Choosing, installing, and enjoying your Atapi DVD-ROM drive!

by Gail Allinson
A-Team Member

Choosing a DVD-ROM for your based Windows computer -- 10 questions before
buying:

1. Do you need a DVD drive at all? Consider your DVD-ROM a movie machine. Watching DVD movies is the #1 non-CD use of DVD-ROM drives at this time. Few software DVD titles are available even though more may be forthcoming in the future. At this time I have one Linux install disc that is a software DVD.

2. Are you replacing a CD-ROM? If so, you probably want to make sure your DVD drive is compatible with a wide variety of media. Early DVD drives did not do well with CD-R media, but today's 3rd and 4th generation DVD-ROM drives should do well with most CD and DVD media except for DVD-RAM. Check the specs of the drive you are considering to make sure it will meet your expectations. Also check the speed. Today's 16x DVDs read CD software discs at approximately 40x. If you will still have a separate CD-ROM or CD-RW drive after adding DVD, the CD media reading capabilities of the DVD-ROM drive are not as critical, but it is still a consideration.

3. Are you going to rip MP3's with your DVD-ROM drive? If so, then DAE (digital audio extraction) is important. Is the DVD-ROM you are considering fast and capable or slow and unwieldy at DAE?

4. Are you going to run DVD software? Then DVD-ROM speed is important. The speed rating of the drive pertains to data. Today's DVD movies all play at 1x -- however, future high definition DVD movies may play at 2x speed. The current fast DVD-ROM drives are 16x. I'll leave you to explore the vagaries of CAV and CLV on your own, but I'd feel good with a DVD-ROM drive rated 12x or better.

5. How beefy (or cheesy) is your computer? If the processor is less than 300MHz you will probably want to get a DVD decoder card to go with it. If your computer is a little more capable there is no need for a dedicated DVD decoder card. Again, the decoder is for watching movies -- you don't need it for software DVDs. Also, some display adapters have built in DVD hardware accelerators -- check your display adapter's specs.

6. Is your monitor adequate for watching movies or do you have a "TV out" on your display adapter? It's a matter of personal preference, but movies can be enjoyed individually on something as small as a 13 inch laptop LCD. If you find that your display is inadequate, you will be looking at an upgrade in the near future.

7. Do you already have DVD player software? Player software -- either limited or full versions may be included with a retail drive. If you have Windows 98 or ME you may already have a software player (you may have to extract it from a CAB on your Windows install CD). Also, some display adapters come with software DVD players that will work with the hardware DVD accelerators built into those adapters.

8. Do you want to play movies from outside of your region? (Like the one your cousin in *insert country out of your region* sent you for your
birthday?) If so, you need to get a region free DVD-ROM drive. These are getting hard to find. All new drives come with RPC-2 region locking which means that you can't readily change the region more than 4 times before your DVD-ROM drive is locked forever at the last region you chose. Most DVD-ROM drives with region protection can be made region free, but doing so is most likely a violation of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) in the US (where I am), so I won't tell you how to do it. The information for making your DVD-ROM hardware and software region free is widely available on the Internet. Region 1 (US and Canada) discs are NTSC. Other regions are commonly NTSC or PAL. Some discs are not region locked, but most are.

9. Are you a fan of digital audio? If so, be sure to look for an SPDIF connector on the drive and be sure you have a like connector on your sound card. If you are into digital audio, I'll leave the rest of the audio including your Dolby 5.1 or DTS decoder set-up to you. Everyone else will need an analog audio cable -- the same kind that is used with a CD-ROM drive. There are audio DVD discs, but like software DVD discs, these are still relatively rare. If you don't have digital audio, you can still enjoy DVD movies, audio DVD's, and audio CDs using analog audio and any decent stereo computer speakers or headphones.

10. What do you want to spend? Since movies are the only thing that you will really be doing with your Atapi DVD-ROM drive you probably do not want to spend a fortune. Nice 16x DVD-ROM drives can be had for less than $70 (aim for $40 to $60) and a very good software DVD player can be had for about $50 if you don't already have one. Beware -- while pricing drives I've seen older DVD-ROM drives at some retailers priced at $200 or more --
decoder not included. Shop carefully! I think bare OEM drives are fine,
but you will need to make sure you have the appropriate cables and installation hardware (or know how to get them). If you are considering a bare drive that lacks documentation, you can often find the manual and or specs on Internet. Remember, those Internet manuals many mention cables and installation kits that did not come with your bare drive. Warranty and support may also be issues with OEM drives, however for me the savings and flexibility are worth it.


Installing the DVD-ROM drive you have chosen:

1. Disclaimer -- don't blame me if you screw up. That said, with a little care, this is a very easy operation. Know your hardware, work carefully, and be safe. Read these steps fully before starting and gather any required hardware, tools, cables, and instructions before you start.

1a. If needed, close room door to keep geek kitties from "helping". <g>

2. Determine where your new DVD-ROM drive will go. There are many
variations on this theme. First, make sure there is space in your case --
DVD-ROM Drives are the same size as CD-ROM drives. Take a look at Windows Device Manager and view devices by connection to see where your hard drives and current CD-ROM drives are. The recommended position for a DVD-ROM drive is usually as the secondary master. This assumes that your hard drives are on the primary IDE controller.

3. If you don't already have an IDE cable connected to your motherboard, you can use either a 40 or 80 conductor IDE cable unless otherwise specified. If you also have a CD-RW drive, you may have to experiment to find what configuration works best because that is also the recommended position for most CD-RW drives. Most BIOS will automatically recognize your DVD-ROM when the IDE controller is set to AUTO. Further information on BIOS (or CMOS or SETUP) settings will usually be found in your computer or motherboard manual, but it will probably refer to CD-ROMs and not DVD-ROMs.

3a. If you don't understand what I've said about installation so far, get help before proceeding.

4. Power down and unplug your computer from its electrical power source -- it is a good idea to wait a few minutes to let any capacitors discharge. Open case. Discharge any static by touching bare metal before handling drive or other electronics.

5. Remove DVD-ROM drive from protective bag. Write down model and serial numbers (in case you ever need them). Double check master/slave jumper correct position and look for pin 1 designation on drive's IDE connector. If you see a jumper marked RPC or an unmarked jumper on your DVD-ROM drive, it is better not to move it unless you know exactly what you are doing with it. Familiarize yourself with location of power and audio connectors on the drive -- these can be difficult to see once the drive is in the bay. Also make sure you know where the proper IDE cable and connector, power connector, and audio cable or connector are in your computer. If needed, connect IDE cable to proper motherboard IDE connector -- pin 1 is usually screened on the motherboard as is the name of the connector. If in doubt your computer or motherboard manual should tell you how to connect the cable both to the board and to the drive(s).

6. Secure the drive into your chosen drive bay following computer case and drive manufacturer recommendations -- make sure the front of the drive is lined up with the front of the case -- if not reposition and try again.

7. Being careful not to bend any pins, connect audio, IDE, and power supply cables. Check connections at both ends of cables and look to make sure you haven't accidentally disconnected anything else inside the computer. Close the case, but do not fasten (in case you have to troubleshoot later).

8. Power up your machine -- Windows should recognize your new DVD-ROM drive without further ado. If you check the Windows 9x Device Manager, it will be listed under CD-ROM (I don't know how Win XP handles it). Check -- it is usually recommended to have DMA checked under the drive settings tab.

9. If your new installation does not work, power down and recheck your work -- problems at this stage are usually a BIOS setting, a loose connector, or a pinched cable or wire. If simple troubleshooting doesn't fix it, remove all the cables from drive and try booting the computer without the new hardware. If the computer works normally you can at least isolate the problem to the new hardware installation and use your computer with the drive disconnected while you figure it out. If you are not a good troubleshooter, get help at this point.

Enjoying your DVD-ROM drive

1. You chose it. You installed it. Perhaps you even fixed it and now Windows says all is well. So now it is time to try it. If you don't have a DVD disc to try, at least check it out your installation with a CD software disc. Also be sure to try an audio CD. Sit back and listen to some music while you enjoy your accomplishment. It may be fun to run some benchmarks, too. If all works well, don't forget to secure your computer case closed.

2. If you have a software DVD player, get a DVD movie and try it out. Most video rental stores and many grocery stores rent DVD movies, sometimes for as little as $1 for an older movie. If you don't have a software DVD player, rent a movie anyway. Then download a DVD player demo. Try it. If you find a player that works for you, pay for a reg key to unlock it to enjoy your movie in full DVD glory. My favorite software player is PowerDVD, but there are many others. Do try them out before you buy one.

3. Don't forget to stop at the grocery store on the way to the video store. Get some pop-corn, soda, pizza, -- whatever your favorite movie watching food is. Turn down the lights, turn up the sound, and enjoy your handiwork!

Useful DVD links:

DVD Demystified http://www.dvddemystified.com/ -- *the* place to learn about DVD and the home of the DVD FAQ! Has links to DVD-ROM manufacturers and DVD player software. While you are there, check out DVD Myths, at http://www.dvddemystified.com/myths.html

StorageReview.com http://www.storagereview.com/ -- the best place I've found for DVD-ROM drive reviews and benchmarks -- check out the leaderboard.

DVD Review http://www.dvdreview.com/ -- DVD movie reviews and a great section on "hidden features" aka Easter eggs.

CD Speed Homepage http://www.cdspeed2000.com/ -- free DVD and CD benchmarking / information tools.

DVDManager http://www.cyber-tronix.com/software/dvd_down.asp -- free software for managing your movie collection.

For the curious -- my DVD configuration: Athlon 1000 w/ 768 MB RAM'; Pioneer DVD-116 DVD-ROM drive as primary master (hard drives are on an on board Promise controller); ATI Radeon 7500 display adapter; SoundBlaster Live Value sound card connected via analog cable; Altec Lansing ACS-295 (2 speakers w/ sub-woofer); 17" Dell / Sony Trinitron monitor, PowerDVD player software; Windows ME.