I can't play audio or video with MTU

[N181RV]

I had a little 14 inch HP laptop that I bought from Best Buy. It developed a little problem and I took it in for warranty work. Without telling me ahead of time, they chose instead to replace this unit, saying it was not repairable. They will not give it back, but chose to upgrade this unit at their option... Well a little newer model with a bigger HD and twice the memory seems reasonable, or so I thought . It is almost identical to the one I had. I Just don't know about the Reader.

I took it home and before asking MTU for a reset, I downloaded Demo 3.319 and set up the machine. smiling very happily as I prepare this new bit of hardware.

I brought up the Hoster main page and clicked on Add Track > CDG and proceeded to add a track to the list. All went well. It read it ( or seemed to) and added it to the song list.

When I click play, I get a black video screen for the normal 1 1/2 minutes (Demo Version) and a continuous soft popping in the audio.

When I go to Import tracks and the Import Track screen, all seems normal. There is an ID number assigned and the selected tracks import (or it says they are).

Now going back to the main Hoster page, the book ID numbers are all there for the tracks that were just imported. They can be selected and they add to the list very nicely.

When I go to play them, I get the same black screen and the soft audio popping for a minute and a half. Then it reverts to the Hoster main page like normal.

I did this with several different brands and the result was the same.

Question, is the CD drive just not reading anything, or is it not being found on the HD. The replacement machine is almost identical to the one they took from me.

When I put in a regular audio CD, it plays it nicely using Media Player.

This machine has dual display video features with Nvidia 7150M.

2GB ram

160 gb HD

Any ideas, Did I forget anything?

Thanks, Phil

[billyo]

Originally Posted by N181RV

I had a little 14 inch HP laptop that I bought from Best Buy. It developed a little problem and I took it in for warranty work. Without telling me ahead of time, they chose instead to replace this unit, saying it was not repairable. They will not give it back, but chose to upgrade this unit at their option... Well a little newer model with a bigger HD and twice the memory seems reasonable, or so I thought . It is almost identical to the one I had. I Just don't know about the Reader.

I took it home and before asking MTU for a reset, I downloaded Demo 3.319 and set up the machine. smiling very happily as I prepare this new bit of hardware.

I brought up the Hoster main page and clicked on Add Track > CDG and proceeded to add a track to the list. All went well. It read it ( or seemed to) and added it to the song list.

When I click play, I get a black video screen for the normal 1 1/2 minutes (Demo Version) and a continuous soft popping in the audio.

When I go to Import tracks and the Import Track screen, all seems normal. There is an ID number assigned and the selected tracks import (or it says they are).

Now going back to the main Hoster page, the book ID numbers are all there for the tracks that were just imported. They can be selected and they add to the list very nicely.

When I go to play them, I get the same black screen and the soft audio popping for a minute and a half. Then it reverts to the Hoster main page like normal.

I did this with several different brands and the result was the same.

Question, is the CD drive just not reading anything, or is it not being found on the HD. The replacement machine is almost identical to the one they took from me.

When I put in a regular audio CD, it plays it nicely using Media Player.

This machine has dual display video features with Nvidia 7150M.

2GB ram

160 gb HD

Any ideas, Did I forget anything?

Thanks, Phil

you might need to do some updates, install the custom updates

[ddouglass]

Do your Windows Custom Updates which I am sure they did not do at Best Buy.
In Hoster open the CD/DVD default tool and run the "Detect Again" and see if the drive shows as compatible. The new drive may not be or it may need a firmware update from the manufacturer or HP.

[N181RV]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

Do your Windows Custom Updates which I am sure they did not do at Best Buy.
In Hoster open the CD/DVD default tool and run the "Detect Again" and see if the drive shows as compatible. The new drive may not be or it may need a firmware update from the manufacturer or HP.

I Did the updates and lots of other stuff. I worked on it all day today.

I re- detected the drive, saved the drive, reloaded the software, run set up from the save spot, run it from the download window, every thing but cuss.. Ha

Came to the conclusion that this reader is incompatible and not the same as what was in my other laptop.

I am going back tomorrow and see if I can find out who and where my other one went, to be repaired.

Probably someone is running a Karaoke program with it now. I think Best Buy should return it to me.

The only thing wrong was the left stereo Channel was missing from the output jack. It worked perfect through the speakers. This means to me that it may have been a spring connector on the jack was bent or broke. Or a wire to the left jack channel was broke. I should never have taken it to them.

In any case it was repairable. So I feel like they weren't completely honest with me. They probably thought I was a normal through the door hell raiser and to head off trouble, they just give out new computers?
They just don't stop to think that there is a lot of work to put the songs into it. And I'm sure that everyone doesn't have them all saved either.

Oh well no problem. I will try to beg them to run mine down. If not, I will try to get another one, or get a refund. Next time, I will try to down load and run the Hoster Demo in the store on a display unit and see if it will load a few discs. If I had more money from social security, I would judt buy a laptop all set up from MTU. That is really the best way to avoid these problems. Then I wouldn't have anything to "fix til it was broke".

Thanks for the time to read my posts. I have it put in the box now and I am going to watch TV.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Phoenixvisiting my sister. Karaoke is alive out there.

Still a lot of people pulling discs. About as many running computers. One guy even runs off the internet from a server somewhere in Phoenix.

I bet Sound Choice would have a picnic with him. He has 5 to 10 rigs running from the server. It takes him a couple minutes to get the first song up and then there was no more delays as long as people kept singing.

Don't know how it all is put together and don't want to know. I have too much fun running one unit.

Phil in mid Illinois you guys are just great.........

[ddouglass]

Phil,are you saying they didn't transfer any of your files or programs to the new computer? Talk to the manager...don't talk to the underlings. They should have been able to transfer at least your kma files. If they are worth their salt they should have cloned your old drive and transferred it to the new drive.
As far as the CD/DVD drive if they can't give you the old drive, then you can get just a CDG compatable internal drive from MTU for a lot less than a whole laptop.

[bobcox- with the Lord]

Hi' Phil
just curious, what model hp did they give you.Bob

[Harold M]

I am having the same identical problem. I am running a Vista laptop when this happens. My other laptop is XP and it works just fine.

Harold M

Originally Posted by N181RV

I had a little 14 inch HP laptop that I bought from Best Buy. It developed a little problem and I took it in for warranty work. Without telling me ahead of time, they chose instead to replace this unit, saying it was not repairable. They will not give it back, but chose to upgrade this unit at their option... Well a little newer model with a bigger HD and twice the memory seems reasonable, or so I thought . It is almost identical to the one I had. I Just don't know about the Reader.

I took it home and before asking MTU for a reset, I downloaded Demo 3.319 and set up the machine. smiling very happily as I prepare this new bit of hardware.

I brought up the Hoster main page and clicked on Add Track > CDG and proceeded to add a track to the list. All went well. It read it ( or seemed to) and added it to the song list.

When I click play, I get a black video screen for the normal 1 1/2 minutes (Demo Version) and a continuous soft popping in the audio.

When I go to Import tracks and the Import Track screen, all seems normal. There is an ID number assigned and the selected tracks import (or it says they are).

Now going back to the main Hoster page, the book ID numbers are all there for the tracks that were just imported. They can be selected and they add to the list very nicely.

When I go to play them, I get the same black screen and the soft audio popping for a minute and a half. Then it reverts to the Hoster main page like normal.

I did this with several different brands and the result was the same.

Question, is the CD drive just not reading anything, or is it not being found on the HD. The replacement machine is almost identical to the one they took from me.

When I put in a regular audio CD, it plays it nicely using Media Player.

This machine has dual display video features with Nvidia 7150M.

2GB ram

160 gb HD

Any ideas, Did I forget anything?

Thanks, Phil

[swany]

If you have the kma files on a backup drive try them. But yes they should have cloned your programs and transferred them. Most any dual layered dvd drive works. Make them replace it with a HP made for music. If you look at the little transparent lable to the lower rt it states it will play Karaoke and they will. Just because it says Geek Squad on the building don't mean they have any knowledge inside. So far when going to them with complaints, they have not answered any questions I had for them. I have been doing business with Best Buy and they have good deals, but the good geeks are all on the road it seems.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by Harold M

I am having the same identical problem. I am running a Vista laptop when this happens. My other laptop is XP and it works just fine.

Harold M

Try moving the CD drive from the XP to the Vista laptop and try importing. If it works then you have a drive that is not CDG compatible.

[Harold M]

Thanks for the reply,

I do have an external USB Plextor 716a cd drive that I purchased from MTU and I can hook it up to either computer. The drive and program works well on my XP laptop but will not work on my Vista laptop. The tracks import to the hard drive fine but the screen won't play the music or display the words, the screen turns black and a ticking sound is heard. It will not play directly from disc either.


Harold M

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by Harold M

Thanks for the reply,

I do have an external USB Plextor 716a cd drive that I purchased from MTU and I can hook it up to either computer. The drive and program works well on my XP laptop but will not work on my Vista laptop. The tracks import to the hard drive fine but the screen won't play the music or display the words, the screen turns black and a ticking sound is heard. It will not play directly from disc either.


Harold M

Sounds to me like your problem is not with the drive or the program, but with Vista's settings for the video and audio. If you were to transfer a KMA file you imported on the Vista and took it to the xp computer it would play perfectly. Hoster use the system audio settings. Make sure all of your output volume controls are up and not muted. There are settings for WAV/MP3, CD audio and the master volume and these need to be max or near to it.
Your video part maybe that your video card drivers need an update. Check the laptop manufacturer's website for updates for your model. Even if you buy a brand new computer they may have updates for it.
That would also go for getting all of the updates from Microsoft for your computer. For this you have to go to their update website and load the custom (or "optional" as I was informed tonight for Vista) updates....all of them.