Roxio, Nero, Vista Media Center, .mp4 playback - NOGO

[EquallyWrong]

I've had this problem for about three months and I decided to determine who the culprit was causing the non-playback issue. I backed up all my files and did a system restore of the operating system. I updated all the OS files first from Microsoft Update, then I installed Nero. I configured Media Center and went in to check if my Nero digital files would play in Media Center and they did. Now, all along i suspected it was either Roxio or RealPlayer preventing Nero from playing in Media Center. After verifying playback, I decided to install Roxio to find out if it was the one preventing playback. And as I suspected, IT WAS. When I try to playback a .mp4 video (or audio file) Vista tells me the codec can not be found.

 

I first contacted Nero support and was told to re-register the codec, which I did. That did not work, Roxio is still preventing .mp4 playback in Media Center. I next installed a program called CCleaner hoping it would fix a rogue registry setting caused by Roxio, it did not.

 

If anyone has a suggestion to get Nero digital files to playback in Media Center would be appreciated. And please, give me something constructive to use. Don't tell me to use the search button because this has already been discussed. I have already searched the forums high and low and this has not been discussed. Or, please don't tell me to just use Nero Showtime player. I am specifically asking for help to an issue that was caused by Roxio.

 

I do need to vent some dissatifaction with Roxio EMC. It truely has been a drain on my computer resources. My system runs much slower with it installed. The first dissappoint with EMC was the Internet Radio record feature was missing (and I still have not found it to this date). Second dissappointment has been Media Manager hogging computer resources like there is no tomorrow. Third dissappointment is Drag-to-Disc commendering COM ports interfering with my bluetooth devices. Forth dissappointment has been DLA. It too has been a program that overrides settings and has conflicts with other software on my computer.

 

In the end, if I can't resolve this .mp4 playback issue in Media Center, I can nolonger be a customer of Roxio.

[gi7omy]

Most of your points have been well covered elsewhere on the board.

 

Not necessarily in order, but:

 

Drag to Disc can NOT be installed alongside InCD or any other packet writing program (in fact even InCD won't work if another packet writing program is installed).

 

Drag to Disc doesn't use any com ports (and I never heard of any Bluetooth device that did plug into a com port anyway) - are you confusing com ports (D connector, 9 pin) with USB ports?

 

Drag to Disc may be uninstalled at any stage after installation

 

Media Manager can be disabled by going to msconfig (from start, run on XP) and simplyu disabling it from starting up. That way it is there if needed and can be started manually

 

I don't understand what you mean by 'Nero digital files' - files are files and they're all digital. Do you mean that you have stuff in a proprietary Nero format (.nrg or something)?

 

Did you try using EMC with Nero removed? If there is a clash, then either program will benefit by the removal of the other (or the appropriate modules as the case may be)

[Bob Simoneau]

>(and I never heard of any Bluetooth device that did plug into a com port anyway) - are you confusing com >ports (D connector, 9 pin) with USB ports?

 

Most Bluetooth dongle devices use virtual comports for communications. My Keningston Bluetooth sets itself up as com 5.

[gi7omy]

Mine doesn't - the only thing I have that does is a USB<>Serial adaptor (needed to run a Tiny 2 Terminal Node Controller)

 

But Roxio doesn't claim amy com ports (no reason to)

[Tom at Roxio]

I've had this problem for about three months and I decided to determine who the culprit was causing the non-playback issue. I backed up all my files and did a system restore of the operating system. I updated all the OS files first from Microsoft Update, then I installed Nero. I configured Media Center and went in to check if my Nero digital files would play in Media Center and they did. Now, all along i suspected it was either Roxio or RealPlayer preventing Nero from playing in Media Center. After verifying playback, I decided to install Roxio to find out if it was the one preventing playback. And as I suspected, IT WAS. When I try to playback a .mp4 video (or audio file) Vista tells me the codec can not be found.

 

I first contacted Nero support and was told to re-register the codec, which I did. That did not work, Roxio is still preventing .mp4 playback in Media Center. I next installed a program called CCleaner hoping it would fix a rogue registry setting caused by Roxio, it did not.

 

If anyone has a suggestion to get Nero digital files to playback in Media Center would be appreciated. And please, give me something constructive to use. Don't tell me to use the search button because this has already been discussed. I have already searched the forums high and low and this has not been discussed. Or, please don't tell me to just use Nero Showtime player. I am specifically asking for help to an issue that was caused by Roxio.

 

I do need to vent some dissatifaction with Roxio EMC. It truely has been a drain on my computer resources. My system runs much slower with it installed. The first dissappoint with EMC was the Internet Radio record feature was missing (and I still have not found it to this date). Second dissappointment has been Media Manager hogging computer resources like there is no tomorrow. Third dissappointment is Drag-to-Disc commendering COM ports interfering with my bluetooth devices. Forth dissappointment has been DLA. It too has been a program that overrides settings and has conflicts with other software on my computer.

 

The conflict is likely due to a component of Windows called DirectShow. Programs like Easy Media Creator use DirectShow to handle audio and video on Windows. Each program installs DirectShow filters, which may include codecs. The problem you describe can be caused when a program attempts to use DirectShow without explicitly defining the DirectShow filters that should be used for certain operations. When this happens, DirectShow finds whatever filters it thinks it has to do the operation. This doesn't always work. In other words, Media Center doesn't specify that it will use the Nero DirectShow filters. When Roxio installs other DirectShow filters to play back MPEG-4 files, Media Center may use these filters instead.

 

The ability for programs to use DirectShow filters from other programs or sources is sort of a catch-22. This allows people to add new capabilities to programs like Windows Media Player and Media Center. But when a company takes an open standard like MPEG-4 and modifies it to a proprietary variation of the format their files won't play nice with other company's filters.

 

You might have some luck if you install Easy Media Creator first, then Nero. You would be best off starting with a clean install of Windows (since you used a registry cleaner, you may have trouble uninstalling things cleanly now).

 

As gi7omy points out, the other concerns have been discussed elsewhere on the forums. If you feel that the drawbacks of Drag to Disc outweigh the benefits, you can selectively uninstall it. You shouldn't have DLA on your system if you have Drag to Disc. You can also disable Media Manager if you want (although on a properly running system Media Manager shouldn't "hog resources", and the media management benefits should outweigh the cost of the CPU and memory it uses).

 

I hope this helps you.

 

Tom