Problem with WinMedia Player
 

As noted in another thread, I just built a new computer. It has windows and drivers on it at this point. No editing software, no other addons.

A bunch of video clips of various descriptions, well, AVI & WMV specifically don't play in WMP. I know that DV clips won't play without my Canopus codec but I'm baffled why WMVs won't play--don't they all use the same codec?

The screen comes up with mostly green colors if that is relevant. There are hints of a picture but mostly just shapes moving on the screen. Looks like its trying to use the wrong codec.

Yep, downloaded the latest ATI driver set. No change.

Is this a problem that I should resolve first or go on and install my editing stuff?

What Windows version. If VISTA, I've heard all kinds of nightmares regarding codecs etc.

Oops, it was obvious to me that I'm using XP Pro. (What, you guys can't read minds?)

WMP is version 9. Oh, maybe that's the problem. Its v11 that I find annoying but I think 10 is OK.

Then I would say you are missing something, or you have a corrupt version of something. If the machine is new, the installation in new, then I imagine something is not installed right or not at all, such as a codec.

There's something *very* wrong if you cannot play DV AVIs on your XP system without the Canopus DV codec.

There's something *very* wrong if you cannot play WMV files on your XP system with WMP (9, 10 or 11).

What other codecs have you got? You haven't done the unforgivable and installed a codec pack, per chance?

Updated to wmp v10 and all seems well. I seem to recall there was an actual difference between 9 & 10.

11 on the other hand, is really annoying. I'm doing better with it but I still like 10 better. I tried the 'rollback' procedure and couldn't get it to work. Went back to 11 on those computers.

It seems hard to imagine, but it's true, that WMP 10 worked with DV that was imported with Windows Movie Maker or any of my other capturing programs, but WMP 11 does not play them. It gives a pop-up saying that it doesn't read the encoding. Also, MPC, Real Player and Windows Movie Maker, will not play them, even those that WMM imported itself. I'm pleased that Nero Showtime2 and my Ulead video editor will play all these videos, without a glitch. This includes MOV and MVI and anything else I've downloaded.

Is that on the same hardware?

One thing I have noticed over the years with WMP9, 10 and 11 is that Type-1 DV AVI files may not play whereas Type-2 will.

I have successfully tracked this down to particular audio chipsets (it has happened on a Gateway desktop, a Thinkpad laptop and a Dell laptop - all with the same chipsets). When I disable the audio hardware, the problem goes away. I can also successfully play Type-1 files in GraphEdit on the same computer. So it isn't a straightforward DirectShow issue.

So, a weird interaction between WMP and particular chipset (a Crystal something-or-other and SigmaTel).

buy/download XP codecs pack, thats what i did but it was vista codec pack

NEVER, EVER install codec packs. I have read of countless problems caused by them.

ONLY install individual codecs that you need.

Well, that's my view.