# Sound 'crackle' issues with PC-DVD. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784 "2000-11-26T19:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/1 "2000-11-26T19:57:12Z")
Hey all, I hope someone can shed some like on this problem. (I don’t know where else to turn…\) I have a system with the following congif. PII 233 192 MB 6,4,3 G HD’s SB Live! Creative PC-DVD Voodoo3 2000 PCI (With DVD hardware assist) Now, I do not have a hardware decoder, but the system is able to keep up with the decoding. The issue I have is that the audio pops every now and then…and this only happens when running DVD’s. Any ideas as to how to stop it? ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/2 "2000-11-26T23:43:32Z")
One recommendation: Get Windows 2000, or even Windows Me (if you’re a Windows person, that is; if you’re running Linux or somethign similar, you probably needn’t worry about operating systems.) Win98 eats RAM like crazy. I had had that problem. After I upgraded to Win2000, it was gone… mostly. 🙂 LL ---
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/3 "2000-11-26T23:48:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LazarusLong42 \* > \*\*One recommendation: Get Windows 2000, or even Windows Me (if you’re a Windows person, that is; if you’re running Linux or somethign similar, you probably needn’t worry about operating systems.) Win98 eats RAM like crazy. > > I had had that problem. After I upgraded to Win2000, it was gone… mostly. 🙂 > > LL \*\* Forgot to mention…I am running WinME… ☹ I found that 98 handled teh decoding better than MN, but I have a tweaking program that allows me to adjuct the decoding. (Quality\<—\>Speed) and the movies run fine again…but the sound still clips. I think it might me becuase the reader is dirty, or that my PII 233 is being pushed to it’s max. Thansk for the input though! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/4 "2000-11-26T23:54:36Z")
Are there any lables on the dvd? They can effect the balance of it. ---
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/5 "2000-11-26T23:56:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\* > Are there any lables on the dvd? They can effect the balance of it. \*\* As in “Printed Labels”? These are the run-of-the-mill DVD’s Gladiator X-Men Jurassic park And so on… ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/6 "2000-11-26T23:59:11Z")
Just one question… Is DMA enabled on your DVD drive? ---
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/7 "2000-11-27T00:03:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squee \* > \*\*Just one question… > Is DMA enabled on your DVD drive? \*\* Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/8 "2000-11-27T00:08:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Yup. Try disabling it and see if the sound is improved. I had this issue on my old computer, but then again I was using a software decoder, so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/9 "2000-11-27T01:19:21Z")
have the newest sound and video drivers? how about the newest version of direct X ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/10 "2000-11-27T01:29:25Z")
Umm, sound card and speakers play probably the biggest part in this scenerio. You should have the latest in the two to have halfway decent sound. My father recently purchased a new system and it sounds perfect. My speakers, with a lesser of a sound card don’t have nearly the quality of sound his does. In fact I blew the speakers a few weeks ago…reminds me I need to get new ones. ---
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-crackle-issues-with-pc-dvd/42784/11 "2000-11-27T15:38:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squee \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Yup. > > Try disabling it and see if the sound is improved. I had this issue on my old computer, but then again I was using a software decoder, so YMMV. \*\* I’m a software decoder too. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by kinoons_ > have the newest sound and video drivers? how about the newest version of direct X Yup. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by techchick68 \* > Umm, sound card and speakers play probably the biggest part in this scenerio. > > You should have the latest in the two to have halfway decent sound. My father recently purchased a new system and it sounds perfect. My speakers, with a lesser of a sound card don’t have nearly the quality of sound his does. > > In fact I blew the speakers a few weeks ago…reminds me I need to get new ones. I have a Sound Blaster Live! and the Creative/Cambridge Digital 4-point system.(Built for that sound card.) Everything else sound perfect.