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General discussion

Hardware Acceleration Issues With Wmp And Other Media

Sep 11, 2007 2:01PM PDT

I recently upgraded to Vista and am having major issues with audio and video playback using windows media player. The audios and videos won't play properly. It first had a green screen which I thought I fixed by turning off graphic acceleration. But even with it off, its having problems. Now it lags or doesn't play at all. Even other programs like iTunes won't play songs. Also, online clips such as sample audio clips or CD previews. Someone please help before I chuck this laptop out the window!

Oh and I have an HP Pavilion dv4030us.

Discussion is locked

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2 ideas.
Sep 12, 2007 1:33AM PDT

1. Go to hp.com and see if there are vista drivers for you sound and video items. (and install those!)

2. That green screen issue that is often cured by hardware acceleration is a sign of a missing driver 99% of the time. The other 0.1% is a missing codec. I'd run VLC PLAYER to sniff that out.

Bob

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no drivers available
Sep 12, 2007 2:38AM PDT

hp.com doesn't have any drivers for it. I also suspect a driver problem but have no idea where to get an update. Windows update doesn't pull anything up either.

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Then the machine is not Vista compatible. A possible fix is
Sep 12, 2007 4:35AM PDT

To install a new audio and video card.

Bob

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Half way there...
Sep 12, 2007 5:08AM PDT

Thanks for your help Bob. When you said audio before I did a little digging and realized others were having the same problem I installed the old XP driver for Soundmax Integrated Digital Audio and that fixed the audio issues.

Now the only thing left is the video issue. Videos start to play in media player but say if I pause for a while and play again, it has no audio and plays in slow motion. Weird. Would that be fixed with a new video card? Sorry for sounding stupid but I am a noob. Does the video card have anything to do with the chipset? I have Intel 915GM/GMS/910GML. I have already realized that this particular chipset doesn't support Vista Aero and Intel isn;t doing anything to upgrade it either.

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Vista drivers for the 915 are over at ...
Sep 12, 2007 7:16AM PDT

Intel.com

So there is nothing more to do than to get the right drivers. If I didn't tell you, these are not on the Vista install DVD.

Bob

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Almost there....
Sep 12, 2007 12:10PM PDT

Well Intel doesn't have Vista drivers for 915. XP ones will do according to Intel without the benefit of Aero. I was missing the Intel Graphic Accelerator Driver. Weird since it was there before upgrading to Vista.

So media player is better, no green screen and I don't have to turn acceleration off. HOWEVER, it seems to have a bug or something. If I pause the video for a few seconds and then press play. It has no audio and the video plays in slow motion.

Whats up with that?

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Odd.
Sep 12, 2007 12:41PM PDT

I just updated a 915 from Intel.com and I did select Vista for the OS.

Not that it matters it appears you found something. The slow motion is a bug I've seen before. It had to do with the audio driver. Another search and install mission.

Bob

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Where?
Sep 12, 2007 12:48PM PDT
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Some are marked Vista.
Sep 12, 2007 12:57PM PDT
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thanks
Sep 12, 2007 1:00PM PDT

So what you just gave me was the video driver? So all I need is sound now?

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No I gave you the other important driver.
Sep 12, 2007 1:08PM PDT

You didn't mention the chipset driver so I offered that as an example Vista 915 intel.com offering. You may be missing that one.

Bob

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got it
Sep 12, 2007 1:19PM PDT

Okay I have the chipset driver. I think I had it all along. I know that my audio driver is soundmax integrated audio but I don't know what my video driver is? How do I figure that out. I don't see it in device manager.