cafink

Can't play AVIs.

My knowledge of digital video is very rudimentary, so please forgive me if I'm just being dumb, but...

I recently downloaded Virtualdub to play around with some videos I recorded with my digital camera. I wasn't able to open this particular video, however. I don't recall exactly what the error message was, but after poking around Google a bit, I found a site which suggested I "install the Panasonic VFW DV codec. It worked, and I was able to open my video in Virtualdub.

A little later, however, I was trying to watch some other videos with Media Player Classic. I noticed that some of my AVIs won't play. They worked fine before, so I assume that, in messing around with the video codecs, I broke something. The affected files are all AVIs, as far as I can tell. Only some AVIs are affected, though. I was looking at the file properties and the common factor seems to be that the broken files all have MP3 audio. I seem to recall reading something about Virtualdub being unable to handle MP3 audio, but I don't care about that, I just want to watch them with Media Player Classic like I was able to do before.

Any suggestions on what to do? I can't even figure out how to uninstall that "Panasonic" codec and revert things back to the way they were.

Again, I don't really know what I'm doing, so any help at all is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

EDIT: I forgot to mention a couple of things. MPC opens the AVI, and resizes the window as if it read the file okay, but the screen stays black and the "stop" button is highlighted. Pressing "play" does nothing. The files won't open in Windows Media Player, either. WMP gives me a "Windows Media Player encountered an unknown error."

Thanks again for any help you have to offer.

Duane R

For future reference, you might want to download a program called GSpot. It'll tell you what format your video is in, as well as what the audio format is. A good general purpose video codec pack to get is called Nimo Codec pack. Both of these programs can be found via Google.

Six worlds prayed to her, they built her temples, conquered planets, and yet one day she still rode off and destroyed all six worlds. And when the last warrior was dying he said "We gave you everything, why did you destroy us?" and she looked down upon him and she whispered, "Because I can".

John_Bonner

I would start by shutting down the computer and restarting.
Sometimes video programs stay memory-resident and when you start a new video application it "fights" so to speak with the open one.

JB

Christian Behrens

In general, AVI is not a format, but a container that can contain all kinds of different codecs. Hence the need to know exactly what kind of AVI files you're having problems with. This is important to remember.

-Christian

\"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.\" (Benjamin Franklin)

Scott L

I would install FFDSHOW and see if that resets things back to normal. There is a way to uninstall individual codecs within Windows but I'm behind a Linux machine now so I can't guide you through it.

Second the advice on Gspot but to hell with codec packs!