Problem - Can't rewind and fast forward in XP Media Center

[Pittsburgher]

Hello all,
  Stumbled on this site and seems very informative. So here's my set up and my question. Hope someone can help. I have XP Media Center , P4, 2 gigs ram, tv tuner card. (ati Wonder card I think)  Now my problem.  I can record tv shows and play them back like a Tivo but when I try to fast forward or rewind I get a message to restart the program. It won't let me fast forward thru commercials.  I did a a few searches but can't seem to find the answer. Is there a decoder I'm missing perhaps?   Thanks in advance for any help.  Jeff in Pittsburgh

[Dak]

Hi and welcome to our forum!!

It sounds like it may be a decoder issue. Microsoft have a utility that can list all the decoders recorded in your registry, and indicate which of these are compatible with WMP10 and XP Media Center Edition. It will then ask you which of these you wish to use as the preferred video decoder. You could give that a go.. if its not finding any compatible decoders at all then obviously you will need to search and find a different one.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DE1491AC-0AB6-4990-943D-627E6ADE9FCB&displaylang=en

[Pittsburgher]

Thank you for the quick response Dak. Will try that utility and report back sometime Sunday.  Thanks Again.

[Pittsburgher]

Hey Dak,
  My decoder is NOT compatable with MP 11 I guess I need to search for one that is?  Thanks Dak.  Almost there. I can feel it.

edit...So I start my search for a decoder and they want me to buy one. Decoder packs for like 19 bucks.  There has to be a free one available, right?  Can you point me in the right direction?   Thanks Agian.

[Dak]

what is the model number of your tv card?

[Pittsburgher]

Hey Dak,
   OK my Tv Card is an  ATI Theater 550 Pro   and my video card is a GE Force  8400 gs.
This card was once in another case of mine and worked fine. All functions worked properly. Fast forward, rewind, never a problem.  I removed the card and built a Media Center PC for my living room. It also is running XP Media Center 05. All updates are current. Ever since it won't fast forward or rewind. Asks me if I want to restart the program or delete it.    Thanks Dak

[Dak]

I am curious to know which software you have installed for your DVD burner, or whether perhaps you have forgotten to install the burner. Your TV Card should be able to operate using any one of a number of decoders. You should have a variety of these installed as part of your DVD Burner software.

If you, as I certainly have, have a collection of old discs.. see if you have a different DVD Burning solution anywhere and try installing that. For instance, if you have Nero installed, and you find a Sonic Cineplayer (Roxio) or Cyberlink (PowerDVD) disc about.. install that as well. Intervideo (WinDVD) is another common decoder.

Your TV card should be able to use any one of these decoders. Once you have installed any of this software, you should then be able to update to the latest version online without paying anything.

Hopefully this will fix your problem.

[Pittsburgher]

I have ZERO burning programs installed on this machine. When it was working in my other case I had Nero and Power Dvd installed.  I think you may be onto something here. Will install Power Dvd and report back.   THANKS DAK.

[Pittsburgher]

Didn't work Dak.  Any other ideas?  Everything works but the fast forward and rewind. 

[Mitz]

Hi Pitsburgher
Did you actually download a codec, because here are some free ones Windows XP or Windows Vista. free movie codes I did think Media center would come with everthing that is needed, however you never know. Microsoft has surprised me before.

You could also try downloading an updated driver for your tv card at http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

When you did have this working on another computer, what are the differences between the two setups?

[Pittsburgher]

Hi Mitz,
  Thanks for joining in our little party. Appreciate all the help I can get.  I will check for updates on ATI site.   The differences in the 2 machines?    First one is a stock Dell E310. When I bought it I ordered the card with it from Dell. P4, 2 gigs, on board video. Worked perfectly, recorded tv shows, you could fast forward, rewind, pause.   I removed the card and put it in a new case. This machine is in my living room and hooked up to my big lcd tv. I upgraded the video card GE Force 8400 GS 512. It has a P4, 2 gigs ram. The only difference in the 2 machines is the video card.   However the TV card didn't work even before I put in the video card.     Like I said the only functions that do not work are FF and rewind.  Both machines are running XP Media Center sp3.     Thanks so much for any help.

[Mitz]

Ok well maybe dell had the correct decoder installed on the computer that came with the TV card. Maybe it is on a disc that came with the dell.

If you went and checked the dell computer at the microsoft website it will probably say your decoders are ok..(unless you have formatted)

Is it possible to do this test on the original dell?

You'll need to install a codec so that Media Center can use it to decode MPEG2 streams.

As Dak has said, you can install other software hoping that they will have the decoder you need. The most likely programs are Intervideo's WinDVD, PowerDVD, or Nvidia's NVDVD...

Media Center is very fussy about what decoder it uses and therefore it is safer to stick with what it came with. I personally would install Cyberlink Power DVD because I presume Dell uses this. Then I would update the program at this site.. http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/download/patches_1_ENU.html

Let me know what you are trying?

Also it is best to set a system restore point before somehting goes wrong. This way you can turn back time, without having to format.

[Pittsburgher]

Thanks Mitz,
   Well what I did install was Power DVD 4.0   After looking thru my Dell discs I found a Dell Power Dvd 5.5.   I will try and install the 5.5 and report back. Thanks so much.  Jeff

[Pittsburgher]

OH Well.  Should have known. As soon as I put the Dell disc in I get the message " This software can only be installed on a Dell Machine" Gotta try and find a newer version of Powerdvd.

[Drovers Dog]

You can get PwerDVD 9.0 from here for free, Mate?

http://www.powerdvd-full.info/au/

Hope it helps.

Ray

[Dak]

Please read the 'Legal Terms' link at the bottom of the page at the site Drover has posted..

Sadly, the software is not actually free, the way I read it. It's not expensive though, about AU$9.00. The problem for me is that this is done via sending them 3 premium rate SMS (text message) and in my experience this can be a terrible trap that never stops when its supposed to... your call I guess.

I think I can make an alternative suggestion regarding somewhere to get it for free though, and I will let you know as soon as I have confirmed this.

[Pittsburgher]

Hey Drover,
  WE HAVE A WINNER.  Downloaded the Power dvd 8 and it installed the proper decoder. ALL is good.  Well for 30 days anyway, it's a trial version.  Anyone know that after the trial is expired will it leave the decoder installed and the program just won't function?  Hey Thank you all for this help. 

[Mitz]

Thats great!!!! I never thought about a trial version to get the decoder..That's very funny...And I have no idea if the decoder will still function when the trial is up. Please let us know what happens after 30 days trial.

[Pittsburgher]

If I can't find a key for the program before 30 days I will probably try and re install every 30 days. I guess I could / should just spend the money and buy a legit copy.  Thank you all for the prompt responses and all the help and suggestions.  What a great informative site. I will pass it along to some friends.

[Drovers Dog]

If I can't find a key for the program before 30 days I will probably try and re install every 30 days. I guess I could / should just spend the money and buy a legit copy.  Thank you all for the prompt responses and all the help and suggestions.  What a great informative site. I will pass it along to some friends.

I'm glad it got you going, Mate.

If I were you I would just take a Copy of the Drivers off the Program whilst it is still open?

As Mitz has said, let it run for the 30 days and see what happens? If it unstalls I will be very surprised. I think worst case will be that if you had to reformat and reinstall after the 30 days it would not want to work? But then it is a fresh start for 30 days again because all traces of it would be gone?

If it does uninstall Post back and we can look some more?

[Aarrgghh]

I have a Vista 64 bit machine with Media Center and was having the same problem except sometimes I could and sometimes I couldn't FF, RW and use the Remote.  Slowly going through what I was doing revealed the following: when I clicked on a recorded TV file in the recorded TV folder via 'My Computer' or desktop link to the folder, the program it was defaulting to was Windows Media Player which I now know does not support the features.  When I opened Media Center & went through it's menus to find the recorded TV content and played it from there the Windows Media Center player opened and all the features were there and worked perfectly.  When you're content starts to play, look at the top left part of the Window and it will tell you what program it is.  Windows Media Player will have the controls in the center bottom of the window and they'll be dimmed out except for the 'stop'.  Media Center Player has the controls at the bottom right side of the window, they're larger, more vividly colored -- and work!

[Mitz]

You should be able to right click on the recorded tv file and choose "open with" from the menu. Then choose media center. If you want that type of file to always use media center, simply tick the box 'always use this program' as well.
You can also go to the control panel and open the Autoplay settings and change what program is used when you open a certain file.

[Aarrgghh]

Thanks, Mitz.  I actually know all that, which makes it doubly embarrassing that I didn't even notice there were two different programs.  I was searching forums looking for answers when I found someone else who mentioned he could do it, then couldn't, which was what prompted me to go test it.  I found many forums with the same problem going back several years, some of which actually were using both program names interchangeably.  I'm sure many of them had the same "bug" I did so I posted in the hope that other hapless souls might find it and save themselves from all the clever "solutions" being put forth.

[Pittsburgher]

I am happy to report that after the 30 day FREE trial version of Power Dvd expired all functions still work.  So the drivers are still there.  Thanks so much for all the help. 

[Dak]

Typical of Microsoft to have not bothered to properly integrate something. How very strange that they can have Media Center Player and Media Player both running on the same computer. Would it not make more sense to remove the original Media Player and simply use the one designed for use in Media Center?

If I upgraded to Media Center, I'd expect the installation process to include removing those parts of Windows which will now become obsolete or doubled up, and if I were performing a fresh install of Media Player from a disc, I'd expect the extra stuff that is no longer required to not even be on the install disc!

WTG Mr Gates.. obviously not a computer user anymore?

[Drovers Dog]

Pittsburgher, Happy to know it worked out for you, funny how Third Party Software often fixes M$ Impossible Problems?