You Encounter A Macrovision Error In The InterActual Software

Article #:	0094
Article Date:	10/01/2001
Author:	Steve Z.

Problem:

When attempting to play a DVD video in InterActual software, a Macrovision error occurs

Solution:

Macrovision errors usually indicate a failure to authenticate the Macrovision-protected video content on a DVD disc. Macrovision is the analog copy protection applied to most DVD's, in order to prevent them from being copied to video tape. Your system, particularly your video card and drivers, must be configured properly or Macrovision errors can result. There can be several possible causes of this problem:

Improperly Configured Video Drivers: Make sure you install video drivers according to the manufacturer specifications. Detailed instructions for properly installing or upgrading video drivers are usually included in a readme file that accompanies the driver files.
Incompatible Software or Drivers: Please make sure that your DVD decoder is fully compatible with your current system configuration. This includes video card, version of Windows, version of DirectX, etc. Be sure to visit the decoder's website for information about system requirements if you are not completely sure of compatibility. If your decoder is not fully compatible, then an upgrade for it may be available that will make it compatible.
TV Out Feature May Be Activated: On most notebook PC's, as well as some desktop computers, the display adapter has a TV Out feature. If you are viewing DVD video on a computer, you should make sure that only the display that is currently in use is active. For instance, if you have a laptop and you do not have an external monitor or TV connected to it, make absolutely sure that this feature is not currently activated. If it is, then the video hardware will be trying to send a signal to both places, and an error is likely to occur.
No Support For Macrovision In Video Drivers: This is becoming a rare issue, but it can still happen. Older video cards (mainly, models released before 1997) probably will not support Macrovision. In addition, some video card makers can sometimes release driver updates even for current models that are incorrectly configured for Macrovision support. In these cases, the solution would be to either replace the video card with a newer model, or install a set of drivers that include Macrovision support in them; depending on what the situation may be.
Insufficient Video Resources: Sometimes a lack of hardware resources can trigger a Macrovision error. You may want to change your display to 800x600 pixels and High Color (16-Bit), and see if this makes any difference. Also, if you have recently replaced your monitor or have your system connected to a different monitor than it usually uses, make sure that Windows is not still configured to use the previous monitor model. This too can trigger a Macrovision error.

Special note to users of Hewlett Packard notebook PC's:

Some users have reported a Macrovision error in InterActual software on systems with Windows Millennium Edition and the HP DVD Express player by Mediamatics. This issue is due to an incompatibility between the following components of the HP system:

Video drivers
Windows DirectShow
DVD Express' Macrovision support

At this time, users can circumvent this issue with InterActual Player, the latest version of our software. Click here to download the InterActual Player software. Follow the instructions on the site to install the software. Afterward, just change the DVD navigator support in InterActual Player to the "Mediamatics" setting. Click here for instructions on changing this setting.