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More => Old Versions => Media Center 12 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: steveklein on September 28, 2007, 08:17:39 pm

Title: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: steveklein on September 28, 2007, 08:17:39 pm: i was having codec issues so i read through glynor's terrific posts and wiki in detail. followed directions exactly.

i also was unable to play certain .avi files as well and was hoping this would get sorted out. unfortunately it hasn't.

i got an error (screenshot posted, not sure why it's so small but here's what it says)

"media center encountered errors while trying to play the last several files please make sure yada yada yada"

the interesting part is below that: "Real Player: The file contains an unsupported audio format. The needed codec is not installed on your computer"

(http://www.pix01.com/gallery/5B640FCE-A7A9-41C0-8DDC-6FEB7957C5AC/Screenshot_2/9768718280.jpg)

i find this very strange for a couple of reasons
a) i installed the CCCP very carefully after remmoving old codec packs as i was instructed to do
b) i then installed the realalternative program which evidently allows you to play those files without that crappy realplayer junk.
c) the file is a .avi? this isn't even a 'real' file is it?
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: Yaobing on September 28, 2007, 08:35:50 pm: AVI is just a container format. It can contain video with many different codecs.

Are you able to play the file in Windows Media Player? If yes, what codec does WMP report using?
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: steveklein on September 29, 2007, 01:56:35 am: yes windows media player played the file fine. how do i check and see what codec it is using at that time? and how do i tell media center to use that codec?
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: JimH on September 29, 2007, 06:51:57 am: Quote from: steveklein on September 29, 2007, 01:56:35 am
how do i check and see what codec it is using at that time? and how do i tell media center to use that codec?
Right click on the screen?
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: Yaobing on September 29, 2007, 08:46:06 am: Quote from: steveklein on September 29, 2007, 01:56:35 am
how do i check and see what codec it is using at that time? and how do i tell media center to use that codec?

While WMP plays, right-click the video title in the Now Playing playlist, and choose "Properties".
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: steveklein on September 29, 2007, 10:14:39 am: length - 21 seconds
media type - video
audio codec - nothing listed (just a dash)
video codec - nothing listed (just a dash)

this is just like a 20 second clip that i took on a digital camera from 2003. really odd that it won't play and that i get that "real audio codec" issue or whatever when i try to play it in MC.
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: steveklein on October 01, 2007, 10:45:38 am: bump; anyone got any ideas as to why that .avi wouldn't be playing in media center 12 but is in windows media player (given that windows media player didn't give me a codec...)
Title: Re: simple (??) .avi file not playing in Media Center
Post by: Alex B on October 01, 2007, 11:25:46 am: You could try the free GSpot (http://www.headbands.com/gspot/) codec information tool and check what codecs it uses on file render.