[ditcho]

I recently installed Windows XP Pro on a separate partition in my system, Until now I've been running only Win2000 pro. I have MPEG2 files in different resoltions and bitrates - from 1800 kbps to 15 Mbps, both SD and HDTV. I use ZoomPlayer 3.2 Standard and Nvidia 2.55 codecs with Elecard demultiplexor to play them back.

Now with the installation of XP my system started to crash like crazy - during playback it freezes, repeating the last video and audio frame - the only way out is the reset button on the HTPC box. It happens only when I switch from full to windowed mode in the player, or when the control bar appears, or on any event that puts on the screen something else other than the fullscreen video. But not absolutely every time, like 8 out of 10. It happens with ZoomPlayer, after I uninstalled it happens in WMP9, both with NVidia and PowerDVD codecs, with the Elecard (which works better for me) and the standard Windows MPEG demultiplexor. Tried VMR7 and VMR9 in Nvidia property pages, overlay and VMR9 in ZP - same thing. Happens on any MPEG2, but most often on higher bit rate HDTV files. Hasn't happened so far in WMP9 playing the Coral reef adventure WM9 720p file (best image quality I've seen), and hasn't happened whie playing DVDs in PowerDVD 5 or NVDVD 2.55.

It never happens to me when I boot the system back into Wndows 2000 Pro. My hardware is AMD XP1800, 512MB DDR, Radeon 9600, SB Audigy 2 ZS, Gyration mouse and keyboard, DVI to Samsung DLP TV. Using Catalyst 3.7, which came with the Sapphire Radeon installation disk. Tried other newer versions of Catalyst, but didn't help and went back to 3.7, which I use in Windows 2000.

I struggled for days, having to reboot every minute. Pleas help with any suggestions, I just can't beieve that I can't make XP work at all when 2000 does it flawlessly.

Forgot to mention that I added all existing XP updates.

TIA.

 

[ditcho]

Anybody else having similar problem? I'm really puzzled, because it happens only when I play MPEG2 media files, on any kind of player and codec. Perhaps some settings for the Radeon? I've played quite a bit with them, no luck.

The system freezes so badly, which it never does under any other circumstances. It must be sth very small that I'm missing somewhere. Please help!

 

[galileo2000]

Hey ditcho,


It is quite possible that your MPEG2 decoder on XP is not the same as your MPEG2 decoder on W2K.


I've had a lot of problems with Elecard and ended up removing it altogether.


I would suggest removing Elecard and leaving PowerDVD or any other MPEG2-decoding software.


SP1: if your XP does not have it, I strongly suggest installing it.

 

[ditcho]

Thanks for the suggestions, galileo2000.


I'll try getting around the Elecard demux (which is the only Elecard filter I'm using, because it plays files which the standard Windows MPEG2 demux refuses to do) and see if this might help.


I would like once again to point out that the crashes occur only when switching from full screen to windowed mode, or on a mouse move or click which brings additional images like play controls over the fullscreen image. No freeze yet while playing a file without touching the mouse/keyboard.

 

[ditcho]

The solution I found - may be of use to anybody with a similar problem.


Followed some hints from the "Coral Reef" thread here and:


1. Reinstalled XP and SP1.

2. Installed all drivers for the motherboard from its own CD (always skipped that step in the past);

3. Installed Directx 9.0b.

4. Installed the latest ATI Catalyst driver - 4.10 (previously I always started with first installing Catalyst 3.7 from the my card's CD).


I still use the Elecard demux. I haven't had the crash described in my original post yet. It seems that following the exact order of installation is the clue.