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1mhward

Am trying to get my blu rays to play, some work fine, but others stutter every few seconds. I have win dvd 9 plus blu ray. What cxan I do to stop this. Also, I am trying to download an update, and it says to save to a 'download directry' What is this and how do I do it.
My laptop is a sony vaio ar11s

chljung63

A download directory is just a directory of your choice, for example the desktop.
Just a location för the file to be saved to before extracted and installed.

As for your BD have have no idea,haven't experienced it myself (yet)

Have it!

Blencogo

Are you using Windows XP as your operating system?

Check if there are any firmware updates for your BD drive here: -

http://support.vaio.sony.co.uk/downloads/updates/updates.asp?site=voe_en_GB_cons&c=0&s=VGN-AR&m=2259

I see there are only updates for WinDVD BD up to 8.0.8.425 for your model. There are two newer updates on the AR31S and other Vaios running Vista. If you find 425 does not work, you may choose to try 670 at your own risk. I believe it works on either XP or Vista but I haven't tried it myself.

As Cophe has said a download directory is just one that you use regularly for downloads so you can find the file after it has downloaded. When you download the file it will ask you if you ant to RUN or SAVE. Choose SAVE and browse to a directory you can find easily - if you are using XP there should be a directory C:\Updates which will do.

If the downlkoad is a .EXE file just double-click on it in C:\Updates to run it. If it is a .ZIP file, right-ckick on it and choose "Extract All". Extract to C:\Updated and then run the .EXE file extracted.

martinwelham

Not sure I have the full answer for you, but I had the same problem with some new blu ray's stuttering.

It started after I used Registry Mechanic to stop some services from running, which was supposed to improve performance!!!!

Resetting everything solved the problem, and all Blu Ray's now run OK.

Unfortunately I just clicked on the Restore button to reinstate all the affected programs and did not make a note of the 10 or so listed programs, but do recall that the description for one of them related to system performance.

If you haven't done the same as me, i.e. shutting down some services, could be due to running too many programs at the same time as playing the discs?

1mhward

thanks for everyones help. does anyone have any other ideas. I have reset the initial settings, downloaded all updates for win dvd and graphics driver but still stuttering?

RichT1980

I have spent countless hours trying to get Blue Ray discs to play on my Vaio VGN-FZ38M, I have taken advice from Thalamus and re-installed the WinDVD software right back to the first installation and then installing one by one the various updates and still it stutters like a machine gun firing. I know that Thalamus and other Sony Experts are 'independant' consultants so this comment is not aimed at them, but I really don't think Sony have much interest in fixing broken software. Why do they bundle out of date Blueray software (the bundled blue ray software is superceeded by Gold and Platinum Corel Blueray software) on a laptop that the main selling feature is that it has a blueray player and none of the other manufacturers had this when I bought mine. I know a software developer and it is common that things ship to customers with software that is very bug ridden, if it sells though then that is all that matters. Sony trade off their name I think. Next time i will make more serious thought to buy Apple products.

By the way, my built-in camera is refusing to work now (cannot even find it in the device manager - the laptop does not believe a camera is in existance at all), in addition to my blueray disc drive stuttering - so thats 2 multimedia devices that are broken on my £1000 laptop, what great value for money hey?!

Blencogo

This only applies for some models but is worth checking that your BD Drive is using Ultra DMA.

Check in Device Manager to see if you have a section for IDE/ATAPI Controllers. If this exists in Device manager for your model see if there is a sub-division for the Primary IDE Channel. Look in there under Advanced Settings and see if your Optical Drive is using Ultra DMA as the current transfer mode.

If your drive is using PIO Mode as the current transfer mode then that is your problem. DMA (Direct Memory Access) allows data to go from your blu-ray disc direct to the BD Player without using the processor for everything. If the drive is using PIO mode then your CPU will max out and the movie will stutter. Come back here for a solution if your drive is using PIO Mode.

Blencogo

RichT1980,

If your camera no longer appears in 'Imaging Devices' in Device Manager, then look in every section of Device Manager for an uninstalled USB Device identified by a yellow warning triangle.

If you find an uninstalled USB device then you need to reinstall the camera driver.

If you don't find any uninstalled USB devices then your camera has a hardware fault (probably a wire has become disconnected) and will need a repair.

1mhward

Hi, thanks, I tried the IDE thing and it is using ultra dma. Does anyone have any other ideas, or know where I can get updates. I looked around and found that my graphics driver is only the minimum required, could this be the problem, how would I update it, it says it is NVIDIA goforce 7600?

RichT1980

Hi Blencogo.

I have checked in the Device Manager, under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, in this tree there is a IDE channel - with a location: 0, this is set to Ultra DMA and all boxes are checked for DMA to be used - it says current mode is 'Ultra DMA Mode 2'. In Device Properties at the bottom of this window the box is ticked that says 'Enable DMA' to the right of it.
The current driver is dated21/06/2006; Version 6.0.6001.18000, the resources page says there are no conflicts with this device.

The Device Manager item for the BD ROM drive itself is also at location 0 and has the same driver information referenced as the IDE channel with the same date, etc.

I'm not able to check how the BD drive is running untill the weekend as I don't have access to BD's where I am in the week, I'll need to see how it is running on Saturday or Sunday and post another comment if I'm still having trouble. Please watch this space on Sunday/Monday for anything further from me.