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Dealing w/ Codec Hell Under Multiple OSes?
Dixie_Flatline asks: "I just downloaded some videos from here and there, and I found myself floundering in codec hell. I've got AVIs and MPGs, and none of them play. I've got DivX and 3ivX installed, and I even tried using DivX Doctor on some of the AVIs. The other AVIs refused to be processed, and even the MPGs won't play! When I put them onto a Win2000 box, I found that only SOME of the AVIs played, most of them didn't and the MPGs were STILL broken. Is there a codec pack out there that has everything I need all packaged up neatly? How do I get myself out of this? I just want to watch my media files!" While there probably isn't a be-all-end-all codec pack for your specific OS, what web resources are useful for people who need to find a codec (even an obscure one) before they can play their media files?
There are programs out there specifically designed to identify the codec. Not to make a plug but I use a program called G Spot. It tells you what codec is need and where on your system is the codec supposed to be. YMMV if you're a on non windows system. Try to not mod me down for using windows.
Put as many windows codec's under /usr/win32 and let mplayer have a shot at them. I've not seen one AVI that it couldnt play correctly.
Xine, on the other hand....
If you are using windows,
try using ffdshow, media player classic,
and oggDS filter.
you can find ffdshow and media player classic
at sourceforge, and get oggDS here:
http://tobias.everwicked.com/oggds.htm
I can't guarantee this combination will play
all AVIs and MPGs, but it works for me.
For those that don't know, there is a mplayer for debian apt source available. It includes all of the codecs, win32, quicktime, realplayer, etc. Best part is mplayer-plugin (works with Mozilla for sites that embed their videos in a webpage). Go here:
http://marillat.free.fr/
-molo
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
Should play most everything!
I use gentoo. In linux I have mplayer emerged. It plays everything automatically. I haven't seen a file it wont play properly all on its own. It's like magic. I wish mplayer worked as perfect in windows as in linux.
In windows since mplayer in windows isn't even comparable to linux I use winamp 2. Since it's already the best player for mp3s might as well use it for video too and save myself a piece of software. I have ffdshow installed and it works perfect with winamp2. I haven't found a divx file that wont play. I have however, found ogms it wont play. It's somewhat annoying, but not so bad. I also have quick time alt and real alt so I can play those files in windows without their respective crap softwares.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
gspot.
Reports what codec the file needs.
this is why I mostly just don't watch videos.
How do I get myself out of this? I just want to watch my media files!
:)
Stop downloading p0rns from untrustworthy p2p sources. They don't mean it when they put up a title like "Britney_Lesbian_Rape_Cum_Teen_Pee.AVI".
Hmm, I meant, when you say AVI it may not be really AVI. Yeah, right.
Or install Gentoo then emerge mplayer. Their default installation already included a lot of codec, free as well as proprietary ones. You just fire your mplayer on any file and it'll recognize it regardless of its extension. You should be all set.
Google for a thing called "nimo codec pack". It's everything and the kitchen sink all packaged in one NSIS executable. quite handy.
everything on this page (if you're a redhat person).
here
Works beautifully on nearly everything I throw at it. Although the mozilla plugin crashes a lot. Might have to try out the mplayer kind that someone else has posted.
While there probably isn't a be-all-end-all codec pack for your specific OS
Actually, there is -- for Windows at least. But I've tried it before, and installing every possibly codec, most of which you never use, only makes things worse, not better. I find it better to ignore the all-in-one packages and just get the codecs from the proper sources. So grab xvid and divx and ac3filter--that'll cover most of it--and then grab other ones as you need them.
what web resources are useful for people who need to find a codec (even an obscure one) before they can play their media files?
Which is where AVIcodec comes in. What it does is show you what audio and video codecs are used by your media files. So when you find a file that doesn't work properly, it'll let you know what to look for. Google is normally enough after that, but RareWares is a good place to find some of the more obscure codecs.
First step is to determine exactly what codec you _NEED_. AVI, as you probably know, isn't a codec; it's just a container format. Go ahead and download GSpot for Win32/WINE (screenshot) and investigate.
Usually when I run into problems playing DivX files, it's because I'm playing back a 5.11 file when I have 5.05 installed. It tries real hard to play it, so what I get is blocky/all-green gabage. It doesn't give me a "You have the wrong codec" message. Other than that, I can't say I've had problems with playing back various media files, and I download porn like mad.
"Derp de derp."
There is a site devoted to video/audio codecs.
As a sidenote, I'd strongly suggest you try the latest MPlayer builds for Windows. Powerful stuff. Shameless plug.
I've had similar issues with mp3's and supposedly (ala 60 Minutes) the RIAA hired a company to put bogus files out there to discourage P2P downloading. Might this be the MPAA using the same tactic?
Co-founder and designer at Music Nearby: http://musicnearby.com
I find the pornography subtext both blatent and offensive :)
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
I use a custom install of Tsunami Codec Pack, and the latest DivX.
I've yet to run into a video I couldn't play in Windows with mplayer2.exe. I just wish that bloated piece of shit wmplayer.exe would stop taking over the damn associations.
On Linux, I just use good ol' mplayer tweaked out with all the Windows dll's. That works better than anything!
Can I get an eye poke?
Dog House Forum
Doom9 has pretty much all the info you could ever want on codecs and video formats. The link to Gordian Knot should give you all the codecs you need (Win32 only, unfortunately).
Under Windows you can grab the Nimo Codec pak and the Gordian Knot bundle. I found them both to be helpful but the Nimo bundle will give you a Divx player (only for AVIs) however unless its been repacked it's an old version. And as for a reason that your AVIs didn't play...they may be encoded with the Xvid codec. It's easier to find for Windows than Linux though but the source is out there.
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
No. Don't mod this down. It's real. G-Spot goes quite a long way toward identifying codecs. It won't help you get them loaded, but does have magic-cookie-like fingerprints for a very diverse list of codecs. Windows only, but I don't think you need admin privs to run it either.
Yeah, its called a Mac.
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
Having played a lot with video encoding in my spare time (which isn't hard to do when you've been unemployed for seven months), I will bestow on you some tips on the world of encoded video, so that you won't have to go through as much teeth gnashing, hair pulling, and head slapping that I have. :) (Note: I work primarily on a Win32 machine, so if you want to do this on another platform, just kindly ignore all the words below. :P)
The most likely problem you are facing is that you don't have the right codecs installed to play the files you want. As someone mentioned before, Nimo is your best friend in this case, as it's a file pack that contains a multitude of codecs and filters to play almost everything under the sun.
But say you install Nimo, and things still don't work. What then? Well, assuming you still don't have the right codec, then it's time to meet your other new best friend, AVIcodec. Don't let the name fool you. This little program will identify the codec you need for AVI's, MPEG's, WMV's, ASF's, and probably a few others I'm forgetting. I also hear good things about GSPot, but AVIcodec works too well for me to change. :)
Now, say you run into a file that uses MPEG2 for video or has an AC3 audio stream. Well, you won't find any codecs for those on the web, because the Motion Picture Experts Group likes to rake in those licensing fees. (Well, you MAY find a codec or two out there, but keep in mind if you download them and don't have to pay a fee, it's almost certainly illegal.) What you then need to do is to install a software DVD player like PowerDVD or WinDVD, and that'll straighten things out for you.
Now let's say you're SURE you have the right codecs installed, and the video STILL won't play. Well, that just blows, because your file is probably damaged, or in the case of an AVI, it's incomplete. If you've got an AVI, run over and grab AVIPreview, which is a nice program that'll let you preview incomplete AVI's (see? "AVIPreview"? :P). If it plays in there, and you don't feel like downloading a complete version of the file (which you sometimes can't find when you're using P2P services), AVIPreview will let you save the file with a complete container so most media players won't complain.
Now... (*takes a breath*), if it isn't an AVI, then the likelyhood you'll be able to fix the problem goes down considerably. Free ASF and WMV editing programs are few and far between (and we all know who owns those file formats), and almost all MPEG issues will continue to niggle you unless you do a full-blown re-encode of the file. You can definitely try downloading VCDGear and checking the "Fix MPEG Errors" checkbox, but this almost NEVER works (i.e., times it worked for me: none).
And keep in mind these are the EASY solutions. If you're actually interested in using video editing/encoding programs, then take a visit to Doom9 or DVDRhelp.com. The forums and guides on these sites are a boon to the video encoding enthusiast, and the forum regulars tend to be pretty friendly, too. :)
Best of luck and well wishes...
"Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile. Life may be scary, but it's only temporary."
Nobody here has mentioned it yet, so I'll remark that VirtualDub is the best at opening and reconstructing broken AVI files.
Open the video, right click on it and figure out which codecs it expects to have have, search google for the codec name and download one of those huge codec packs that includes it.
while this is harder to find now that k-lite has been closed down using the mirrors from this page http://home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm you can find the k-lite codec pack which along with real alternative, quicktime alternative and media player classic should be able to play every video format on the planet
It was edited out that I'm using a G5 with OS X. Thanks to all of you that have answered, even with non-OS X information. I've managed to glean enough from here and there that I've so-far managed to solve most of my problems, except for WMA encoded AVIs, which even DivX Doctor has no solution for on OS X systems.
If Media Player recognizes it, it automatically downloads and installs the codec, brainless. About the only other codecs you'll see that dont auto install are DivX and conversly(:p) XviD.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
AVOID CODEC PACKS!
The author of Zoom Player (a highly recommended geek-friendly Win32 media player) has written an exceptionally concise Windows codec guide.
And as if writing Zoom Player wasn't cool enough, the headline of one of THE most read topics in his well-maintained forum states...
Here's the codec guide. (Applies to Windows, not just Zoom Player proper.)..
...is Kazaa Lite codec pack 2.10. It's too bad that Kazaa Lite has been taken down. You might be able to find it on file-sharing networks if people are nice enough to share it.
If you can't find that, then download the Nimo codec pack. RTFM when you install! There are 2 codec that the installer gives you a warning during the install that you must deselect one of 2 mutually-exclusive codecs. If you don't, then Windows Media Player will crash on every file you try to play with it (movies, music, whatever).
It did work like charm for me!
Paul B.
Go get the K-Lite Codec Pack
Install that and it will fix all the problems you have...Every couple months whenever I find something tricky I go get the new version...
As an added bonus, it comes with the GSpot Codec Information utility...This handy program will tell you anything you want about any media file. It will also tell you wether or not the file is complete as it tries to render...Overall a great little tool...
I found VirtualDub almost a year ago and have been using it as my only video player ever since. Just about the only thing it _won't_ open are ASF files (it used to, but Microsoft got ticked). If you really, really need to play ASFs, you can find the old versions of VirtualDub, or a couple of patched/cracked copies which support ASF.
Also lets you open corrupt or incomplete movies, it skips over missing portions or if it finds premature EOF, you can reopen and tell it to accept a partial stream. Works like a charm.
Plus it's Free Software!
I've had good luck with ffdshow. Only other thing is I also have WMP 9. This along with ffdshow will play the majority of the video. As for audio and subtitles, you'll need something like vobsub and ac3filter. Normally you can just Google for the extension and there should be a website that shows you how you can play these files.
There's this tool that will help you identify what codecs a particular codec is actually using. Don't blindly install a codec pack. Usually there's a lot of crap in there that you don't need.
I find that ffdshow (supports most divx/mpeg4 variants) + AC3 filter, both of which are available on sourceforge, play most files. So far I've encountered two exceptions: 3ivx, you need their decoder, and mpeg 2 files. For the latter a codec usually comes with dvd playing software. A good alternative is the elecard codec (shareware). There is also a directshow filter for mpeg2 on sourceforge as well (mpeg2ds), but it doesn't seem to work for me (not surprising since it is alpha code).
Usually if you know what codecs were used for encoding, it is trivial to find a matching decoder using google. Avicodec can help you with that for avi files.
Jilles
Mandrake users should try PLF, which has all those binary codecs packaged. If you like urpmi or the graphical Mandrake package tools, use Easy Urpmi to add the PLF package tree.
Gates' Law: Every 18 months, the speed of software halves.
Put as many windows codec's under /usr/win32 and let mplayer have a shot at them. I've not seen one AVI that it couldnt play correctly.
Same here. Additionally, I'd mention that MPEGs should just work in every player there is. If you have MPEGs that don't play, they're most likely broken, and that's it.
You may want to use the file utility to see whether it things that your MPEGs are indeed MPEGs.
I'm running Mac OS X as well. I had major problems playing DivX, and I had both DivX and 3ivX installed - which turns out to be part of the problem. I've managed to resolve most of my issues with the following components:
n ente .component
AC3 Codec.component
DivX 5.component
msmpeg4v1.component
msmpeg4v2.compo
OggVorbis.qtx
on2vp3.component
XVIDDelegat
Since setting this up I haven't run into any AVI's or MPEGS that I couldn't play in quicktime.
i want that video
-Clio
Karma: Bad (mostly from not giving a fuck)
Blog: http://clintjcl.wordpress.com
The k-lite codec pack found here should give you what you need. It's a whack of all the freeware codecs out there. Install it and if it still doesn't play, it's usually corrupt...
Sound like you need to switch your FTP client to "binary."
-Peter
Sorta off-topic, but which utilities are available to convert Windows Media (WMV/ASX/etc.) to MPEG?
Maybe i missed a step or two in the instructions, but Nemo definitely killed PowerDVD for me. Install, re-install, uninstall... none of them fixed it. And it might just be my puter, but the latest divx codecs were acting up too. I'm still using 5.05, perhaps i'll try the newest 5.1.1
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
DefilerPak
Is there any way to re-encode the newer licensed .WMV files ? For example, many of the videos coming out of ConsumptionJunction :) are licensed.
.WMV to plain old .MPG or .AVI ?
When you run the media file, MediaPlayer goes out to the net to "obtain a license" for the file. A few seconds go by, then it says it got one, and to click Play to view the video.
Well and good, if a real hassle. But now some of the videos are unplayable because the license server isn't there any more.
How can one re-encode the videos from
94TT
Is it pre-version 9? Or do you mean WMP v6.4?
This one works for me :
http://www.moviecodec.com/codecdownload/
Latest codecs for all videos I need to play. And they all play...
Hey
Did you tryed mplayer (yeah)
Mplayer runs everything.. even in windows.
I allways used linux to see my movies but some friends of mine dont.
Take a look at the Mplayer site , on the main menu selec "Other Media Projects" and the look for Windows Ports.
My friends never had problems again.
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.