I need some advice.

[disintergrator]

Hey

I've ran into some problems and I think a different OS may help me overcome these problems. First with the backstory - I'll try to keep it short:

I got a used P2 (MMX) pc from a local university when they were upgrading and tossing them. It is running Windows 2000 with Novell. I am trying to rebuild and upgrade it to be a gift for my cousin. He mainly needs it for surfing online, listening to/burning music, and watching DVDs. I upgraded the memory it had to 320 MB. Replaced the zip drive with a cd writer, and replaced it cd rom with a dvd rom. Also added a 2 port usb card, and added a 56 k modem, just in case they plan on using dial up (it is what they currently have). So far, everything has worked EXCEPT the dvd rom. I was told by a senior member here that the onboard video is not enough to handle the playback of a dvd, and that the way Windows 2000 was installed, it would not allow it anyway. She told me I needed to reinstall Windows 2000 in order for it to allow me to play DVDs. Well, I do not have the disks for Windows 2000, and if that is the case, then I am guessing I need a new OS.

And that is why I am here. I need some advice because I am very new to Linux, and my cousin even more so. I am afraid he probably doesn't even know what it is. I need one that is fairly user-friendly, and if there is one similar to Windows, I would prefer that. I did take the Linux test with him and myself both in mind, and came up with these 3: Ubuntu, Mandriva, & Kubuntu. They all failed the criteria of maybe not being compatible with an older machine, and Kubuntu was said not to be good for beginners.

So, anything anyone can do to help me in this situation would be greatly appreciated. I thank you in advance for your help and information.

tod

ps
The dvd-rom in question is a JLMS DVD-ROM XJ-HD166, and when I googled for the problem, I found this:

• When you try to play a DVD movie, you may receive the following error message:
DVD Player
While setting up DVD-Video playback, it was found that
* Video cannot be shown on the computer monitor because of one of the following reasons:
a) Low video memory. Please try using lower display resolution and/or colors.
b) Another application is currently using the necessary display resources. Please ensure that no such application is running.
c) The display adapter is incompatible with the DVD decoder. Please try to obtain a display driver update.
Do you want to continue?
Yes No

If you receive this error message, you can try to lower the color depth, resolution, and refresh rate of your display driver. This error message can also occur if Microsoft NetMeeting is started or if the NetMeeting icon is on your taskbar. NetMeeting and DVD playback both use the overlay mixer. Only one program at a time can gain access to the overlay mixer. Another possible solution is that the computer is running Windows 2000 Server and Terminal Services is installed. When Terminal Services is installed, you cannot play a DVD because of high bandwidth requirements of video playback over a Terminal Services client connection.

***source = http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=249334

I uninstalled NetMeeting already, so I am pretty sure that is not it. If Terminal Services is installed or not, I have no idea. I got this pc from a university when they were upgrading, so it is a possibility, but it does not show up under the Add/Remove Programs list, if it is there (of course, neither did Winzip or Eudora). Now, as far as the first suggestion, I'm not exactly sure how to do this. I lowered the resolution of my screen as low as it would go, and it still didn't work, but I am afraid they are talking about something else.

Like I said before, any help or info at all will be greatly appreciated, and thank you in advance.

tod

[kage]

The DVD playing problem you are having in Windows 2000 is interesting. What application are you using to play the DVD's? See if you can get a DVD to play using VLC.

For your linux question, Ubuntu, Mandriva and Kubuntu are all great for beginners. Since you're running a Pentium-2, though, you're options will be somewhat limited, those 3 will not run well at all on that machine. You might try Xubuntu, however, it is based on Ubuntu/Kubuntu but uses a light-weight window manager.

Vector Linux would also be a good choice, it is based off of slackware (one of the oldest and most stable linux distros still in development) and aims to be both easy to use and have low system requirements. The standard installation requires a Pentium Processor, 64MB of ram, and 1.5GB hard disk space.

Beatrix is aimed at both home and office users. It requires a Pentium-class processor and 64MB of ram to run effectively.

DSL (Damn Small Linux) might be worth looking into as well, it is a live-cd (the system runs from the cdrom) that can be used without installing, although it can be installed. 64MB of ram are required to boot DSL, and cd image is 50MB.

All of the above distros can play DVD's, surf online, burn music, and perform standard home computing needs. If you have not yet added the 56k modem, and you plan on installing linux, DO NOT INSTALL A STANDARD PCI SOFTWARE MODEM. These modems, also known as 'win-modems' do not work with linux, or they are very difficult to get working under linux. Most external serial modems work out of the box with linux (no drivers needed) and would be a much better choice if you plan on connecting this machine to the net.

[disintergrator]

"The DVD playing problem you are having in Windows 2000 is interesting. What application are you using to play the DVD's? See if you can get a DVD to play using VLC. "

Please do not think I am avoiding your question. I can only plug in 2 pc's at a time in here, and I am currently having a (yet, another) problem on my main pc (I am on my father's at the moment).

I do not know the name of the program it was using to play dvds. I assume it was whatever came with Windows 2000, or maybe on the dvd player somehow, I am not sure. I know that it was not PowerDVD. I dont have VLC on that pc, but can get it, and I will try that before I get back to you.

I now need to go into the hardware section of the forums and post my latest problem in trying to install my new dvd burner. But as soon as I am done with that, I will get the name of the program it is trying to open them up with, install and try VLC, and post my results back here.

Again, thank you for all the help and info, and regardless if I decide to reinstall the OSS on this pc or not, thank you for all the info on the different Linuxes. I am currently slowly building my own pc right now, and I think I want to give Linux a try on it when it is completed. So I will keep what you have told me in mind. Thanks again, and I'll post back soon.

[disintergrator]

Originally Posted by kage

The DVD playing problem you are having in Windows 2000 is interesting. What application are you using to play the DVD's?

Like I said, I believe it is a factory player that either came with Windows, or on the ROM itself. Below is a screenshot of it:




See if you can get a DVD to play using VLC. [/quote]

After your advice for trying this, I almost kicked myself in the ass for not trying any other media player first before coming here. I went back to it, and first tried Winamp and Windows Media Player, both to no avail. Then installed VLC and it played like a charm...well, almost. Now I believe there is a sound problem. Maybe not enough memory for the sound to play right. It sounds all garbled and echoey.

Originally Posted by kage

All of the above distros can play DVD's, surf online, burn music, and perform standard home computing needs. If you have not yet added the 56k modem, and you plan on installing linux, DO NOT INSTALL A STANDARD PCI SOFTWARE MODEM. These modems, also known as 'win-modems' do not work with linux, or they are very difficult to get working under linux. Most external serial modems work out of the box with linux (no drivers needed) and would be a much better choice if you plan on connecting this machine to the net.

I have already added the modem, but I can easily take it out, if needed.
Again, thanks for all the help and courteousy you have shown me. I swear I learn more each time I visit this forum, lol.

[kage]

Most likely Windows Media Player and Winamp could not play the DVD because they lacked the codec to read the DVD format. VLC comes with this codec, and thus was able to play.

[disintergrator]

Interesting. I thought the K-Lite codec pack had it all...or at least the updated version, which I have installed on the pc. But apparently, it doesnt. But again, thank you for the help, even if it was something as simple as pointing me to an obvious solution lol.