| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ToHellWithDell
one bitch wonder
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 3
|
 Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:19 pm Post subject: Decoder Error--Oh How I hate Dell!! |
 |
|
Hi All! I am hoping someone can help me because it looks like Dell sure won't. Our hard drive crashed (same story you have heard 1000 times) after hours upon hours on the phone with the dude in India they finally sent someone out to replace it. Everything looks to be running ok except Media Center. Every time we try to run video it gives us the following error "Decoder Error- The video decoder has either malfunctioned or has not installed, Please restars Media Center/oand or the computer" We have uninstalled, installed unistalled, downloaded...try everything we could and nothing. Today we spent about 2 hours on the phone with Dell (most of the time on hold) and were disconnected.
I was hoping we could try and fix this ourselves versus having to speak to Dell. Everytime we call them, email them etc. it just makes us want to go Postal.
Does anyone have any suggestions? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Sponsor
|
|
|
Rocke_T_Sinetist
Moderator
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 2590
Location: DFW airport
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Today we spent about 2 hours on the phone with Dell (most of the time on hold) and were disconnected. |
Whatever the problem, Dell support is consistent! If they can't disconnect or transfer you, the problem must be software and it's not covered.
Media support is notoriously flaky. Gawddammit, every time I click on a media web link, it tells me my player is outdated. Then the updater bombs my whole system. It's a conspiracy!
Note the file type you are trying to access when this error occurs. Most Microsoft defaults are Microsoft players and they won't handle Realplayer or Quicktime formats. When you install these players, they become the defaults for their own file format. It could be that simple.
Or not.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...' |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
i_escaped_dell
Dances with Hate
Joined: 07 Nov 2005
Posts: 206
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ToHellWithDell did you reinstall powerdvd and its components. I think that is needed, but yeah MCE is a bad product I'd rather use a non-ms software to watch tv on a computer, well I'd rather watch tv on a tv just as the good lord intended us to. Not as billy gates wants. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
OwnMyMagicWand
Regular Hater
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 34
Location: Round Rock,TX
|
| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: Decoder Error--Oh How I hate Dell!! |
|
|
| ToHellWithDell wrote: | Hi All! I am hoping someone can help me because it looks like Dell sure won't. Our hard drive crashed (same story you have heard 1000 times) after hours upon hours on the phone with the dude in India they finally sent someone out to replace it. Everything looks to be running ok except Media Center. Every time we try to run video it gives us the following error "Decoder Error- The video decoder has either malfunctioned or has not installed, Please restars Media Center/oand or the computer" We have uninstalled, installed unistalled, downloaded...try everything we could and nothing. Today we spent about 2 hours on the phone with Dell (most of the time on hold) and were disconnected.
I was hoping we could try and fix this ourselves versus having to speak to Dell. Everytime we call them, email them etc. it just makes us want to go Postal.
Does anyone have any suggestions? |
Well...problem that you have was with the decoding software. basically eventhough you had uninstall and reinstall it a hundred times your problem will not be resolved by that.. When you call the Queue you will be adviced to call D.O.C regarding the problem.. and eventually if you havn't purchased a software warranty support you will be charged for that.
Media center has lot's of issues.. software incompatibilities and many more. i experience that kind of problem before.. use this link ( Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility )  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?pocId=&freetext=decoder&DisplayLang=en
*** Note: This utility only indicates whether an MPEG-2 decoder is compatible with the synchronization feature of Windows Media Player 10 or whether an MPEG-2 decoder is compatible with the recorded TV playback feature of Windows XP Media Center Edition.***
you can also download that latest video decoder on that link.. ok !!
hope that can help you in resolving that problem. 
_________________
Be The REASON Customers Are Satisfied !
"Never tangle with a geek when Linux source code is on the line."
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sponsor
|
|
|
ToHellWithDell
one bitch wonder
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thank you very much for all your feedback and information guys! 5 minutes in this forum and I got the answer to my question. 2 Hours on with Dell and we did not get JACK! Unbelievable!
I will let you know how it goes, I am confident it will work because the information came from you and not from some dude in India who has no clue what we are talking about.
I wish there was away to "expose" Dell. There are alot of disgruntled people out there but it still looks like Dell is making money. Alot of people say you get what you pay for...that if you want a cheap computer Dell is your answer. I must disagree with this. In less than 60 days we bought two computers from Dell and spent more than 4K with them. I don't think 4K is chump chain. At the time we thought we were getting a quality product ...little did we know! The bastards!
One more thing, when they came out and swamped my hard drive out they told me I needed to return my warped hard drive in 14 days. Seeing as they do not return my calls and disconnect me and basically refuse to talk to us, why should I return my hard drive to them? So they can refurbish it and put it in some one else's computer? No way...if they want it they will need to contact me. ...and when they do I can tell them what they can do with it. I won't hold my breath though.
Thank you all again! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rocke_T_Sinetist
Moderator
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 2590
Location: DFW airport
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
DVD video? DVD decoders for Windows are even flakier, including every decoder Dell ever shipped. Does WMC have its own native DVD decoder? I don't know. No other Windows version did. It's unlike the Gatesmeister to leave a whole application un-monopolized, gotta wonder why that is.
Try Microsoft FAQs, google "windows DVD decoder". Nothing in the 'help' file about DVD video?
| Quote: | | I'd rather watch tv on a tv just as the good lord intended |
Elegant solution, the one I'd pick too.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...' |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
OwnMyMagicWand
Regular Hater
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 34
Location: Round Rock,TX
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | One more thing, when they came out and swamped my hard drive out they told me I needed to return my warped hard drive in 14 days. Seeing as they do not return my calls and disconnect me and basically refuse to talk to us, why should I return my hard drive to them? So they can refurbish it and put it in some one else's computer? No way...if they want it they will need to contact me. ...and when they do I can tell them what they can do with it. I won't hold my breath though. |
The dispatch will provide you a Waybill form, the onsite tech will hand you that. and it is true Dell is giving you 10 to 14 days period to back up your data on that Harddrive and send it back to us.. after that day if Dell still havn't received a response from you.. they will automatically charged it in you Creditcard.. no Questions ask.. it is written in the contract that you had signed before or the contract that the sales had sent. .. you can also refer on the documentation or the paperworks that you had received.
_________________
Be The REASON Customers Are Satisfied !
"Never tangle with a geek when Linux source code is on the line."
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Grissom
Lord of the Flies
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 1553
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
glad you got your answer
nice job yall.
| Quote: | | WMC have its own native DVD decoder? |
no it does not
there are only 3 (last i checked) MPG2 decoders that will work with MCE '05.
NVDVD
PowerDVD
WinDVD
I hear that more decoders will be added in the future.
ToHellWithDell- one question did you happen to check to see if your TV worked? They both use the same codec so if one had a problem the other should have as well in theory.
_________________
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sponsor
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
