayer for movie formats at some stage and songplayer for playing mp3s

@Slayer

I would have thought Tunenet would be the best for MP3s on a Sam

@TiredOfLife

perhaps it is, never used it nor AMP, I like Songplayer however

@Slayer

I've just tested Songplayer on a Sam and it looks like I was wrong, works absolutely fine.

My first reply was based on my experience with AOS4 Classic.
Songplayer seemd to need a lot more CPU grunt then Tunenet.
On the Sam, the CPU usage is about the same.

Songplayer was always my favourite under AOS3xx

@everyone

The problems I have seem to be limited to certain DVD's. Some play back smashing, others have breakup on fast moving scenes, crash my system or hang the application.

@Slayer

What does that command do and how would I reverse its affects?

Also Songplayer, would this be the app that seems to be 68k only on Aminet dating back to 2004?

@tommo1975

Have you enable the DMA on the dvd drive ? and also on the HD too

@nubechecorre

How would I check DMA settings and change them if necessary?

@tommo1975

Quote:

reverse it? yikes, if I've ever given someone some advise that needs reversing then perhaps it's time to stop helping people!

It enables optimal settings for each device harddrive/dvdrw/etc which is plugged in to any of your SATA ports (in this case, ie if you had another ide/sata card plugged into your pci for some reason that would be a different.device with its own settings) it reads the manufacturers preferences of each attached device and sets and saves the best setting...

try typing

idetool -l sii3114ide.device
into an expanded shell window and see what they are currently set for?

Quote:

Try the offical page, it carries an OS4 binary

http://amigadev.free.fr/songplayer/index_en.html

@Slayer

Quote:

Thank you. I do always like to know what something does and perhaps how to reverse it in the worst case scenario!