WMV files suddenly don't play in WMP...

[UTUseless]

Hi, first post, be gentle :scared:

I recently opened some year old .wmv files in WMP 9 and I get audio but no video. I tried installing WMP 10 and the same thing happens. I know the files work because I've viewed them in both versions before with no problems. They also work in the old Media Player, as well as VLC and TMpegEnc. I don't want to re-encode them, just view them in WMP 9 or 10, but I dunno what codecs they use, and even if I did, my machine apparently already has those codecs, or they wouldn't be viewable on any player.

Can anyone tell me what I should or shouldn't have installed to make the video stream work in WMP 9 or 10 please?

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but it looked the most relevant.

[benwaggoner]

For mainstream WMP compatibility, you want to be using "Windows Media Video 9." I don't know what you might have been using a year ago that wouldn't work in WMP11.

You could use a tool like WMSnoop to tell you what codec your files use. Or if you post a link, I could check for you.

[diogen]

I recently opened some year old .wmv files in WMP 9 and I get audio but no video...If you drop one of those files into graphedit, can it build a graph for both, audio and video?
Can it play the file?

Diogen.

[UTUseless]

For mainstream WMP compatibility, you want to be using "Windows Media Video 9." I don't know what you might have been using a year ago that wouldn't work in WMP11.

You could use a tool like WMSnoop to tell you what codec your files use. Or if you post a link, I could check for you.

When I open it in either WMP 9 or 10 I get audio but just a black screen. I don't think it's a codec thing though, because the files give me video and audio in any other player, which suggests it's a WMP problem. They even work on the old MP.
But I've tried 9 and 10 alternating, and neither will show the video. I haven't tried WMSnoop - I guess I could but surely the necessary codec is on my PC if the old MP will play it.

If you drop one of those files into graphedit, can it build a graph for both, audio and video?
Can it play the file?

I'll go and have a look for graphedit now, though I'm still presuming it's a problem with WMP itself, rather than the file streams.

It's annoying because WMP is the only player I can find which will snap the progress bar to the right places in the file instantly. The old MP buffers for about three seconds, VLC has a terrible progress bar which jumps in big segments instead of to a specific point, and Zoom Player is only a trial version :(

I didn't know WMP 11 was out - I'll go get that too.

Thanks for replies :D

[zambelli]

Have you updated your video driver recently by any chance?

It'd definitely be good data to know which video codec was used to encode the WMVs in question.

[UTUseless]

Nah, video driver has stayed the same for months.

I'll have a go at finding out the codec tonight (don't have net at home). I have VD Mpeg2, but I dunno if it will open in that. TMpegEnc doesn't seem to be able to tell me either.

I even tried re-econding them using TMpeg or Windows Media Encoder, but that takes years. The source bitrate is 1414 and the res. is something insane. Clips last about 15 mins too.

[zambelli]

ASF View 9 can tell you the video codec for any WMV file.

[UTUseless]

Hmm, I tried installing WMV3, and now, not only does the video stream not play in WMP9 or upwards, it doesn't play in the old WM either - I just get a grey screen.

I guess it's back to slowly converting every wmv / asf file I have to avi. Grrrr :scared:

[check]

as said, above, we can help you far more if we have more information. download graphedit and see if it can open the file and render a graph, and paste a full information report from one of the WMV info tools.

do you have a ATI graphics card by any chance? if so you can disable wmv acceleration in the control centre for it. Also, are any of your components overclocked?
Finally, if you haven't tried yet, you can try upgrading to the latest WMP11.