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Mallrat · Sep 15, 2003, 10:01 PM

I'm having trouble using this program... a lot of times it works fine, but then liek tonight, I can only get audio, not video.

any reason for this.

I was trying to play this but could only get audio.

http://www.foxhome.com/stewie/

Family Guy rules!

help me out please.

Uncle Skeleton · Sep 15, 2003, 10:51 PM

this movie was compressed with the WMV3 codec which MS calls "Windows Media 9 series," and which they have not yet deigned to release on MacOS. They claim an update to macWMP that includes the WMV3 codec will be released "at the end of the summer" or so, but only time will tell. Open source players like VLC have reverse engineered the WMV1 codec, and most of WMV2, but not WMV3. So you're out of luck unless you can find a machine that runs Windows.

clarkgoble · Sep 16, 2003, 12:44 PM

Doesn't MPlayer play WMP9 files?

clarkgoble · Sep 16, 2003, 12:48 PM

Doesn't MPlayer play them?

Uncle Skeleton · Sep 16, 2003, 01:02 PM

I believe MPlayer plays them on Windows by linking to the WMP libraries (same with Real Media), in which case, no. no.

clarkgoble · Sep 16, 2003, 02:45 PM

I've yet to have a WMP file that wouldn't play on MPlayer on the Mac. The page at Freshmeat says it plays WMP9.

http://freshmeat.net/projects/mplaye...c_id=127%2C128

Reading the "about" suggest that using the Real or MS dlls are an option. I seem to recall this is why they were worried about the patent issue in Europe, because they were violating Microsoft's patents.

Uncle Skeleton · Sep 16, 2003, 04:41 PM

well then, smart guy, can you play the family guy clip linked to above? I'll give you a shiny nickel if you can (on MacOS). WMV3 and even WMV2 are still quite uncommon and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if some random person on the internet has never personally seen one.

the fact that using WMP/Real dlls is even an option should have clued you in to the fact that the article was describing the x86 version

clarkgoble · Sep 16, 2003, 05:16 PM

You are right. I should have tested it before speaking.

But I'd read the dll stuff as making it an option, much like VLC allows you to use different decoders to play video.

Uncle Skeleton · Sep 16, 2003, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by clarkgoble:
much like VLC allows you to use different decoders to play video.

huh? what different decoders? I'm no VLC expert; I usually just see if something plays or it doesn't

clarkgoble · Sep 16, 2003, 10:50 PM

VLC has tons of options in its preferences. (And thankfully a restore to default when you get confused)

If you click the "advance" flag and go to decoder you can configure it a lot. There are also various postprocessing features although most require a powerful processor.