Hi. I cannot get any .mpg or .mpeg file to play more than one time consecutively, in either Windows Media Player 6.4 or Media Player Classic (Home Cinema). Both players are supposed to 'Repeat Forever'. But they freeze when the file reaches the end; and the Windows player even spits out a "Catastrophic Failure" (8000FFFF) pop-up. (However, WMP11 and VLC play the files fine.) I think this problem may be caused by a codec (- I suspect it's because I installed the K-Lite Codec Pack -) but I don't know how to fix it. Please help.
Try these diagnostic tools. http://www.digital-digest.com/software/GraphStudio1.html http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Filmerit.htm Open graphstudio and select file/render media file. Select your troublesome mpeg file. You'll see a graph of filters appear that the system will use to play the file. Press the play button. Does it play without problems? What version of Windows are you using ?
Thank you very much for the reply, Davexnet. I tried graphstudio first, but it won't work. It says it needs XmlLite.dll and can't find it. Filmerit said it found "20 errors among 396 filters". It highlighted some stuff in red, but I don't know if I should let the program fix all those errors. (Other files play just fine; it's only the .mpg files, with the problem.) I'm running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Are they mpeg-2 or Mpeg-1 ? Mpeg-1 is built into the system, while mpeg-2 need a third party decoder. If you're not sure drag the files into Gspot and have it identify the files. ON the lower left of the Gspot window, you'll see MS A/V and a little "1" underneath. Press the 1 and it will show you on the right the filters it has found that can process your file. If it's successful, a little "2" will appear below the "1", press that and it will attempt to render the file. http://gspot.headbands.com/ Regarding the results of Filmerit, what I've done in the past is to uninstall all my codec packages and rerun, and then have FIlmerit fix (useually delete the references ) the problem items, then install the codec pack. Do you have any third party DVD player software or codec packs installed? Give Graphstudio another try, get xmllite.dll from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D7B5DC81-AD14-4DE2-8AD5-8C4A9AAB5992
Hello again. I ran GraphStudio. Here's what it says, for those files: <name of file> -> Sonic HD Demuxer -> ffdshow Audio Decoder -> Default DirectSound Device (- there's a clock icon and a volume icon in that box); also, there's another arrow from Sonic HD Demuxer -> ffdshow Video Decoder -> Video Renderer. When I tried to play the file (- again, let me say, this is a very small file: 1 second of runtime -), it played to the end, in a pop-up box, and then the pop-up box minimized by itself (frozen on the last frame). I have first installed the K-Lite Codec Pack (and I think that's the culprit, to tell you the truth, because I didn't have it before reinstalling the XP operating system, a few weeks ago). Then, I added stuff like PowerDVD, Sony Vegas, TMPGEnc Xpress and DVD Author; you know, that kind of stuff. And, finally, today, I installed a standalone version of ffdshow (- which I used on its own, with no problems, during the previous OS installation -) because I thought maybe it could fix the problem. But it didn't. I don't know what other programs could be relevant here. Nero 8, maybe?... As for your other question, MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, it doesn't matter; both types freeze at the end. Thank you very much for your help thus far, by the way.
You could try something like SFC /SCANNOW from the CMD box to check the system files, and see if it finds anything. If I were in your position now, I would probably uninstall anything that has anything to do with video, burning or codecs and see if the problem is resolved. If it is, add them back one at a time and retest. I would like to get the system to the point where just the basic MS filters play back for Mpeg-1. If you try these things and it doesn't help, probably quicker to reinstall the whole OS.
I could uninstall the K-Lite Codec Pack, but will it mess everything up, in terms of the media players filter associations? (- for WMP6.4, WMP11, MPC-HC) I don't think I'd like to do a full reinstall. It's not the Windows installation, but all the other programs and the customization... (And it's kind of the same thing with uninstalling all the programs and reinstalling them, I think.) I just went through the same process three weeks ago, too. But was what GraphStudio said in order? What did you infer from that?
Well you can see right away that it's using the Sonic splitter HD instead of the Microsoft one. (Why HD ? What kind of file was it ? ) Lets see if we can get anywhere with GraphStudio - We can make it seem as if some codecs were uninstalled simply by moving them out of the chain and replacing them with something else. Render an mpeg-1 file in GS. Click on the link between the file and the Sonic splitter and hit the delete key. Do the same for the links between the splitter and FFDshow. Move the Sonic box out of the way. Select Graph/Insert filter. Find under the Directshow filters, the MS filter Mpeg-1 stream splitter, and insert it. Reconnect the boxes using the mouse to "draw" the new connection (hold down the left mouse button). File source > MS Splitter > FFDshow video & audio. Now play the file. Has the behavior changed? To get more info about your files, use Mediainfo: http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MediaInfo
Okay, I tried that, and it wouldn't play at all in GraphStudio anymore. However, I tried to play the same file with Media Player Classic, and the cursor restarted forever (just like it was supposed to), but the video and audio still froze after the first time. Now, since you asked, the Sonic HD Demuxer would have to be from Sonic Scenarist. (I also installed that software for the first time, now. I'll try to see if its settings allow me to stop using the demuxer.) I see GraphStudio allows you to enter an audio renderer, and a video renderer, and so on. Should I keep messing with it until I find a configuration that replays the file forever? Thanks, Davexnet! EDIT: I tried rendering the file again, with the MPEG-1 filter, and a different video renderer, and it still freezes just the same.
Yes you can put various filters in as long as they're of the same type (The pins agree on a connection) Seems as if something is wrong with your directshow filters, I don't have any further suggestions except uninstall the products and codec packs as I said before. Have you tried using VLC to play your files? It uses it's own routines. During the install you get a choice as to whether or not to associate any file types.
Maybe I'll just try to uninstall Sonic Scenarist, then, and see if that fixes the problem. VLC plays the file okay, and so does BS Player, and even Windows Media Player 11. But, the thing is, the cursor in all those players does not move the movie along with it, like Windows Media Player 6.4 and Media Player Classic do. In the fancier players, moving the play head in any direction only adjusts the time (in real-time), and then, once you release the mouse, it moves to that part of the movie, also. Do you understand why I prefer these light players? (I really like that I can always see the frame where the play head is situated, in real time.) If you can suggest another media player that works like that, I'll use it. And thanks again. You did your best to help me - I appreciate it.
Jeanpave, I use MPC on my old Win2k box, but I must confess I don't really understand your meaning when you were discussing these issues. "I really like that I can always see the frame where the play head is situated, in real time" Are you talking about the video frame number? I don't see that info in MPC. I see some other info, such as average bit-rate, etc. And your other concern, "the cursor in all those players does not move the movie along with it, like Windows Media Player 6.4 and Media Player Classic do." Are you talking about when you drag the cursor the movie actually drags with it just like a video editor? I don't see that either. Actually MPC can be set up to use some of its own routines instead of Dshow. Why don't you set it up that way? It's in options/Internal filters. PS. Mplayer is supposed to be good (Although I've not personally tried it) http://mulder.dummwiedeutsch.de/home/?page=projects Have you tried MPC-HC ? (The "home cinema" version - has a bunch more filters built in, and supports DXVA for H264 decoding)
QUOTE: Are you talking about when you drag the cursor the movie actually drags with it just like a video editor? I don't see that either. -> Yes, exactly. In Windows Media Player 6.4 and in Media Player Classic (- on my XP, at least -) you can keep dragging the movie towards the right (without letting go of the left mouse button) and the movie progresses, too. In Windows Media Player 11 (and other players, like VLC and BS.Player), you have to let go of the mouse button, and settle in a particular place, for the image you see to be updated. Otherwise, the movie keeps playing where you previously were, even though the cursor is in another place. I don't like that. I'll try to make MPC use its own internal filters, in the meantime, and see what happens.
QUOTE: Actually MPC can be set up to use some of its own routines instead of Dshow. Why don't you set it up that way? It's in options/Internal filters. RESPONSE: You're a genius, man! Now, it works. That's the stuff! Mission accomplished. Thanks a million, Davexnet. Thank you very much!
Sorry about that. (Straightforward problems, I might have known how to solve from previous experiences.)
