posted April 19, 2007 01:19 AM         

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Cyberlink Power DVD 5 is my default player, but the player isn't the problem, as every single other decoder and/or player I've tried (six) exhibits the same symptom. I have 896 MB RAM (500 MB free), 2 GB virtual RAM, 43 background processes (online, offline is around thirty) which put CPU (1.9 GHz multiprocessor) usage 3-8%, and 77.5% free space. The background process number is not the problem, either; any player normally works just fine even when there are two CPU-demanding and RAM-hungry applications and two not-so-hoggish ones running in the foreground (I tested it under a variety of conditions). I also have not been able to pinpoint the failure, which is always sudden-onset to any specific event or type of event or application. My system is heavily firewalled and protected against an amazing variety of threats, and all security applications are up-to-date; I always practice Safe Surfing...and have nasty guardians standing by just in case someone DOES make it over the firewall (HEALTHY immune system).
It's something to do with the operating system (XP Home SP2), some kind of recursive and creeping error whose effects flare up about two months into trouble-free operation. I have only ONE more thing to add which may or may not be related to/supportive of my suspicions regarding shoddy Microsoft workmanship:
Around the same time that the DVD playback stutter manifests, Explorer, Internet Explorer, and Windows XP becomes decreasingly able to handle a once-large number of simultaneously open windows, pop-ups, and context menus. Example: I'm using Internet Explorer 7 with two open windows and several open tabs on each of them. I try to bring up a context menu for the "Save Image As" option, and it refuses to arise. I close one other open tab and THEN the desired context menu appears...and it gets progressively worse until I can only have either a single window with two tabs and one context menu or two windows and one context menu. If I have a number of open windows open and don't want to close them, my only options are as follows: 1) Save the complete webpage and harvest the desired images after a reboot, or 2) Close Explorer and use Firefox. Whatever the problem is, Firefox is immune. I can have fifty open tabs across nine different windows...while Explorer is digging its thumbs into its wazoo.
Whatever the problem is, I'm almost certain it's Microsoft's fault. I'm getting AWFULLY tired of formatting and reinstalling every couple of months. Okay, a bit hyperbolic: Usually I don't have to reformat, but I do have to use non-destructive system recovery tools, which is almost just as bad.

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posted April 18, 2007 12:56 PM         

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What program do you use for playback, and how man programs are in the background running at that time, and how much ram do you have?

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www.220power.com

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posted April 17, 2007 08:15 PM         

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The DVD playback on my year-old Compaq Presario Desktop has developed a jerky video and audio stutter, no matter which decoder is used. The following things did not fix it: 1)Uninstallation of 3RD-party decoder, cleaning of registry, and clean reinstall, 2) error-checking and defrag using Windows (Microsoft) applications, 3) Using PerfectDisk Professional 8.0 to single-pass defrag entire hard disk AND consolidate free space (Windows HORRIBLY fragments free space with its multi-pass defragger and does NOT consolidate free space), 4) converting to Devil-Worship and sacrificing the neighbor's "runaway" pet pygmy pig on an altar of cursed blood. The ONLY thing I can do that works is to reformat the hard drive...but then I have to reinstall all my customized applications which do not allow you to save their settings and updates, and I don't use Windows Save Settings (ETC) wizard because that saves the PROBLEMS as well. Summary: Is there a way to fix this playback problem that does not involve reformatting the hard drive...and WHAT is the cause of this problem?

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