I have searched many website and forums via google and tried many suggested solutions, but none have worked. Most importantly, I don't think I even found my particular problem pointed out, just similar things. I think I need to directly point out my issues in order to get a resolution. I have confidence that the community here can help me out.

The community tech thread feels more like a thread for hardware and I believe this is software related. Also, I don't want to tie up others assisting with hardware purchases and configurations.

Here is my problem:

DVD's are playing back kind of 'jumpy'. Like every minute or so frames will skip (about 1-2 seconds worth) audio and video. This seems to only happen when hardware acceleration is enabled (DXVA, . I mostly use Media Player Classic - HC for general video playback.

In fact, I was able to watch Tim Burton's Corpse Bride without a hitch earlier this year. I'm not sure what happened between now and then that would cause such problems with playback. Just recently I purchased Dark Knight Rises on DVD and the problems are very apparent. All my DVD's experience the same issues whether played directly off of the DVD drive (SATA) or from my HDD (SATA). I'd prefer using the DVD drive anyway because I don't need to fill up my HDD with movies I'll only watch once or twice in my whole lifetime.

Windows Media Player 11 has the same issue, plus only 2-channel audio. PowerDVD XP does not have any issues with video playback. And I would use it over the other players except:

Here is my other problem:

There is no sound when I select S/PDIF for 5.1 audio. I'm wandering if this is an issue with my somewhat new X-Fi Titanium PCIe sound card. My previous sound card, Audigy4 PCI, would playback anolog 5.1 when I would select the S/PDIF option in PowerDVD XP. The only other option to select that actually plays an audio is DirectSound - Stereo. Is the X-Fi not capable of rendering S/PDIF in anolog (I only have anolog Logitech 5.1 speakers), whereas the Audigy4 PCI could?

The X-Fi also came with the OEM version of PowerDVD 9. While the audio DOES render in 5.1 anolog, the video 'jumping' persists.... only in hardware mode. Software rendering cures the jumping but has intolerable screen tearing.

I'm ready to just GIVE UP! Please help me, fellow, knowledgeable forum-ites.

My Specs are as follows:
Intel i3-2120 3.3GHz
4GB DDR3 RAM
Geforce GTX 550 Ti 1GB GDDR5
Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium PCIe
Windows XP Service Pack 3

Forgive my rambling, but as you can see my system is plenty beefy enough to playback a darn DVD.

My previous build played DVD's perfect, via PowerDVD XP.

My Previous Build:
Intel e7500 2.93GHz
4GB DDR2
Geforce GTS 250 512MB DDR3
Soundblaster Audigy4 PCI
Windows XP Service Pack 3

I wonder if the DRM built into movies and movie playback equipment is getting in your way. Here is one thing to try if a software solution does not present itself. Try swapping your video and audio card from your old machine into your new machine to see if the issue goes away. The DRM scheme should either stop or allow playback, not give you what your seeing. But, it is something to try.

My older hardware is gone. I sold them shortly afted upgrading.