PCM encoded Audio, not playing on my system. Please help

[Adi Head]

Hi. Somehow it seems the PCM audio codec which as I understand is normally installed as part of Windows XP - is not working.

When I render out a video project in Vegas using audio codec: PCM (uncompressed) - regardless of which video codec I use... when I play the rendered file with Windows Media Player, or Media Player Classic - I see the video, but no sound!

Then when I play the same file in VLC Media Player - there's sound! But as I've understood, VLC uses its own set of codecs and doesn't rely on the installed codecs in my system. Whereas Windows Media Player and most other media players rely on my installed codecs. Therefore, it seems to me that the file has been rendered fine... it plays perfectly on VLC cuz it uses its own exclusive collection of codecs. And I'm figuring that the other media players can't play the sound due to some problem with the PCM codec which should be installed on my system.

I tried searching Google for a way to download and install the PCM codec from fresh, but can't find anything apart from codec packs, which I prefer to avoid.

Any ideas? How can I re-install the PCM codec?

Or am I possibly misjudging the problem and the audio issues have to to with something else entirely??

Looking forward to your help.. thx

[Jeff Harper]

I have no idea, but I would suggest playing with bit rates.

[Adi Head]

Hey Jeff, thanks for replying.
Bit rates.... I can try... the thing is though, I've been able to render PCM audio in the past and play the files without issues. I reinstalled Windows about a month ago and since then have had this problem. I'm guessing something is either missing or corrupt or inactivated concerning the codec... but I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time :)

[Jeff Harper]

Adi, you should have included all this information in your original post:). You answered your own question, at least partially. If you just reinstalled window and something's broken, it would seem the installation didn't go well, or you need to reinstall the codec, I suppose.

Good luck, don't have anything specific to offer, would suspect you might need to reinstall windows, but that is a drastic step. My issue would be that if one thing isn't right, what else might be flakey?

Have you tried rendering out just a plain wav file with no video and seeing if it plays?

[Seth Bloombaum]

Does such a file play on Windows Media Player on your system? Do consider an install / reinstall / upgrade install of WMP, which should reestablish standard windows codecs.

Otherwise, go with what Jeff lined out, above!

[Adi Head]

I tried rendering a plain wav file.

Windows Media Player - Doesn't play.
Media Player Classic - Doesn't play.
Real Player - Doesn't play.

VLC Player - Plays fine.


I'll try re-installing WMP.

[Adi Head]

Okay... this has nothing to do with codecs or Vegas, but I'm now trying to download and re-install WMP. I got to this page:

Download details: Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP

I clicked on the "continue" button to download the wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe file.

But the download didn't start. By clicking the "continue" button I just got to the Microsoft Download Center page, and nothing happened after that.

Weird.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Microsoft can make it hard, sometimes. Your new install of WinXP might not be registered with Windows Genuine Advantage (advantage to who?).

"Validation Required
For more information about the validation process click here"

Look for the above on the page...

You can also get to WMP upgrades through update.microsoft.com, which will run you through the validation process, too, and might fix anything else wrong with your install.

[Adi Head]

Your new install of WinXP might not be registered with Windows Genuine Advantage

Actually, it is registered. And now that you mention it... I recall doing exactly that when I updated Windows Media Player, shortly after installing Windows XP. It first asked me to install the WGA thing. Then it updated WMP, or actually I think it actually upgraded from a prior version that installed with my Windows CD to the current version 11.
Could the PCM problem be due to something I did wrong in the installation process? During the process of installing the upgrade to WMP 11 at one point it listed a bunch of what seemed to be file formats. Each file format in the list had a check box that could either be checked or unchecked. Without reading exactly what this list is about, I assumed it had to do with making file associations to WMP. I unchecked everything in the list since I rarely use WMP as my default player for playing any sort of media file, for personal use that is (I only use it to check video files after rendering, since most people use it I guess). Could this somehow be related? I still have no idea what that check list was about exactly.
Anyway, I still don't understand why I can't find a way to re-install WMP.... really strange.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Check Windows Update for possible updates to WMP.

You can go to Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs | Add/Remove Windows Components to uninstall WMP, then install again.

All those check boxes should indeed have been related to file associations, as you thought. However, that means that you can't double-click on a wav and expect it to open in WMP. You need to have WMP open and drag the wav onto it.

Hope this helps.

[Adi Head]

I found this:


Download the Windows Media Player Codec Installation Package

You think I should download and install this? Is installing this as bad as installing any other codec pack?

Or do you think I should just uninstall and re-install WMP11?

By the way, on the same site as the link above, they offer a download of a WMP11 installation file.

[Jeff Harper]

Do as Seth suggested. I don't know the site, but you should never install anything from a third party site unless you know it and trust it. You cannot tell by the way it looks. This is how people get malware and spyware on their PCs, so avoid it.