virtualbox.org

Hi all,

I'm using VirtualBox 4.1 on a Win7 x64 host, with WinXP SP3 running as a guest.
The program I need to run is an interactive multimedia presentation.
Run from the host, the presentation plays the introduction video but it stops after the video is finished. On the emulated WinXP the presentation runs but it doesn't show any video, though audio is fine; it reaches the intial menu but there aren't any buttons to press, probably because this whole thing is like a big DVD: the root folder contains an executable file with Video_TS and Audio_TS folders, each filled with .RES files, which apparently aren't merely renamed .VOB files as no video player is able to decode them.

Due to this folder structure, I tried to play a normal video DVD and got no video but the audio was just fine, so I installed some MPEG-2 decoders.
I must add that on an old WinXP machine this presentation runs fine, though I need it running on a notebook and not on a desktop Athlon XP 3000+...as the presentation runs fine on this system, I thought to recreate its configuration: installed WMP10, the Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP), Intervideo WinDVD, MainConcept MPEG Encoder and even Nero 7, all MPEG-2 codecs I had installed on the "native" WinXP machine.
I don't know if it's related, but any DVD player I use (WinDVD and the latest demo of PowerDVD 11) freeze the moment I open them.

Unfortunately all my attempts were met with failure: video files (.AVI, .MKV, whatever) are decoded correctly. Video DVDs and this presentation are not, despite the system having different MPEG-2 codecs installed.
I have exactly the same problem on MicroSoft's own virtual machine if this can help pinpoint the problem.

You just pointed out that it's not a VB specific issue. What you have to check, is if the output uses any kind of overlay or if it tries to use DirectX output. If you get VLC or Media Player Classic (or MPC: Home Cinema, either is fine), you can test it without the use of system codecs and you can select a video output. With the output set to DirectDraw, instead of DirectX or similar, things might get better. Be aware that the output quality will not be as crisp as it would on the Host, where you can use DirectX output, once you try to play the DVD using a higher resolution than native (like when in full screen). Video output is the cause of this, software rendering just sucks. Nothing we can do about (unless you have 3D enabled and tell VLC to use OpenGL as output instead, that might give better output).

Oh, and if there is DVD protection on it, use passthrough for the physical drive, that might help as well. Did you test it with a DVD that has no protection?

I've been trying out different codec and VB configurations with no success, including CD passthrough, 2D and 3D acceleration. I've tried with VLC but it doesn't play anything, though I can access and navigate DVD menus through VLC's menu.
I've tried on an other machine with the same software configuration (Win7 host, WinXP guest) and still get the same problem. Both PCs use Ati videocards (a Mobility HD4750 and a FirePro 8800), maybe it's an issue with the drivers? All videos are OK except for DVDs (which are OK in the host system).

I don't think DVD Video playback has ever been supported. The cdrw drive passthrough setting is supposed to allow burning but I've never gotten that to work in VirtualBox. I haven't tried it in quite some time though, and all my tests were on a Linux host. Maybe it burns on a Windows host?

I recently tried DVD Video just to see if that newer 2D acceleration in XP guests effected it (making it work.) No go with PowerDVD. It must be for other types of video overlays than what DVD requires.

I've created a Vista machine with Vista x86 Ultimate on it and it works out of the box. I guess it's a codec issue, I wonder if there's a codec able to render video DVDs through a virtual machine as the ones I've tried aren't capable to.

Edit:  But still doesn't explain why VLC isn't able to render videos as it doesn't need any external codec. Maybe it's truly a driver issue.

No idea what you're doing, but here is a shot of me playing a protected DVD. Spiderman Disc 2, bloopers. Menu works, subs work, everything just works. Enabled passthrough for the drive. Player in use: Media Player Classic. Works out of the box.

Could be that installing the Guest Additions was the problem? Different OS aside, it's the only thing different between the XP and Vista virtual machines I've ran.
Later I'll try to create an XP VM again to see if this was the problem.

Maybe, but my VM does not have 2D or 3D enabled. It even runs on 4.0.2 GA, one whole major release prior to the current one. It won't change a thing if I update them to current.

To which I say, "Wow!"

I recall reading in every scan of the updated user manuals that dvd playback was not supported. Even though I tried it one time quite a while back, and it didn't work, I assumed it was a goner never to work in a guest.

Guess I should assume less, eh? I suppose that line is now gone from the manual too though I haven't gone and checked it out. Heck, for all I know I might be able to burn cdr now. I haven't even installed software for it and tried for the longest time.

Still, as per this thread it seems as though on some system configurations these things aren't always working.

Heck, for all I know I might be able to burn cdr now.

This has been possible for some time now. I took this shot in January of this year. Linux host - Win7 guest.