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[da gooch]

Hello,

I am in a quandary. I am unable to play any dvd that has DRM incorporated in its software and have no clue as to HOW to turn off the TV Out Port or that I even had such a monster on my pooter.  How many danged "ports" are there?

I am running (brace yourselves) Win XP (SP2) on an eMachines tower with an AMD 64 "Athlon" cpu which is driving an HP dvd 840 cd/dvd player. (hard mounted)

Is there a secret switch that I can move to allow dvds with DRM to play?  (and then switch back IF I ever learn how to copy and write cds or dvds on my machine?)

Any assistance will be much appreciated. Remember that I am not a coder and do not read or understand "command line code" from either Win or linux anything.

Thanks in advance,

g

PS
I am even now donning my ...
"Gooches Triple Layer, Cardboard and Aluminum Foil, Full Body Armor with matching Shield and Helmet" (TM) so snark away if you feel the need .... 

Snark Points will be graded on Originality and Relevance ... just so you know ...

[mi6a2lm]

Maybe try a different player -  VLC media player or mplayer played practically anything and everything on XP SP2.  Are you talking about getting a regular DVD movie and it won't play?


Also, DVDShrink and DVDDecrypter are good tools to have for XP SP2 for burning - simple to use - throw in DVD, open up DVDShrink, click a button.  When decoded to hard drive, throw in blank DVD, click another button.

[da gooch]

Thanks for responding to my plea.

Maybe try a different player -  VLC media player or mplayer played practically anything and everything on XP SP2.  Are you talking about getting a regular DVD movie and it won't play?

"different player" as in software? I am using the HP dvd write/player and using a software program named CyberLink Power DVD 6.0. But I don't find any UI for me to change any of the settings.

"Are you talking about getting a regular DVD movie and it won't play?"
Yes.
 I am talking about a new version of the Serenity movie not showing because my "TV Out Port is open."

Also, DVDShrink and DVDDecrypter are good tools to have for XP SP2 for burning - simple to use - throw in DVD, open up DVDShrink, click a button.  When decoded to hard drive, throw in blank DVD, click another button.

This CyberLink Power DVD claims to do the same but I don't have a clue as to how to even get started doing any of that. I am not concerned with making dvds or even cds at this point.[if ever]

[mi6a2lm]

I remember that Power DVD player.  You're best bet is to download VLC - it should work (23 MB).

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Other possible problems:  CD/DVD player laser is dirty or dying - unless it plays other DVD's just fine.  DVD is bad - it happens - they stamp these things out by the millions.

If you decide to download VLC, maybe also download CCleaner.  It has an 'uninstall' button to get rid of stuff you don't need - i.e., Power DVD.

You can also stream the movie at http://vodly.to/top.php for various quality - just search for serenity

[securitysix]

Cyberlink has a bad habit of intentionally breaking their old software when a new version comes out.  I had version 12 of PowerDVD installed on my Media Center PC and it worked fine with everything, even Blu-Ray discs.  Then they released an "update" with a notice that it was the last update that would come out for version 12 and that no Blu-Ray discs made after 2010 would be supported.  Turns out the update made it such that NONE of my Blu-Ray discs would work, even the ones that had previously played just fine.

I'll second the recommendation for VLC. You might also try updating Windows Media Player and using it.  I'm not sure how well the XP version of it did with DVDs, but the versions of WMP in Vista and 7 work great with DVDs.

You might also consider upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the Home Premium versions of both are fine for most people's needs).  As much bad as you've probably heard about Vista, as long as you have at least Service Pack 1 installed, it's actually pretty good.  Both Vista and 7 Home Premium come with Windows Media Center pre-installed and both it and Windows Media Player play DVDs natively.  I've yet to run into a DRM issue with any DVD in either.

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

Cyberlink has a bad habit of intentionally breaking their old software when a new version comes out.  I had version 12 of PowerDVD installed on my Media Center PC and it worked fine with everything, even Blu-Ray discs.  Then they released an "update" with a notice that it was the last update that would come out for version 12 and that no Blu-Ray discs made after 2010 would be supported.  Turns out the update made it such that NONE of my Blu-Ray discs would work, even the ones that had previously played just fine.

I'll second the recommendation for VLC. You might also try updating Windows Media Player and using it.  I'm not sure how well the XP version of it did with DVDs, but the versions of WMP in Vista and 7 work great with DVDs.

You might also consider upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the Home Premium versions of both are fine for most people's needs).  As much bad as you've probably heard about Vista, as long as you have at least Service Pack 1 installed, it's actually pretty good.  Both Vista and 7 Home Premium come with Windows Media Center pre-installed and both it and Windows Media Player play DVDs natively.  I've yet to run into a DRM issue with any DVD in either.

Stay the hell away from anything but VLC in windows.

Most importantly, KEEP older installers and version them out.

This is very important since occasionally, some projects (VLC is one of the good ones, so I doubt they will) will end up selling out and installing back door type crap.  Some small projects do this.  Some copy / backup utils have gone and lost their main dev and got hijacked by various russkies and local boys alike who installed back door bitcoin miners, etc.  Scum really.

So keep stuff... if a new version ruins your functionality, revert.  Helps a lot.  Does give you tons of stuff to keep track of.

[da gooch]

I remember that Power DVD player.  You're best bet is to download VLC - it should work (23 MB).

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Thanks I'll go catch a copy.

Other possible problems:  CD/DVD player laser is dirty or dying - unless it plays other DVD's just fine.  DVD is bad - it happens - they stamp these things out by the millions.

Other dvds do fine Don't know if this dvd is good or not until I can find a place to play it.

If you decide to download VLC, maybe also download CCleaner.  It has an 'uninstall' button to get rid of stuff you don't need - i.e., Power DVD.

You can also stream the movie at http://vodly.to/top.php for various quality - just search for serenity

Nope. Streaming doesn't work on a 40 Kbps dial-up connection.
"It sucks to be me when it comes to connectivity."

Cyberlink has a bad habit of intentionally breaking their old software when a new version comes out.  I had version 12 of PowerDVD installed on my Media Center PC and it worked fine with everything, even Blu-Ray discs.  Then they released an "update" with a notice that it was the last update that would come out for version 12 and that no Blu-Ray discs made after 2010 would be supported.  Turns out the update made it such that NONE of my Blu-Ray discs would work, even the ones that had previously played just fine.

I'll second the recommendation for VLC. You might also try updating Windows Media Player and using it.  I'm not sure how well the XP version of it did with DVDs, but the versions of WMP in Vista and 7 work great with DVDs.

You might also consider upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the Home Premium versions of both are fine for most people's needs).  As much bad as you've probably heard about Vista, as long as you have at least Service Pack 1 installed, it's actually pretty good.  Both Vista and 7 Home Premium come with Windows Media Center pre-installed and both it and Windows Media Player play DVDs natively.  I've yet to run into a DRM issue with any DVD in either.

Stay the hell away from anything but VLC in windows.

Most importantly, KEEP older installers and version them out.

This is very important since occasionally, some projects (VLC is one of the good ones, so I doubt they will) will end up selling out and installing back door type crap.  Some small projects do this.  Some copy / backup utils have gone and lost their main dev and got hijacked by various russkies and local boys alike who installed back door bitcoin miners, etc.  Scum really.

So keep stuff... if a new version ruins your functionality, revert.  Helps a lot.  Does give you tons of stuff to keep track of.

I have a whole bunch of "Older Versions" that I keep on my machine ... just ... because ...

I am not a coder nor am I comfortable even thinking about having to learn a new "language" or I would have switched to linux long ago.
PlinkerMS sent me a pile of linux versions long ago and by the time I had opened one of them up they were eight or ten versions behind the envelope.

I don't like MS but I can make it do what I want and after messing with XP for so long I am almost comfortable with it. I got very comfortable with Win 98 but it surely was shaky and I did see the BSOD more than once.


All of which is my own way of saying I will Not be upgrading to any other form of MS as an OS.
I will see if I can remove the Power DVD thing and will give VLC a shot.

Thanks for all of the hints. I do appreciate them.

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

I remember that Power DVD player.  You're best bet is to download VLC - it should work (23 MB).

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Thanks I'll go catch a copy.

Other possible problems:  CD/DVD player laser is dirty or dying - unless it plays other DVD's just fine.  DVD is bad - it happens - they stamp these things out by the millions.

Other dvds do fine Don't know if this dvd is good or not until I can find a place to play it.

If you decide to download VLC, maybe also download CCleaner.  It has an 'uninstall' button to get rid of stuff you don't need - i.e., Power DVD.

You can also stream the movie at http://vodly.to/top.php for various quality - just search for serenity

Nope. Streaming doesn't work on a 40 Kbps dial-up connection.
"It sucks to be me when it comes to connectivity."

Cyberlink has a bad habit of intentionally breaking their old software when a new version comes out.  I had version 12 of PowerDVD installed on my Media Center PC and it worked fine with everything, even Blu-Ray discs.  Then they released an "update" with a notice that it was the last update that would come out for version 12 and that no Blu-Ray discs made after 2010 would be supported.  Turns out the update made it such that NONE of my Blu-Ray discs would work, even the ones that had previously played just fine.

I'll second the recommendation for VLC. You might also try updating Windows Media Player and using it.  I'm not sure how well the XP version of it did with DVDs, but the versions of WMP in Vista and 7 work great with DVDs.

You might also consider upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the Home Premium versions of both are fine for most people's needs).  As much bad as you've probably heard about Vista, as long as you have at least Service Pack 1 installed, it's actually pretty good.  Both Vista and 7 Home Premium come with Windows Media Center pre-installed and both it and Windows Media Player play DVDs natively.  I've yet to run into a DRM issue with any DVD in either.

Stay the hell away from anything but VLC in windows.

Most importantly, KEEP older installers and version them out.

This is very important since occasionally, some projects (VLC is one of the good ones, so I doubt they will) will end up selling out and installing back door type crap.  Some small projects do this.  Some copy / backup utils have gone and lost their main dev and got hijacked by various russkies and local boys alike who installed back door bitcoin miners, etc.  Scum really.

So keep stuff... if a new version ruins your functionality, revert.  Helps a lot.  Does give you tons of stuff to keep track of.

I have a whole bunch of "Older Versions" that I keep on my machine ... just ... because ...

I am not a coder nor am I comfortable even thinking about having to learn a new "language" or I would have switched to linux long ago.
PlinkerMS sent me a pile of linux versions long ago and by the time I had opened one of them up they were eight or ten versions behind the envelope.

I don't like MS but I can make it do what I want and after messing with XP for so long I am almost comfortable with it. I got very comfortable with Win 98 but it surely was shaky and I did see the BSOD more than once.


All of which is my own way of saying I will Not be upgrading to any other form of MS as an OS.
I will see if I can remove the Power DVD thing and will give VLC a shot.

Thanks for all of the hints. I do appreciate them.

Well, don't look now brother, but XP support is officially and irrevocably OVER come April 08 2014.  As in no more security updates, no more patches, and if someone at Microsoft or partners feels like it, you'll be one zero day exploit being willingly released in the wild from a world of hurt.

Make sure your backups are up to date.  Hell, you can even use the Windows Backup utility if you don't want to just copy stuff over by hand.  Do make backups.  Do keep them outside your machine, just in case.  Or burn a dvd or ten, or something.

We can talk more about backups another time and another place.

[da gooch]

"Well, don't look now brother, but XP support is officially and irrevocably OVER come April 08 2014."

I don't do "updates" to anything Windows makes.

I haven't connected to their website in over 5 years. I am running XP w/SP2 and it works just fine for me.
The ONLY problem I have had is that the newest and flashiest Firefox won't work on this version so I am using an older version of that as well. (24.0)
And the fact that, at one point, in a fit of paranoia, I went through the OS and turned off anything I didn't want running and some of that May have been things I didn't understand.


So ... when this "support"  officially ends ... my 'pooter will magically stop in mid sentence?
The tower will explode and become a molten pile of plastic and pot metal?
How scared should I be? 
*Yawn* Oh darn my coffee has gone cold.



Is it just me or does anyone else feel like the techies are forcing us to play Their Game (TM) instead of being helpful to the average person?

All I want to do is turn off the TV Out function so I can play dvds on my tower 'pooter.

I am not really a Luddite ... I just cannot afford to play "Keep Up With The Joneses ...  Fashion ... Technology Innovation Of The Day".

Do you go buy a new 'pooter every time a new one comes out?


Edit to add ...
Please do not be offended. I am not ungrateful for your concern.

I, really, actually, no fooling, am too poor to afford to buy a new Anything let alone a new 'pooter which doesn't make me any money and burns up time and electricity like it was free.
The last thing I bought new was a push lawn mower after mine was stolen. I was forced to buy it as that [lawn mowing] is my only income at present.

Thanks for the "heads-up" about the impending lack of "support".

[mi6a2lm]

Here's what I do when I have a problem with Windows/Linux/anything and I can't figure something out.  All one needs is access to internet.

For yours I searched 'turn off TV out function XP' on google.  All links on the first deal with this (I didn't goto second page) - this is a good thing since the more people that have the same problem usually means more answers, discussions and whatnot.  The first one (tomshardware) was an old Usenet discussion that had two people with the same problem but if you look at the answer it involved re-installing a grapcs driver or something.

So I clicked on the second link and this looks better:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060716104514AATAS0e
---
Right click on an empty area of the screen and hit 'properties'. Select the 'settings' tab on the window that comes up. This will show all your monitors including any attatched TV and let you control the settings (including disabling them).
---

HOWEVER, I like to see a few more links just to compare and the next one talked about graphics drivers again:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060915104557AA2Kljn

---
Presume your graphics card is Geforce4

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthre...

This forum should help you, looks like you need to rollback or download the drivers to older version.

If its not a Gforce try looking at your graphics card manufacturers site...could be same/similar problem as above.
Good luck
---

The next one dealt with the same problem (video card):
http://www.techspot.com/community/topics/need-to-turn-off-tv-out-function.17986/

Additionally I searched 'turn off TV  out function XP PowerDVD'.

It sounds like you now need to hunt down drivers since it seems the second one I clicked on "right click ---> properties' etc was the only one with a simple solution.

I think the problem is with your PowerDVD player - for example I tried 'turn off TV  out function XP VLC' and got nothing relating specifically to VLC and TV out function.  Which can be a good thing (no one has had any problems) or a very bad thing (no one has ever found a solution or even offered a recommendation).

[da gooch]

mi6a2lm

Thank you I will go take a look at the links you found and do some searching on my own using a different search engine. Maybe there will be a different set of responses.

Hmmm.

I just went to the hardware manager and found an "other device" named "video controller (VGA compatible)" with no driver installed.
I tried reinstalling the driver and my machine said no driver found.

So I guess I will go try to find a driver for it.

BUT ... why would some work and others not work?
I am such a 'pooter illiterate.

All I ever do is emails, chat here and at a few other places and surf some of the image rich sites.
I don't do games, movies or videos online for reasons explained elsewhere but all boil down to available bandwidth/access speed.

Thanks for doing that search and I will go check some of those out.

[slidemansailor]

Linux Mint

Granted, it takes a helping hand to get a couple of the secret handshakes done right, but once you put Linux Mint on your old XP machine, your are home free.

Hunt down an Elmer to help you install Mint... or Ubuntu... no significant difference.

[Adventurer, Explorer, Inquiring Mind.]

"Well, don't look now brother, but XP support is officially and irrevocably OVER come April 08 2014."

I don't do "updates" to anything Windows makes.

I haven't connected to their website in over 5 years. I am running XP w/SP2 and it works just fine for me.
The ONLY problem I have had is that the newest and flashiest Firefox won't work on this version so I am using an older version of that as well. (24.0)
And the fact that, at one point, in a fit of paranoia, I went through the OS and turned off anything I didn't want running and some of that May have been things I didn't understand.


So ... when this "support"  officially ends ... my 'pooter will magically stop in mid sentence?
The tower will explode and become a molten pile of plastic and pot metal?
How scared should I be? 
*Yawn* Oh darn my coffee has gone cold.



Is it just me or does anyone else feel like the techies are forcing us to play Their Game (TM) instead of being helpful to the average person?

All I want to do is turn off the TV Out function so I can play dvds on my tower 'pooter.

I am not really a Luddite ... I just cannot afford to play "Keep Up With The Joneses ...  Fashion ... Technology Innovation Of The Day".

Do you go buy a new 'pooter every time a new one comes out?


Edit to add ...
Please do not be offended. I am not ungrateful for your concern.

I, really, actually, no fooling, am too poor to afford to buy a new Anything let alone a new 'pooter which doesn't make me any money and burns up time and electricity like it was free.
The last thing I bought new was a push lawn mower after mine was stolen. I was forced to buy it as that [lawn mowing] is my only income at present.

Thanks for the "heads-up" about the impending lack of "support".

Fair is fair.  Remember that I don't live anywhere near you, so its not as if I'm going to say "drop by the shop, write me a check and I'll fix it for you" kind of thing. 

So, first off, I despise Microsoft as a company with a passion.  The fact that they've always been in bed with government snoopery and evil doings disgusts me.  I know for a fact that about the only reason MS is still around is gaming.  Regardless of what the "office" people tell you, the 99.99% of what people do with computers BESIDES gaming, is often better done in Linux or BSD.

Yes, Linux is often free as in beer, but remember, when some money is available that you can burn off at starbucks, send your linux distro a donation of a latte's worth.  Safer for your waistline and every little bit helps.

Lastly, Microsoft, contrary to popular support, DOES support their product.  Been a technet and MS partner for years.  Contrary to popular belief (I say that a lot about MS) they do patch things, even if they take their sweet time about it.  Even more so, they patch often important issues.  .NET issues and various internal OS flaws (remember that issue about the certificates where browsers go apeshit that the root cert lists aren't upgraded despite the updater pulling them down?  There is a fix for this, but if you don't spend half of a week digging around technet or have someone else do it, you will get pissed.

I also keep saying that Explorer is only a good browser for connecting to your company's microsoft services server.  If you aren't doing that, with a windows OS, then just skip Explorer altogether.  seen that entirely too much.

I've also seen plenty of unpatched vulnerabilities, some in the Microsoft Codecs among others (Windows Media is notorious for getting hacked left right and center.)  Oggs, Theora and Matroska containers seem to suffer none or very few of the same issues, far as I've seen, and are quite widely used, outside of the inconsiderate standards ignorant Microsoft desktop users.

Over all, just snag a Linux distro if you don't feel like trying to install VLC in windows.  VLC runs quite well, so entirely up to you.

[da gooch]

snip - snip

Fair is fair.  Remember that I don't live anywhere near you, so its not as if I'm going to say "drop by the shop, write me a check and I'll fix it for you" kind of thing. 

So, first off, I despise Microsoft as a company with a passion.  The fact that they've always been in bed with government snoopery and evil doings disgusts me.  I know for a fact that about the only reason MS is still around is gaming.  Regardless of what the "office" people tell you, the 99.99% of what people do with computers BESIDES gaming, is often better done in Linux or BSD.

Yes, Linux is often free as in beer, but remember, when some money is available that you can burn off at starbucks, send your linux distro a donation of a latte's worth.  Safer for your waistline and every little bit helps.

Lastly, Microsoft, contrary to popular support, DOES support their product.  Been a technet and MS partner for years.  Contrary to popular belief (I say that a lot about MS) they do patch things, even if they take their sweet time about it.  Even more so, they patch often important issues.  .NET issues and various internal OS flaws (remember that issue about the certificates where browsers go apeshit that the root cert lists aren't upgraded despite the updater pulling them down?  There is a fix for this, but if you don't spend half of a week digging around technet or have someone else do it, you will get pissed.

I also keep saying that Explorer is only a good browser for connecting to your company's microsoft services server.  If you aren't doing that, with a windows OS, then just skip Explorer altogether.  seen that entirely too much.

I've also seen plenty of unpatched vulnerabilities, some in the Microsoft Codecs among others (Windows Media is notorious for getting hacked left right and center.)  Oggs, Theora and Matroska containers seem to suffer none or very few of the same issues, far as I've seen, and are quite widely used, outside of the inconsiderate standards ignorant Microsoft desktop users.

Over all, just snag a Linux distro if you don't feel like trying to install VLC in windows.  VLC runs quite well, so entirely up to you.

Thanks Destin Faruda,

I will work on getting shed of this XP OS when I get a chance and some frn's to the positive column.
Thank you also for not taking umbrage to my less than graceful reply to your earlier response.
I have reread it and I came off sounding "ticked off" and I really wasn't.
I get frustrated with computers at times. My apology is proffered.

All I want in a computer is an email node, a surfing access tool, a storage depot for my various bits of info, a tool to accept as well as open the various different types of "documents" and access to the forums such as TMM.
Most of the computer makers seem to think I want to play games and or become a website journalist so they want to sell me a machine that has entirely all of the wrong implements installed.
Linux starts out with very few installed programs but requires knowing how to speak computer to get anything to work. I barely speak keyboard let alone any of the actual languages.

At any rate thanks for responding and for not being upset with my rude response.

stay safe,

g