missing codec in media player at DVinfo.net

Marty Hudzik · July 7th, 2009, 06:53 AM

I have been keeping up with all the latest builds and I have not tested this after every build so I cannot be sure when it started. For nearly 3 years I have been using Aspect and then in January I updated to PRospect. I have always been able to play Cineform avi files in media player flawlessly until now. I am browsing through a folder full of them, I double click it and it opens in Media player. THe audio seems fine, the video however is slow as molasses......like 1 frame a second.....maybe even 1 frame every two seconds. To make it worse, it doesn't skip any frames so while the audio is moving on its merry way, the video is still way back on that beginning on say.....frame 6 or so. There is a little red X in the right pane that says there is not codec installed, however I have the latest build for sure. Also, the video comes up in 4x3 mode, as if it cannot recognize the proper aspect ratio and it is in a much smaller window too. Doesn't appear to be 1440x1080 at all.

I know this happened in the last build also, but I cannot say when it started as I did not try to play CIneform files from media player for a while. Also, I tried the desktop preview mode and set it to better performance but it made no difference at all.

I am running Vista 64bit with 3.2ghz Quad and 8GB RAM, so resources should not be an issue. Adobe CS3 and CS4 creative suites. I did install a copy of vegas 8 for compatibility with some elses project.....could that have installed a rogue Cineform codec somewhere?

THanks.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Marty Hudzik · July 7th, 2009, 11:25 AM

Am I the only one that has seen this issue? I thought I remembered someone on this forum having a similar issue which is why I posted. I went home at lunch and tested again....same results. I did however follow the usually useless microsoft help link where it said there was a missing codec. It took me to a page with tech support for this particular error and it points to an issue with video overlay or directdraw or something like that. Does this make any sense? Is Cineform using any hardware overlay features that I need to know about?

Also, the clips play fine in quicktime but still do not display proper aspect ratio. I realize media player is not a high priority for Cineform but surely this should work. Some simple dll or something must not be registered properly or something stupid like that. I'd like to be able to preview files in folders quickly with Media Player at least. Any chance that First Light is hooking into this somehow?

Giroud Francois · July 7th, 2009, 12:09 PM

you have to use Gspot to check the decision tree used to decode video.
must of time, some directX filter is pushing the wrong filter at the wrong place.

Marty Hudzik · July 7th, 2009, 02:24 PM

I downloaded it and will test on my home workstation as soon as I get home, but I don't know what good it will do. I just did a clean install of Prospect HD and everything else seems to be working. I'll keep you posted.

Marty Hudzik · July 7th, 2009, 03:32 PM

I just ran the Gspot codec cehecker and everything seems to be fine. It says the codec is installed properly. Is there anything else I shoud check with this?

Giroud Francois · July 7th, 2009, 06:09 PM

if all is ok , do not try to fix it ;)
Gspot just allows to check how video will be decoded (the little numbered boxes a the bottom).
because codecs usually share a decision tree, that select components to be used to read multimedia content. This tree is kind of chained boxes (filters) with input/output.
each filter's output is passed to the next filter's input until the final output goes to hardware (video or sound card)
you can create such decoding path with a windows utility, but usually it is given with each application (like DVD player, CD burners) that needs to read or write multimedia content.

Unfortunately some filters are competing on some format (usually mpeg or avi).
these filters have file extension .AX
For example Nero install a lot of these filters and you can remove them if you are just burning files and not transcoding format (mp3 for example to wav when burning audio CD).

Giroud Francois · July 7th, 2009, 06:15 PM

i forget to name the windows utility. it is graphedit, but it is not a really user friendly tool, just kind of hacker's tool .

Marty Hudzik · July 7th, 2009, 08:48 PM

I feel like I am talking to myself....but whatever. :)

Seriously, I backed up my system and then I restored it to an image from early June with an earlier buiild of PHD and prior to VIsta SP2 and this problem still exists. So I restored the computer back to current and I downloaded Media player classic and it plays the videos fine. I found references from nearly 2 years ago where David suggests not using windows media player in Vista because it uses VFW codec instead of Direct show or something like that.

Is there anyone out there using regular WIndows Media player and having luck with Cineform files in 64bit Vista? I found a good solution so I don't care as much now, but I'd still like to know. Also, to be fair, I have been running 64bit vista for 3-4 months and I may have never tried a Cineform avi in Media player this entire time......so it might have never worked.

Thanks.

David Newman · July 7th, 2009, 09:13 PM

64bit Vista and CineForm AVI and Windows Media Player do work fine together, the issue with WMP was address 6 months ago.

Robert Young · July 7th, 2009, 09:58 PM

Marty & David
I just checked WMP (Vista 64, SP2) & I definitely have the same problem viewing CFHD. Very, very slow mo. I have the latest build of PHD installed.
I had noticed it once before, but just switched to a different player & forgot about it.
I have no idea what that's about.

David Newman · July 7th, 2009, 10:13 PM

I'll test again tomorrow with the latest build (home PCs are XP,XP64,) yet often double click on an AVI and get WMP as the default and it worked fine last time I tried on my Vista 64 system.

Graham Hickling · July 9th, 2009, 12:38 AM

My cineform files (from PHD4) play fine using the Mediaplayer with Windows 7RC (64bit).

I do have problems however in that on one of my computers HDLink can convert video and audio from .mp4 files greated by my Samsung HMX-H100N, but on my other computer it can only decode the video. So I suspect there's a conflict with another audio decoder - are you saying Giroud that graphedit can be used to respecify which decoder is used?

Giroud Francois · July 9th, 2009, 06:36 AM

more or less, yes.
Graphedit shows the boxes (filters) and input/outputs (pins) and the way they are linked.
usually a standard decoding uses a splitter /(to split audio and video) then send each stream to the proper decoder.
you can load it , see the tree used to decode your file and eventually replace a component by another to improve performance or use a different output.
GraphEdit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Young · July 9th, 2009, 10:04 PM

I just installed this version of WMP Classic:
Media Player Classic - Free software downloads and reviews - CNET Download.com
Cineform files play perfectly with it. My CF playback problem seems to occur only with the WMP v. 11 that came with Vista 64

July 7th, 2009, 06:53 AM	#1
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	missing codec in media player I have been keeping up with all the latest builds and I have not tested this after every build so I cannot be sure when it started. For nearly 3 years I have been using Aspect and then in January I updated to PRospect. I have always been able to play Cineform avi files in media player flawlessly until now. I am browsing through a folder full of them, I double click it and it opens in Media player. THe audio seems fine, the video however is slow as molasses......like 1 frame a second.....maybe even 1 frame every two seconds. To make it worse, it doesn't skip any frames so while the audio is moving on its merry way, the video is still way back on that beginning on say.....frame 6 or so. There is a little red X in the right pane that says there is not codec installed, however I have the latest build for sure. Also, the video comes up in 4x3 mode, as if it cannot recognize the proper aspect ratio and it is in a much smaller window too. Doesn't appear to be 1440x1080 at all. I know this happened in the last build also, but I cannot say when it started as I did not try to play CIneform files from media player for a while. Also, I tried the desktop preview mode and set it to better performance but it made no difference at all. I am running Vista 64bit with 3.2ghz Quad and 8GB RAM, so resources should not be an issue. Adobe CS3 and CS4 creative suites. I did install a copy of vegas 8 for compatibility with some elses project.....could that have installed a rogue Cineform codec somewhere? THanks. Anyone have any suggestions?

July 7th, 2009, 09:13 PM	#9
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	64bit Vista and CineForm AVI and Windows Media Player do work fine together, the issue with WMP was address 6 months ago. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

July 7th, 2009, 09:58 PM	#10
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	Marty & David I just checked WMP (Vista 64, SP2) & I definitely have the same problem viewing CFHD. Very, very slow mo. I have the latest build of PHD installed. I had noticed it once before, but just switched to a different player & forgot about it. I have no idea what that's about. __________________ Bob Last edited by Robert Young; July 7th, 2009 at 11:23 PM.

July 7th, 2009, 10:13 PM	#11
David Newman CTO, CineForm Inc. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California Posts: 8,095	I'll test again tomorrow with the latest build (home PCs are XP,XP64,) yet often double click on an AVI and get WMP as the default and it worked fine last time I tried on my Vista 64 system. __________________ David Newman -- web: www.gopro.com blog: cineform.blogspot.com -- twitter: twitter.com/David_Newman

July 9th, 2009, 10:04 PM	#14
Robert Young Trustee Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Coronado Island Posts: 1,472	I just installed this version of WMP Classic: Media Player Classic - Free software downloads and reviews - CNET Download.com Cineform files play perfectly with it. My CF playback problem seems to occur only with the WMP v. 11 that came with Vista 64 __________________ Bob

July 7th, 2009, 11:25 AM	#2
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Am I the only one that has seen this issue? I thought I remembered someone on this forum having a similar issue which is why I posted. I went home at lunch and tested again....same results. I did however follow the usually useless microsoft help link where it said there was a missing codec. It took me to a page with tech support for this particular error and it points to an issue with video overlay or directdraw or something like that. Does this make any sense? Is Cineform using any hardware overlay features that I need to know about? Also, the clips play fine in quicktime but still do not display proper aspect ratio. I realize media player is not a high priority for Cineform but surely this should work. Some simple dll or something must not be registered properly or something stupid like that. I'd like to be able to preview files in folders quickly with Media Player at least. Any chance that First Light is hooking into this somehow?

July 7th, 2009, 12:09 PM	#3
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	you have to use Gspot to check the decision tree used to decode video. must of time, some directX filter is pushing the wrong filter at the wrong place.

July 7th, 2009, 02:24 PM	#4
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	I downloaded it and will test on my home workstation as soon as I get home, but I don't know what good it will do. I just did a clean install of Prospect HD and everything else seems to be working. I'll keep you posted.

July 7th, 2009, 03:32 PM	#5
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	I just ran the Gspot codec cehecker and everything seems to be fine. It says the codec is installed properly. Is there anything else I shoud check with this?

July 7th, 2009, 06:09 PM	#6
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	if all is ok , do not try to fix it ;) Gspot just allows to check how video will be decoded (the little numbered boxes a the bottom). because codecs usually share a decision tree, that select components to be used to read multimedia content. This tree is kind of chained boxes (filters) with input/output. each filter's output is passed to the next filter's input until the final output goes to hardware (video or sound card) you can create such decoding path with a windows utility, but usually it is given with each application (like DVD player, CD burners) that needs to read or write multimedia content. Unfortunately some filters are competing on some format (usually mpeg or avi). these filters have file extension .AX For example Nero install a lot of these filters and you can remove them if you are just burning files and not transcoding format (mp3 for example to wav when burning audio CD).

July 7th, 2009, 06:15 PM	#7
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	i forget to name the windows utility. it is graphedit, but it is not a really user friendly tool, just kind of hacker's tool .

July 7th, 2009, 08:48 PM	#8
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	I feel like I am talking to myself....but whatever. :) Seriously, I backed up my system and then I restored it to an image from early June with an earlier buiild of PHD and prior to VIsta SP2 and this problem still exists. So I restored the computer back to current and I downloaded Media player classic and it plays the videos fine. I found references from nearly 2 years ago where David suggests not using windows media player in Vista because it uses VFW codec instead of Direct show or something like that. Is there anyone out there using regular WIndows Media player and having luck with Cineform files in 64bit Vista? I found a good solution so I don't care as much now, but I'd still like to know. Also, to be fair, I have been running 64bit vista for 3-4 months and I may have never tried a Cineform avi in Media player this entire time......so it might have never worked. Thanks.

July 9th, 2009, 12:38 AM	#12
Graham Hickling Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 1,669	My cineform files (from PHD4) play fine using the Mediaplayer with Windows 7RC (64bit). I do have problems however in that on one of my computers HDLink can convert video and audio from .mp4 files greated by my Samsung HMX-H100N, but on my other computer it can only decode the video. So I suspect there's a conflict with another audio decoder - are you saying Giroud that graphedit can be used to respecify which decoder is used?

July 9th, 2009, 06:36 AM	#13
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	more or less, yes. Graphedit shows the boxes (filters) and input/outputs (pins) and the way they are linked. usually a standard decoding uses a splitter /(to split audio and video) then send each stream to the proper decoder. you can load it , see the tree used to decode your file and eventually replace a component by another to improve performance or use a different output. GraphEdit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia