fast bloke

DMA is direct memory access. It allows memory to lift data straight from the disc without going through the processor.

Tal

One for all you IT Wizards

When I play a DVD it stutters both visually and Aurolly on my new PC.

It used to play fine on my last PC using the same DVD drive.

I had a look at the DVD/CDROM settings and DMA was not checked so I checked it as this is what I did on my old pc for perfect DVD playback.

Fine I thought it tells me it needs a restart to implement changes so it gets one.

When I have restared and go back to look at the settings it has switched DMA off again WTF.

Cant get DMA to stay on any sugestions ??

My spec

900 MHz AMD THUNDERBIRD @ 1GHZ (133 FSB)
A-bit KT7A Raid m/b
IBM 46GB HDD (UDMA 100 on raid)
512MB PC133 Crucial SDRAM
Ricoh DVD/CDRW 12/10/8/32 on Secondary master
Voodoo 3 3000 @180MHz
Sound blaster live 5.1

ECT

Please help I use it as my DVD player and at the mo it is not as good as my old system was (433 PII)

Tal

[This message has been edited by Tal (edited 16 March 2001).]

robski

Tal,

quite a sweet spec that!

Ive noticed that, are you using WIN98 SE by any chance?

The other thing it could be is there is a setting somewhere (cant remember from memory) that is to do with speed of drive and caching of data, that needs to be set to quad or higher.

Last chance is have you installed the 4 in 1 drivers? these make a massive difference to AMD chip performance.

OO, another, find the properties for spin down a lot of drives have these somewhere. It may be powering up and down due to the speed of the processor quickly processign the data (compared to your old PC)

robski

dsmith

Tal

I have just built a PC with the same M/B and Disk (Athlon 950).

What S/W are you using ? I found the DVD player that came with my Video Card (Elsa GTS)stuttered badly but the WinDVD trial that comes on the Abit CD played pefectly (for the 5 mins)

Usual stuff like latest drivers can help. VIA have released ver 1.29 now

fast bloke

Where are you changing DMA settings? They can be set from control panel/system or from BIOS on some PC's. Try the other one

Tal

Thanks for the answers keep em coming

I am using Windows Me

Have already installed the 4 in 1 drivers will try again

Still think its this DMA setting

using control panel / System / Hardware devices to switch on DMA could not find anything in The bios do I need to flash upgrade it what should I be looking for

I want to switch DMA on but another DVD(I only have 2!!) (the Matrix) it seems to play fine with it off and most of the League of Gentlemen plays fine its only the first 5 mins or so (top DVD BTW)

Tal

gregh

Did you try checking the DMA box on the controller as well as the DVD?

Greg

Tal

Oh sorry already using WinDVD 2000 it came with the DVD/CDRW drive

Cheers Rob it is a nice system fancy a ATI Radion 64DDR next I can get one for about £150

Is there anyway that the PC is autodetecting the DVD drive and switching the DMA off when it boots (BTW what the hell is DMA) has it got anything to do this the dogs bolloxs HDD I am using (conflicts i.e. UDMA 100 and all that (raid ??))


Another thing that woories me is the fact that I have never installed any drivers for the Ricoh DVD/CDRW as none came with it and there are none on the wedsite (that I can see)


Cheers Tal