This Is Making Me Mad

[Hi Ho]

I bought a Pioneer DVD-ROM drive for my computer. When I play a movie I can't hear the voices!! I can hear all the sounds but when there is a loud explosion or anything the volume drops. It mutes out loud sounds and voices!! I cannot figure out how it can do that or why. I have DMA enabled and I have the audio cable hooked up. I tried playing it with Windows Media Player and the Interactual player that came on the Star Wars DVD. I have tried all the tech forums and no one can help me. Anyone have any ideas?

[Panama Red]

Are your sound card drivers current? Have you checked the Pioneer site for updated firmware? How bout music CD's, same problem or just with dvd's? Maybe list your components including speakers when you answer back. Someone is sure to have a solution.

[Hi Ho]

Music CD's play fine. Onboard sound drivers are current. I haven't checked for firmware. I don't se how that could be the problem. I have a Logitech Z-640 speaker system. The speakers are not the problem. How could they be?

Here are my system specs

ASUS A7V333 Mother Board (w/onboard sound)
AMD Athlon 1.8ghz CPU
512mb 333mhz DDR RAM
60 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
6GB 5200 RPM Hard Drive
GeForce 4 ti 4800se 128mb Graphics Card
Plextor 24/10/40x CDRW
Pioneer 16x DVD-ROM
Windows XP Home Edition
Cable Modem

[Hi Ho]

There is something I forgot to add. If I use either Windows Media Player or the Intercactual player for more than ten minutes it will completely freeze my computer to where the mouse will not move. It will be like that for 30 seconds and then work for 10 seconds. It will switch back and forth like that even if I get player closed through the task manager. It will stop doing it after five minutes. I cannot figure that out either. I am really desprate for help with this. I have asked everyone I can think of.

[Hi Ho]

Can't anyone help?

[Hi Ho]

Here's another update. After the computer freezes like I described above the DVD drive will dissapear from the the computer. It's not in the device manager or anything until I restart. When I restart it works again but it is in PIO mode. It's set to "DMA if available". I have to uninstall it in the device manager and let it reinstall to get int in DMA mode again. The cycle starts over next time the computer freezes.

[sdkfz]

bump

sorry I have no clue other than if this behavior came out of the box then I think the unit might want to go back into the box and back whence it came. This is the third pioneer issue I have read on this forum this month and yet the current issue of Max PC has the Pioneer DVR A06 as the best of the bunch.

[minsonngo]

Do you have the audio cable connected?

[Hi Ho]

Yes, the audio cable is connected.

[glc]

Check for firmware, I've seen it do stranger things.

[Glaive]

Ok,this may be too obvious, but are your speakers hooked up correctly? This of course wouldn't have anything to do with freezing and whatnot, but if you have a 5.1 compatible soundcard, and have your front L/R speakers hooked up to what should be the rear speaker ports, you will not get correct sound, especially on dialog and large directional sounds, since those would all have been panned to the front channels. I used to sell home theater equipment, and got a lot of customers who described sound issues like you described, only to find out they'd hooked up their stereo speakers to the wrong jacks on their receiver.

/shrug

As for the other problems, I second the firmware update check.

[Hi Ho]

The speakers are hoooked up correctly. Games work fine, music works fine, and the multi channel test works fine.

[njskatchmo]

If its only WMP that does this. I would try see if you can get some free trial DVD playback software. Have you tried any DIVX movies? Does it do the same thing?

(edit)

I would also try emailing the maker.

[Hi Ho]

I have tried the Interactual Player that came on the Star Wars disc. It did exactly the same thing. DIVX movies work fine.

[tigstah]

Originally posted by sdkfz
bump

sorry I have no clue other than if this behavior came out of the box then I think the unit might want to go back into the box and back whence it came. This is the third pioneer issue I have read on this forum this month and yet the current issue of Max PC has the Pioneer DVR A06 as the best of the bunch.

whoa i have pretty much the same system as you do...yet i dont have any problems with running my pioneer dvd player......

[Hi Ho]

Well I do and I don't know why. It's still not working right.

[Panama Red]

Have you tried the Pioneer web site? I still don't see where you tried to update firmware. Even glc suggested it. Pioneer may even have an app note on it. At least that would eliminate one other possibility. Then if that doesn't work, rma the drive if in warranty or buy a new one. Good luck

[Karnevil9]

Go into device manager and right click the DVD drive. Select properties. Select properties on the device window. Select enable digital sound for this device. See if that helps your sound problem.

[Hi Ho]

Digital audio is enabled.

[krokadil]

I have a setup very similar to yours and I have problems playing dvds on my Sony DRU510A. It will play along just fine but then it will sort of hit a sound "snag" and loop and freeze everything. Can't even access task manager - can only press restart.

Perhaps it has something to do with the board. I have the latest VIA drivers and have tried taking out the soundcard and using onboard sound and even applied the PCI latency patch. Still happens.

Board incompatibility?