Replace V5500 on Old 600 MHz P3?

Hi Folks: I need to be able to play DVDs on my old P3/600. This is something my Voodoo 5500 doesn't do. I don't want to spend an extra dollar on this machine, however I would like to have at least the same performance as I have with the Voodoo. Getting the modest potential from this old dog would be nice. I'd prefer an AGP Radion, or Gforce. There are Solaris drivers for these cards. Thanks Larry

Larry, your topic has nothing to do with a racing or flying simulator as far as I can see....or even a game for that matter. If you must post in groups about things not relating to the newsgroup, please start your subject heading with "O.T." which means "Off Topic." Regarding your original inquiry, yes the Voodoo 5 does support DVD playback. I suspect your drivers are outdated, or you haven't downloaded the appropriate decoder for playback. Windows Media Player needs a decoder (software) for DVD playback. Try installing Windvd or PowerDvd first and then try again using WMP. "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ZJKOc.56811$8_6.48446@attbi_s04...

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> Hi Folks: > > I need to be able to play DVDs on my old P3/600. > This is something my Voodoo 5500 doesn't do. > > I don't want to spend an extra dollar on this > machine, however I would like to have at least the > same performance as I have with the Voodoo. Getting > the modest potential from this old dog would be nice. > > I'd prefer an AGP Radion, or Gforce. There are > Solaris drivers for these cards. > > Thanks > Larry

Shush, Rich, Shush! Don't scold the guys, sheesh! Nt that there isn't anyone here who doesn't post off -topic without prior warning. Better than the political ranting and raving that goes on around here anyways, or the troll hunting for pirated software. "Rich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:%VLOc.2002$T_6.1963@edtnps89... > Larry, your topic has nothing to do with a racing or flying simulator asfar > as I can see....or even a game for that matter. > If you must post in groups about things not relating to the newsgroup, > please start your subject heading with "O.T." which means "Off Topic." > Regarding your original inquiry, yes the Voodoo 5 does support DVDplayback.

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> I suspect your drivers are outdated, or you haven't downloaded the > appropriate decoder for playback. Windows Media Player needs a decoder > (software) for DVD playback. Try installing Windvd or PowerDvd first and > then try again using WMP. > > > "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:ZJKOc.56811$8_6.48446@attbi_s04... > > Hi Folks: > > > > I need to be able to play DVDs on my old P3/600. > > This is something my Voodoo 5500 doesn't do. > > > > I don't want to spend an extra dollar on this > > machine, however I would like to have at least the > > same performance as I have with the Voodoo. Getting > > the modest potential from this old dog would be nice. > > > > I'd prefer an AGP Radion, or Gforce. There are > > Solaris drivers for these cards. > > > > Thanks > > Larry > >

"Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ZJKOc.56811$8_6.48446@attbi_s04... > Hi Folks: > > I need to be able to play DVDs on my old P3/600. > This is something my Voodoo 5500 doesn't do. DVDs play fine on a V5500 on a P3/600, I do it on a P3/500 using the same card. What playback software r u trying to use, what OS, how much memory, what DVD drive?

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> > I don't want to spend an extra dollar on this > machine, however I would like to have at least the > same performance as I have with the Voodoo. Getting > the modest potential from this old dog would be nice. > > I'd prefer an AGP Radion, or Gforce. There are > Solaris drivers for these cards. > > Thanks > Larry

I still use my Voodoo 5500 at my office and I watch DVDs there during lunch and while waiting on verdicts... I'd have to say two or three movies a week.. What DVD program are you using and what version OS and V5500 driver are you using??? "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ZJKOc.56811$8_6.48446@attbi_s04...

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> Hi Folks: > > I need to be able to play DVDs on my old P3/600. > This is something my Voodoo 5500 doesn't do. > > I don't want to spend an extra dollar on this > machine, however I would like to have at least the > same performance as I have with the Voodoo. Getting > the modest potential from this old dog would be nice. > > I'd prefer an AGP Radion, or Gforce. There are > Solaris drivers for these cards. > > Thanks > Larry

Thanks Folks: A year or two ago I tried to play a DVD and got an error message "There is no Windows 2000 compatible DVD decoder installed on the system". I looked around, asked some people, the wrong people apparently, and concluded that DVD decoders are hardware devices that are either on the video cards, or aren't. So I thought I needed a new card to play DVDs. I do my simming on Win2K, the driver for my V5500 is Amigamerlin 3.0. I picked this from a list of drivers from a 3DFX site. The decision was arbitrary, but the driver seems to work fine. I'm open to recommendations. Both Windvd and PowerDvd look interesting. Any preferences? Apologies to Rich, and anyone else I offended. The connection to simming is that this PC runs sims, not particularly well unless graphics are turned way down. I didn't want to spend any more than needed on a new card for this old PC. But I didn't want to lower its already modest performance either. Thanks Larry

I think the biggest mistake you made was just forgetting to include the OT: in the subject, which I added, but noone replied to my post after that so it made absolutely no difference. To anyone who bitched about the OP, none of you bothered to add teh OT either. "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KgdPc.72368$eM2.25449@attbi_s51...

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> Thanks Folks: > > A year or two ago I tried to play a DVD and got > an error message "There is no Windows 2000 compatible > DVD decoder installed on the system". > > I looked around, asked some people, the wrong > people apparently, and concluded that DVD decoders > are hardware devices that are either on the video > cards, or aren't. So I thought I needed a new card to > play DVDs. > > I do my simming on Win2K, the driver for my > V5500 is Amigamerlin 3.0. I picked this from a list > of drivers from a 3DFX site. The decision was > arbitrary, but the driver seems to work fine. I'm > open to recommendations. > > Both Windvd and PowerDvd look interesting. Any > preferences? > > Apologies to Rich, and anyone else I offended. > The connection to simming is that this PC runs sims, > not particularly well unless graphics are turned way > down. I didn't want to spend any more than needed on > a new card for this old PC. But I didn't want to > lower its already modest performance either. > > > Thanks > Larry > > >

I've used both DVD programs and like them both... There are usually demo or limited shareware versions available (one may have come with the V5500 card - or with a sound card - or with a DVD drive) Install and try them out. YMMV. "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KgdPc.72368$eM2.25449@attbi_s51...

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> Thanks Folks: > > A year or two ago I tried to play a DVD and got > an error message "There is no Windows 2000 compatible > DVD decoder installed on the system". > > I looked around, asked some people, the wrong > people apparently, and concluded that DVD decoders > are hardware devices that are either on the video > cards, or aren't. So I thought I needed a new card to > play DVDs. > > I do my simming on Win2K, the driver for my > V5500 is Amigamerlin 3.0. I picked this from a list > of drivers from a 3DFX site. The decision was > arbitrary, but the driver seems to work fine. I'm > open to recommendations. > > Both Windvd and PowerDvd look interesting. Any > preferences? > > Apologies to Rich, and anyone else I offended. > The connection to simming is that this PC runs sims, > not particularly well unless graphics are turned way > down. I didn't want to spend any more than needed on > a new card for this old PC. But I didn't want to > lower its already modest performance either. > > > Thanks > Larry > > >

I use the full version of Cyberlink PowerDVD 5.0 on my Voodoo 5500 equipped computer at the office. I believe I'm running a 2.1 gig athlon in it and I don't have the slightest stutter or other problems with DVD and it does a great job on emulating 5.1 sound in headphones or a 2 speaker setup. I believe a demo version is available, check the cyperlink website (google for powerdvd or cyberlink or both together). I use the WinDVD player which came installed in my notebook. "Jay Williams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:tgpPc.2546$Jo1.383@lakeread01... > I've used both DVD programs and like them both... There are usually demoor

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> limited shareware versions available (one may have come with the V5500 > card - or with a sound card - or with a DVD drive) Install and try them > out. YMMV. > > "Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:KgdPc.72368$eM2.25449@attbi_s51... > > Thanks Folks: > > > > A year or two ago I tried to play a DVD and got > > an error message "There is no Windows 2000 compatible > > DVD decoder installed on the system". > > > > I looked around, asked some people, the wrong > > people apparently, and concluded that DVD decoders > > are hardware devices that are either on the video > > cards, or aren't. So I thought I needed a new card to > > play DVDs. > > > > I do my simming on Win2K, the driver for my > > V5500 is Amigamerlin 3.0. I picked this from a list > > of drivers from a 3DFX site. The decision was > > arbitrary, but the driver seems to work fine. I'm > > open to recommendations. > > > > Both Windvd and PowerDvd look interesting. Any > > preferences? > > > > Apologies to Rich, and anyone else I offended. > > The connection to simming is that this PC runs sims, > > not particularly well unless graphics are turned way > > down. I didn't want to spend any more than needed on > > a new card for this old PC. But I didn't want to > > lower its already modest performance either. > > > > > > Thanks > > Larry > > > > > > > >

"Larry Lindstrom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KgdPc.72368$eM2.25449@attbi_s51... > Thanks Folks: > > A year or two ago I tried to play a DVD and got > an error message "There is no Windows 2000 compatible > DVD decoder installed on the system". That's because you need to buy DVD decoder software as it appears you already know. > I looked around, asked some people, the wrong > people apparently, and concluded that DVD decoders > are hardware devices that are either on the video > cards, or aren't. So I thought I needed a new card to > play DVDs. Well, there are H/W DVD decoders like the RealMagic Hollywood card. There are also newer graphics boards like the Radeon cards that support DVD decoder acceleration. Your CPU is not all that fast so you might want to consider some H/W assist like the Radeon. If you want to make sure you can play DVDs with no hiccups you might want to see if you can find a cheap Hollyword card. The Hollywood will allow even the crappiest computer to play DVDs. It's possible that you could find a Hollywood card cheaper than the decoder software. Although if you buy a DVD drive it may include WinDVD or PowerDVD. > Both Windvd and PowerDvd look interesting. Any > preferences? The cheapest.