DVD images randomly stop playing

[webminster]

A problem I've been fighting for a year and can't solve, wonder if anyone has fought this.

I rip DVD images to hard drive with AnyDVD, use MyMovies for playback. (Windows 7 SP1 x64, current patches). Often, but not every time, playback of the DVD will just stop and go back to the MM menu. Sometimes I can resume, usually though I get reset to beginning and have to skip forward.

It sounds a lot like the hotfix issue a long while back relating to NVidia cards and this behavior, but I'm not enabling subtitles.

I've tried so many things, replacing the DVD drive just to make sure the rips aren't bad, updating Windows to current, updated Nvidia drivers to 314.22 (actually tried several versions)... nothing is helping.

Only things I haven't yet tried is replacing the video card (an MSI GT430) out of desperation, or doing a repair reinstall of Windows... or even a clean install. Just not wanting to lose DRM and ton of configuration. everything else works fine, can play MKVs, live/recorded TV, etc with no issues.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-Alan

[webminster]

A clue in the issue, realize that the DVD playback stop isn't completely random. When it happens, it coincides with a live-TV recording finishing. Not starting recording, but the moment WMC finishes recording a scheduled program recording in the background.