Messages posted by RogueAce

The system information and dxdiag can be found here.

PowerDVD 11 was just installed and updated to its most current version. Tech support should already be aware of all that information and I have also informed them of the problem. I just wanted to alert the company to this error as I suspect it isn't known. I primarily plan to run the program in normal mode and the work around for cinema mode is pretty easy, so I'm not really in need of direct support at this time, but if a fix comes around or if someone knows one that'd be great. Otherwise, my only goal here was to alert you to this problem.

I'm not sure if this is known or not, I do not see it listed in the known problems list. Attempting to play blu-rays in cinema mode, PowerDVD 11 would freeze early on, usually with a blank screen. In most cases, no event reports were formed, the program had to be ended, and the system had to be restarted before it could run a disc again (reporting that the video card was not appropriate on subsequent attempts without a restart). In one case, the program itself totally crashed and the system reported a serious error in one of the video driver processes.

I noticed something strange and believe I have discovered a user-fix for this although the problem may still be worth investigating from the company side. I had already found that the same blu-rays would play perfectly with the program in normal (not cinema) mode. However, I happened to also notice that cinema mode was forcing Aero effects to turn off while the normal mode was not. On a whim, I decided to change my display profile to a non-Aero theme and tested cinema mode that way. So far one blu-ray was able to play for probably 20 minutes and I'm testing one now that I know crashed before and it has been playing successfully for about 5 minutes now. The crash usually happened very early.

So to sum it up, it appears there is a conflict (at least on my system) related to PowerDVD 11 cinema mode attempting to disable Aero effects. This conflict apparently has the ability to crash the intel integrated video driver process in addition to the program itself.

I'm not sure whether it had anything to do with posting this in the forums or if it was just a crazy coincidence, but after adding my last post I noticed that I received a reply earlier today. After all these months where the only solution I could find was the new program version and having tech support run me in circles of "explanations" with no fixes, they finally came through with something that appears productive. At this point I am testing and, assuming positive results, I'll probably be "testing" until I've watched enough movies to be confident, but so far I'm hopeful.

I'll leave the other info here in case anyone happens to be curious and might find something that explains what was going on.

Sorry about that, I did say this was reported a LONG time ago . I guess I grabbed an old file set from all the tickets.

Anyway, I have attached a new set of files. One is a dxdiag which was run with the blu-ray attached. I see the drive listed on cd drives, so I probably just didn't have it connected when I created that old file. The third item is a screenshot showing that the current PowerDVD 10 version is installed, as it has been for a while.

Also, just to pre-empt the possible question, I attempted another blu-ray run and the freeze was repeated well before it even reached the main menu.

Here are the facts. I purchased PowerDVD10 this past spring for the laptop I had just purchased. The laptop in question is an Alienware M11x. According to all required specs, the laptop passes easily with or without the Nvidia graphics card. However, on trying to run nearly all blu-ray discs, PowerDVD 10 locks up and requires a system reboot to even run again.

At this point I have 6 individual trees of support tickets on this same issue. Several of those ticket chains were closed because the "customer support" staff failed to reply to them for somewhere around a month, resulting in the system automatically labeling the problem as solved. Talk about a good way to pad your service failures!

So what have I done? Only a few months into the whole process, I found that no computer settings, no drivers, and no reinstalls would solve the problem. On my own, and only slightly before it was suggested by support, I tested the trial version of PowerDVD 11. Guess what? It worked FLAWLESSLY! Not a single suggestion of a freeze and the program itself ran many times more smoothly to begin with. At that point, I was told that this had been acknowledged as a bug and the "staff" was working on a fix.

That was nearly 6 months ago. Since then, I have had several tickets which were allowed to close, but that hardly matters since I have apparently been dealt with by only ONE staff member. Every time I put in a new ticket, I receive a new excuse which ignores all the details. Several times I have been told my graphics card was inadequate (obviously not true); several more that my Nvidia drivers were at fault, even though no version of the drivers has any effect and the program will not even use the Nvidia card. Now I'm being told that Nvidia "recently" decided that video encoding should be performed by the integrated chip. Well, aside from the fact that this limit was not placed recently at all, all that does is acknowledge that my integrated GPU, which is easily adequate, should be (and is) running PowerDVD 10.

I have repeatedly asked, then demanded to speak with a manager or anyone higher in the company. I'll talk to the CEO if he's the only person who is willing. I haven't made any crazy demands, just to be helped, and I think waiting nearly a YEAR for a problem that can be solved by something as simple as an upgrade is insanely patient, especially when nearly all of the replies have blatantly ignored already-established details of my case.

Please, someone here give me a REAL answer, not more bs. I KNOW version 11 works. I KNOW my computer both meets system requirements and is performing perfectly fine. It's pretty obvious this is a problem in version 10 which for some reason makes it incompatible with either my blu-ray player or my laptop, both of which are fully "supported." Give me contact information for real support, give me an upgrade, or give me my money back for this wasted purchase. All I ask is for anything that truly qualifies as support.

To again prove my willingness to work with support, I am including the requested information (which has all been submitted to tech support multiple times) here.

Operating System (including x86 or x64 Bit Version) Windows 7 x64
Do you use administrator or restricted user account? Administrator
Is your PowerDVD a Retail product or bundles with HW? Retail
Used VGA Nvidia 335M plus integrated intel i5 (the latter shows in dxdiag due to optimus)
Used VGA driver version several versions of both drivers have been tested, one shows in dxdiag
Used Audio device integrated
Used Audio device driver version
The Audio setting in PowerDVD and in OS (default devices) Default
Used ODD drive (full model name and Firmware Version) Asus SBC-06D1S-U
Do you use Amplifier (Model/connection) No
Used Display(s) Tested with laptop as well as external monitors
Which kind of display connection (HDMI/DisplayPort/VGA/DVI) None/HDMI/miniDisplayPort
Which display refresh rate do you use while Playback (24/25/50/60/120/...) Typically I set mine to 70 although some settings are overridden when PowerDVD activates, I haven't checked the refresh
Are you using single or dual monitor environment Have tested both
Are you using clone or extended mode (if use two display) Have tested both
(3D only) Please provide detail info about 3D setting in PowerDVD N/A, I do not have a 3D-capable display
What kind of Antivirus SW are you using? Avast Home, current
What is your default Internet Browser? Firefox
The detailed issue description Included above. To put it simply, very early in blu-ray playback with all but one blu-ray I tested, the entire program freezes and cannot be completely shut down. A reboot is required to get PowerDVD working at all again, but the freeze is 100% on blu-ray playback for affected discs and normally during the previews or main menu.
Does the issue happen in Classic mode or CinemMode (MCE-Plug-In) or both? Both

Edit: Just noticed the request at the bottom of the thread for info from windows logs. Unfortunately, in all cases, no windows event logs have ever been created, so there's nothing to send.

I too have an Optimus system and am having trouble. Nearly all bluray discs I have cause the program to lockup. I have been going in circles with support as they claim first that I need to disable my onboard graphics (impossible in optimus) then that my drivers are outdated (according to Dell's website for the integrated and Nvidia's for the card, not true).

For some reason, PowerDVD will not allow you to select the Nvidia card no matter what you do. It's the only program on my system where this isn't an option. I suspect that the software is not properly handling Optimus but so far the reps are refusing to acknowledge it. In my case, all blurays are failing, not 3D, so I believe even my integrated chip should be just fine.