«

I just got a Dell 8300 and installed a Plextor 708A dvd burner. It
will play backed-up movie dvds or any other kind, but it won't play
commercial dvds, i.e., those that one would purchase or rent. I have
tried quite a few different discs, players, etc. I have also installed
the latest drivers for my ATI Radeon 9800 video card, the latest
Windows XP updates, etc. I ran the diagnostics on the Plextor drive
and everything seemed ok.

I called Dell tech support and was told that my computer may be
configured to not play commercial discs as a piracy countermeasure,
but I don't believe this to be correct. I told her that everbody else
I know who has a dvd player or burner can play them, why can't I?

What is it about the commercial discs that causes my system to lock up
with the blue screen of death, and how can I fix it????

Thanks for any input.
-ed

"ed" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> I just got a Dell 8300 and installed a Plextor 708A dvd burner. It
> will play backed-up movie dvds or any other kind, but it won't play
> commercial dvds, i.e., those that one would purchase or rent. I have
> tried quite a few different discs, players, etc. I have also installed
> the latest drivers for my ATI Radeon 9800 video card, the latest
> Windows XP updates, etc. I ran the diagnostics on the Plextor drive
> and everything seemed ok.
>
> I called Dell tech support and was told that my computer may be
> configured to not play commercial discs as a piracy countermeasure,
> but I don't believe this to be correct. I told her that everbody else
> I know who has a dvd player or burner can play them, why can't I?
>
> What is it about the commercial discs that causes my system to lock up
> with the blue screen of death, and how can I fix it????
>
> Thanks for any input.
> -ed

Do you have DVD player software to play it?

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 06:49:30 GMT, "Michael Black"
<mblack@NO_FREAKING_michaelblack.com_SPAM_FOR_ME > wrote:

>
>"ed" <> wrote in message
>news:. com...
>> I just got a Dell 8300 and installed a Plextor 708A dvd burner. It
>> will play backed-up movie dvds or any other kind, but it won't play
>> commercial dvds, i.e., those that one would purchase or rent. I have
>> tried quite a few different discs, players, etc. I have also installed
>> the latest drivers for my ATI Radeon 9800 video card, the latest
>> Windows XP updates, etc. I ran the diagnostics on the Plextor drive
>> and everything seemed ok.
>>
>> I called Dell tech support and was told that my computer may be
>> configured to not play commercial discs as a piracy countermeasure,
>> but I don't believe this to be correct. I told her that everbody else
>> I know who has a dvd player or burner can play them, why can't I?
>>
>> What is it about the commercial discs that causes my system to lock up
>> with the blue screen of death, and how can I fix it????
>>
>> Thanks for any input.
>> -ed
>
>Do you have DVD player software to play it?

He said that it would play DVD-r movies, so yes. I suspect the
crashing is related to region code detection and would recommend
DVDgenie to reset the WinXP region code (delete the registry key) and
possibly also to uninstall and reinstall the software player.

. Steve .
>

"Steve(JazzHunter)" <> wrote in
news::

> On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 06:49:30 GMT, "Michael Black"
> <mblack@NO_FREAKING_michaelblack.com_SPAM_FOR_ME > wrote:
>
>>
>>"ed" <> wrote in message
>>news: .com...
>>> I just got a Dell 8300 and installed a Plextor 708A dvd
>>> burner. It will play backed-up movie dvds or any other
>>> kind, but it won't play commercial dvds, i.e., those that
>>> one would purchase or rent. I have tried quite a few
>>> different discs, players, etc. I have also installed
>>> the latest drivers for my ATI Radeon 9800 video card, the
>>> latest Windows XP updates, etc. I ran the diagnostics on
>>> the Plextor drive and everything seemed ok.
>>>
>>> I called Dell tech support and was told that my computer
>>> may be configured to not play commercial discs as a
>>> piracy countermeasure, but I don't believe this to be
>>> correct. I told her that everbody else I know who has a
>>> dvd player or burner can play them, why can't I?
>>>
>>> What is it about the commercial discs that causes my
>>> system to lock up with the blue screen of death, and how
>>> can I fix it????
>>>
>>> Thanks for any input.
>>> -ed
>>
>>Do you have DVD player software to play it?
>
> He said that it would play DVD-r movies, so yes. I suspect
> the crashing is related to region code detection and would
> recommend DVDgenie to reset the WinXP region code (delete
> the registry key) and possibly also to uninstall and
> reinstall the software player.
>
> . Steve .
>>
>
>

Unlikely that it not being region free is the issue, unless he's
been really unlucky, every drive I've seen allows a limited
number of switches before locking to a single region. Plus you
reasonably expect winddvd/powerdvd etc... to just flag that the
disc is from another region and cannot be played. (Still it
would be a bonus if it was as simple as this as it would save a
lot of hassle.)

That & the fact it blue screens suggests something is wrong with
the system, and the O/P should insist that Dell actually check
the machine out under the warranty (as he just got it) & replace
the drive if needed.

If (and I really don't believe this, but somebody should really
ask them how this is achieved, all those games manafacturers
would be interested) Dell are correct in their statement it's
been configured as an anti piracy measure I think there is a
good argument for the fact this wasn't pointed out upfront &
that one of the main reasons for buying it was the ability to
watch commercial dvds, and getting some form of replacement or
refund.

"Lithurge" <> wrote in message
news:Xns9499B57CA2D48ds34543dsffds@130.133.1.4...
> "Steve(JazzHunter)" <> wrote in
> news::
>
> > On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 06:49:30 GMT, "Michael Black"
> > <mblack@NO_FREAKING_michaelblack.com_SPAM_FOR_ME > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>"ed" <> wrote in message
> >>news: .com...
> >>> I just got a Dell 8300 and installed a Plextor 708A dvd
> >>> burner. It will play backed-up movie dvds or any other
> >>> kind, but it won't play commercial dvds, i.e., those that
> >>> one would purchase or rent. I have tried quite a few
> >>> different discs, players, etc. I have also installed
> >>> the latest drivers for my ATI Radeon 9800 video card, the
> >>> latest Windows XP updates, etc. I ran the diagnostics on
> >>> the Plextor drive and everything seemed ok.
> >>>
> >>> I called Dell tech support and was told that my computer
> >>> may be configured to not play commercial discs as a
> >>> piracy countermeasure, but I don't believe this to be
> >>> correct. I told her that everbody else I know who has a
> >>> dvd player or burner can play them, why can't I?
> >>>
> >>> What is it about the commercial discs that causes my
> >>> system to lock up with the blue screen of death, and how
> >>> can I fix it????
> >>>
> >>> Thanks for any input.
> >>> -ed
> >>
> >>Do you have DVD player software to play it?
> >
> > He said that it would play DVD-r movies, so yes. I suspect
> > the crashing is related to region code detection and would
> > recommend DVDgenie to reset the WinXP region code (delete
> > the registry key) and possibly also to uninstall and
> > reinstall the software player.
> >
> > . Steve .
> >>
> >
> >
>
> Unlikely that it not being region free is the issue, unless he's
> been really unlucky, every drive I've seen allows a limited
> number of switches before locking to a single region. Plus you
> reasonably expect winddvd/powerdvd etc... to just flag that the
> disc is from another region and cannot be played. (Still it
> would be a bonus if it was as simple as this as it would save a
> lot of hassle.)
>
> That & the fact it blue screens suggests something is wrong with
> the system, and the O/P should insist that Dell actually check
> the machine out under the warranty (as he just got it) & replace
> the drive if needed.
>
> If (and I really don't believe this, but somebody should really
> ask them how this is achieved, all those games manafacturers
> would be interested) Dell are correct in their statement it's
> been configured as an anti piracy measure I think there is a
> good argument for the fact this wasn't pointed out upfront &
> that one of the main reasons for buying it was the ability to
> watch commercial dvds, and getting some form of replacement or
> refund.

Dell's explanation is total horseshit. There is no such thing as a DVD
bruner that will not PLAY commercial DVDs. The Plextor certainly does.

Whether it will copy them depends on what software is being used, but any
drive should play them. If not, it is either defective or misconfigured.

But I don't think this is Dell's problem. The OP installed this drive
himself.

"Skid" <> wrote in
news:SUN_b.115926$uV3.613223@attbi_s51:

>
> But I don't think this is Dell's problem. The OP installed
> this drive himself.
>
>

Good point, missed that on first read through.

On 24 Feb 2004 20:44:57 GMT, Lithurge <>
wrote:

>"Skid" <> wrote in
>news:SUN_b.115926$uV3.613223@attbi_s51:
>
>>
>> But I don't think this is Dell's problem. The OP installed
>> this drive himself.
>>
>>
>
>Good point, missed that on first read through.


I should add that I have EXPERIENCED a system crashing only with
region-coded DVD's, that's whyI suggested it. It's probably a registry
error, solvable by runnng regclean or DVDgenie, or software problems
with PowerDVD. I wouldn't look to problems with the computer itself
or the drive, that's unneccesarily complicating the issue too much.

.Steve .

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 07:23:28 -0500, "Steve(JazzHunter)"
<> wrote:

>On 24 Feb 2004 20:44:57 GMT, Lithurge <>
>wrote:
>
>>"Skid" <> wrote in
>>news:SUN_b.115926$uV3.613223@attbi_s51:
>>
>>>
>>> But I don't think this is Dell's problem. The OP installed
>>> this drive himself.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Good point, missed that on first read through.
>
>
>I should add that I have EXPERIENCED a system crashing only with
>region-coded DVD's, that's whyI suggested it. It's probably a registry
>error, solvable by runnng regclean or DVDgenie, or software problems
>with PowerDVD. I wouldn't look to problems with the computer itself
>or the drive, that's unneccesarily complicating the issue too much.

As a further comment, the first time the drive detects a region-coded
DVD Windows pops up a dialogue asking if it's ok to set the region
code on the DVD player. This reqquires both Windows and the software
player to be properly working. My bet is that the Bluescreen is
occuring just as this routine tries to initialize. I'm thinking Ed
has not yet seen this region-code dialogue. DVDgenie clears the
region code info form the Windows registry so that it can have a fresh
start. Also reinstlaling the player erases region information. As a
last item it may be a bad Control Panel or core Windows .dll, and
running update might cure the issue.


. Steve .
>
> .Steve .

>Unlikely that it not being region free is the issue, unless he's
>been really unlucky, every drive I've seen allows a limited
>number of switches before locking to a single region. Plus you
>reasonably expect winddvd/powerdvd etc... to just flag that the
>disc is from another region and cannot be played. (Still it
>would be a bonus if it was as simple as this as it would save a
>lot of hassle.)
>
>That & the fact it blue screens suggests something is wrong with
>the system, and the O/P should insist that Dell actually check
>the machine out under the warranty (as he just got it) & replace
>the drive if needed.
>
>If (and I really don't believe this, but somebody should really
>ask them how this is achieved, all those games manafacturers
>would be interested) Dell are correct in their statement it's
>been configured as an anti piracy measure I think there is a
>good argument for the fact this wasn't pointed out upfront &
>that one of the main reasons for buying it was the ability to
>watch commercial dvds, and getting some form of replacement or
>refund.


If the OS was installed at factory, it might be that it had the DVD
playing capability disabled. The company where I worked previously
did this on their network computers. We were running HPs with
WinXP Pro and dvd drives, but they would NOT play DVDs. Not even with
3rd party player software.

On a side note, they would play Divx movies played from a cd if the
codecs were installed. Strange, huh.

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 13:42:38 GMT, Prot <> wrote:

>
>>Unlikely that it not being region free is the issue, unless he's
>>been really unlucky, every drive I've seen allows a limited
>>number of switches before locking to a single region. Plus you
>>reasonably expect winddvd/powerdvd etc... to just flag that the
>>disc is from another region and cannot be played. (Still it
>>would be a bonus if it was as simple as this as it would save a
>>lot of hassle.)
>>
>>That & the fact it blue screens suggests something is wrong with
>>the system, and the O/P should insist that Dell actually check
>>the machine out under the warranty (as he just got it) & replace
>>the drive if needed.
>>
>>If (and I really don't believe this, but somebody should really
>>ask them how this is achieved, all those games manafacturers
>>would be interested) Dell are correct in their statement it's
>>been configured as an anti piracy measure I think there is a
>>good argument for the fact this wasn't pointed out upfront &
>>that one of the main reasons for buying it was the ability to
>>watch commercial dvds, and getting some form of replacement or
>>refund.
>
>
>If the OS was installed at factory, it might be that it had the DVD
>playing capability disabled. The company where I worked previously
>did this on their network computers. We were running HPs with
>WinXP Pro and dvd drives, but they would NOT play DVDs. Not even with
>3rd party player software.

Yes but he said it would play DVD-r. As noted I think it's crashing
when the Region setting dialogue tries to open up. I've seen this
before, it's not an uncommon problem.

. Steve .
>
>On a side note, they would play Divx movies played from a cd if the
>codecs were installed. Strange, huh.
>