Thinkpads Forum

pkiff wrote:

carbon_unit wrote:XP uses more CPU than Win98 or 2000. I think XP is your problem.

I think carbon_unit is right, then.

I get watchable DVD playback on my 400mhz 600E with XP. When it ran 2000 Pro, I could never get DVDs to play back decently without lowering my screen resolution to 800x600.

Thanks for the link carbon. I was ale to download the drivers. But I can't install them. I tried to install them automatically and it gave me an error message saying the drivers were not for the OS I am running (XP). It then aborted the instalation.

So then I tried to install them manualy in the add hardware wizard. It went through the whole install process and just when it was all finished, it gave me an error message:

Cannot install this hardware

An error occured in the instalation of this device

A service instalation section in this INF is invalid.


Is there another source of the required driver? I found one on a Spanish language site called softonic.com, but I don't read Spanish and a code is needed to download it???

http://drivers.softonic.com/ie/10841/margi_dvd-to-go

You have to do the automatic install so it will install the mediamatics DVD player app.
In view of the fact that AK470 is able to watch DVD on a similar machine and you can't get the drivers to install when the Dell site says they are specifically for your OS. Maybe there is a problem with your XP install.

Wingnut:

I think you're SOL as Margi never developed drivers for XP. Some people got the card working with the 600 and the W2k driver but I'm not aware of any sucesses with the 600E (sound was the problem). I had a 366 600E and with a clean W98 install and the latest drivers and directX, I could get it to play DVDs no problem with Mediamatics (incidentally, you can download an ISO of the IBM version on this site and then update it from the IBM/Lenovo site) at 640x480 (default resolution for mediamatics on the 600E). The margi card and player ("driver") was not as good, believe it or not.

I would also try VLC Player - least CPU utilization of any software player.

Good Luck.

I have a 570, 333mhz, 64 meg ram, Win98 and it plays DVD's fine with a Dell Margi card. It also worked fine on a 600 366mhz. No experience with XP.

Well, the trip was a success. The kids were well entertained for 90% of the trip. I never did get the margi card to work, so I just ran the machine in 800x600 and there were only a few hickups, but the kids never noticed. Thanks to all who offered assistance. I will keep trying to get the Margi card to work. I have a new HD, so maybe I will install 98SE on it???

As a side note, I would like to try your suggestion sktn. I thought media player classic would be a no frill player that would not use much CPU to run. But I will try your suggestion and give VLC player a try, just for kicks. I also have a TP600, so if other have gotten it to work, I should be able to. I just need to find the right drivers I guess.

Thanks again E1

When it works, it works good. Good luck.

Well some older DVD's will play simply because they have lower bitrate. Simply because of that they will work.

However, if you are watching newer DVD's or a live appearance show (Eddie Izzard - Dress to Kill for example; what I am targeting really is the Interlaced DVD, not Film DVD) then you performance will suffer.

If you are getting "service section of the inf file" message, this could mean bad hardware but not necessarily true.

If you try the manual update you will get Dell DVD Player as a driver choice. But no pick advanced, again I want to choose the driver, Pick sound game and video controller, and then in the device driver list pick up the "second listed MARGI DVD Decoder".

That will get you correct driver.

600E
600X will not have sound playback in XP - simply because the driver for sound is not available from manufacturer, rather XP only.

However, had you purchased a full margi package there is a dongle that you can plug in to the line in on the sound card. That will have it work just fine.

600 is the only one that has sound in XP when using Margi DVD to go, but don't use Margi, use Windows Media Player. Actually you have to open up Margi DVD software first, then Windows Media player to get the sound, and it works beautiful.