laptop dvd drive problem?

vix84

New Member
hey,

i've a new dell inspiron 6000 and playing dvds on it has been causing problems since day one, even brand new dvds with no scratches!! i am able to play cd's all the way through with no probs...

however when i play a dvd, it works fine for about an hour or so, then it starts pausing and jumping every so often, then does it repeatedly until it becomes totally unwatchable... there are also a couple of brand new dvds i got which it refuses to play full stop, are some just not computer friendly ?? :confused:

many thanks
 
Try reinstalling the DVD program. Also you can try if you can play them through Windows Media. Since this is a new laptop I wouldn't look for firmware, you can always call them up for service or to send you a new drive.
 
Also, make sure your drive is running in DMA mode. Control panel> System> Hardware tab> Device Manager, right click IDE controllers, and make sure they're set to "DMA if available".
 
hi thanks for replying, havent tried re-installing anything yet but will do... have tried opening in other programs such as windows media but it was still playing funny, and i forgot to add it makes these horrible scratching noises from inside the drive, even tho there is nothing visibly wrong with the dvd itself... its a mystery, shall have to give them a call then
 
vix84 said:
oh didnt see the other reply, i'll try that too then, can i ask whats DMA ?
Quick look up: Direct memory access (DMA) allows certain hardware subsystems within a computer to access system memory for reading and/or writing independently of the CPU. Many hardware systems use DMA including disk drive controllers, graphics cards, network cards, and sound cards.

And yes, you should give them a call. Hope it all works out (well it should). :)
 
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