Troubleshooting Compatibility Issues
The rapid march of
technology has enabled software on home PCs to deliver
stunning graphics, high-quality video and enthralling
audio for a complete user experience. This has
been largely possible due to technologies like DirectX,
which enable higher graphics and sound performance.
Digital Media Converter harnesses the Microsoft
DirectShow technology, a component of DirectX, to
convert videos, split media files and for most of its
advanced features.
This technology is also
highly extensible. Various software vendors
develop filters (or plug-ins) to extend the capabilities
of DirectShow for their own products. Software
vendors may write filters like, for instance, an MPEG
decoder to read MPEG files. The software vendor’s
own product works well with these filters, but the
proprietary filters can overwrite the default filters
provided by DirectShow. If this happens,
DirectShow, and hence Digital Media Converter, will pick
up the software vendor’s MPEG filter rather than the
default one when you try to work with MPEG files, which
can result in incompatibility.
One of the commonest
reasons for Digital Media Converter to function
incorrectly is incompatible filters, usually installed
as part of another software package.
How to fix
incompatibility problems?
There are many problems
that can be caused by filter incompatibility.
Incomplete conversion, missing video and / or audio
after conversion, and a lack of audio / video
synchronization in converted files are some of them.
You can fix most problems with incompatible filters by:
- Installing the latest version of DirectX;
reinstalling if already installed.
- Using the Compatibility feature in Digital
Media Converter to disable filters.
1. Installing
the latest version of Direct X
The first step toward
resolving compatibility problems is to install the
latest version of DirectX. To find out what
version is currently installed on your PC:
- On the Start menu, click 'Run'.
- Type in "dxdiag" and press enter to start the
DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- The DirectX
version is listed under the System tab.
In general;
DirectX 10 comes pre-installed with Windows Vista.
DirectX 8.1 comes pre-installed with Windows XP.
DirectX 7.0 comes pre-installed with Windows 2000.
You need DirectX 9.0c or
higher to use the Compatibility feature of Digital Media
Converter. Newer versions of DirectX also improve
the graphics, security and performance of your operating
system. You can download latest version of DirectX and install it
for your Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows
Server 2003, Windows XP or Windows Vista-based system.
2. Using the
Compatibility Tab.
DirectShow chooses a
filter by examining all filters registered under a
category. It then uses the first filter that meets
the requirement. This causes problems because you
might have an incompatible filter selected while running
Digital Media Converter.
Digital Media Converter
has a unique Compatibility feature, which allows you to
disable certain incompatible filters. The user can
define which filter will be used. These settings
do not affect other applications outside Digital Media
Converter. The filters are disabled only for
Digital Media Converter. Other applications, which
might be using the filters, work just fine.
Some common
filters that cause problems are:
- iviaudio.ax:
A filter installed by Intervideo WinDVD; causes
problems in audio playback of converted WMV
files.
- clmp3wrap.ax
and claudiocd.ax: Filters installed
by Cyberlink PowerDirector; you may not hear
audio in converted files.
- cmaudio.ax - from C-Media Inc. (sound card):
Digital Media Converter may unexpectedly quit.
- divxaf.ax: 'Digital Anti-Freeze' -
part of the Nimo Codec package - causes crashes
when trying to convert.
- nvviddec.ax and
nvidia PVR demultiplexer: Installed
by NVIDIA DVD Decoder; may cause problems while
converting video files.
If you face a problem
not covered in the list, you might have to experiment
with the installed filters to identify the filter
causing the incompatibility.
Disabling a
filter using the Compatibility feature:
Click on
Tools >
Settings >
Compatibility to access the Compatibility
feature. The list under the compatibility tab
displays all the filters that are installed on your
computer.
To disable a
particular filter:
- Uncheck the filter. This will disable
the filter only in Digital Media Converter and
not affect other programs on your PC.
- Click 'Apply' to disable the filter.