I have Windows Media Player 10 and can play all the files except for .avi
files. Whenever I try to play the files I don't get a picture I just get the
sound. I looked up the problem on the microsoft.com site and it says to do
this
I never see video

If you're playing an AVI file, it's possible that the video codec required
to decode and display the video is not installed on your computer. To
determine which codec was used to create the file, do the following:

1.Use a codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of the file.

2.Look up that FourCC code on the FourCC for Video Compression Web page or
in the codecs section of the FourCC Web site.

After you determine which codec is required, you can then download the
correct codec from the Internet. The Windows Media Player Multimedia File
Formats Web page provides links to suppliers of some of the more frequently
used video codecs for AVI files. However, keep in mind that some codecs can
introduce instability with programs or your computer in general, so make sure
that a codec is from a trustworthy source before downloading and installing
it.

when I installed the codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of
the file, I was lost can somebody please help me out, I am completely lost.
I forgot to mention that I did # 1 but I don't get what do I look up to
determine thte FourCC of the file, like what do I look for?

That response sounds odd from microsoft...However,go to downloads at
microsoft,media,download the codec installation package.Also,in WMP,click
on tools,options,chk the box "connect to internet" also chk "install codecs
auto"

"Babygirl" wrote:

> I have Windows Media Player 10 and can play all the files except for .avi
> files. Whenever I try to play the files I don't get a picture I just get the
> sound. I looked up the problem on the microsoft.com site and it says to do
> this
> I never see video
>
> If you're playing an AVI file, it's possible that the video codec required
> to decode and display the video is not installed on your computer. To
> determine which codec was used to create the file, do the following:
>
> 1.Use a codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of the file.
>
> 2.Look up that FourCC code on the FourCC for Video Compression Web page or
> in the codecs section of the FourCC Web site.
>
> After you determine which codec is required, you can then download the
> correct codec from the Internet. The Windows Media Player Multimedia File
> Formats Web page provides links to suppliers of some of the more frequently
> used video codecs for AVI files. However, keep in mind that some codecs can
> introduce instability with programs or your computer in general, so make sure
> that a codec is from a trustworthy source before downloading and installing
> it.
>
> when I installed the codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of
> the file, I was lost can somebody please help me out, I am completely lost.
> I forgot to mention that I did # 1 but I don't get what do I look up to
> determine thte FourCC of the file, like what do I look for?
>

Actually, that's sadly a pretty bad idea, even if it does seem to make
sense. She does not need the codec installation package - those are for WMV
files, not AVI files - and beyond that installing the v9 codec pack on top
of WMP10 will BREAK her ability to play back DRM'd (purchased) media files.
(Which would be fixed again by reinstalling WMP on the system - but that
won't work on Media Center PCs, so... just do not do this in the first
place.)

AVI codecs are random. You need to know EXACTLY which one you need, and
then install only that codec from the precise vendor of that codec. =P

http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#codecs
covers this.

-Zach
--
(speaking for myself and doing this in my free time)
Following up to your post with the resolution is good netiquette.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
All e-mail to this account will bounce or be deleted - *use the newsgroups*.
--
"Andrew E." <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news4BA2127-A693-429B-B500-(E-Mail Removed)...
> That response sounds odd from microsoft...However,go to downloads at
> microsoft,media,download the codec installation package.Also,in WMP,click
> on tools,options,chk the box "connect to internet" also chk "install
> codecs
> auto"
>
> "Babygirl" wrote:
>
>> I have Windows Media Player 10 and can play all the files except for .avi
>> files. Whenever I try to play the files I don't get a picture I just get
>> the
>> sound. I looked up the problem on the microsoft.com site and it says to
>> do
>> this
>> I never see video
>>
>> If you're playing an AVI file, it's possible that the video codec
>> required
>> to decode and display the video is not installed on your computer. To
>> determine which codec was used to create the file, do the following:
>>
>> 1.Use a codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of the file.
>>
>> 2.Look up that FourCC code on the FourCC for Video Compression Web page
>> or
>> in the codecs section of the FourCC Web site.
>>
>> After you determine which codec is required, you can then download the
>> correct codec from the Internet. The Windows Media Player Multimedia File
>> Formats Web page provides links to suppliers of some of the more
>> frequently
>> used video codecs for AVI files. However, keep in mind that some codecs
>> can
>> introduce instability with programs or your computer in general, so make
>> sure
>> that a codec is from a trustworthy source before downloading and
>> installing
>> it.
>>
>> when I installed the codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code
>> of
>> the file, I was lost can somebody please help me out, I am completely
>> lost.
>> I forgot to mention that I did # 1 but I don't get what do I look up to
>> determine thte FourCC of the file, like what do I look for?
>>

I had the same problem. I Googled "codec XviD" and downloaded a free
version. I can now see the video. Not saying it will work for you. It does
depend on the codec the source used.

"Babygirl" wrote:

> I have Windows Media Player 10 and can play all the files except for .avi
> files. Whenever I try to play the files I don't get a picture I just get the
> sound. I looked up the problem on the microsoft.com site and it says to do
> this
> I never see video
>
> If you're playing an AVI file, it's possible that the video codec required
> to decode and display the video is not installed on your computer. To
> determine which codec was used to create the file, do the following:
>
> 1.Use a codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of the file.
>
> 2.Look up that FourCC code on the FourCC for Video Compression Web page or
> in the codecs section of the FourCC Web site.
>
> After you determine which codec is required, you can then download the
> correct codec from the Internet. The Windows Media Player Multimedia File
> Formats Web page provides links to suppliers of some of the more frequently
> used video codecs for AVI files. However, keep in mind that some codecs can
> introduce instability with programs or your computer in general, so make sure
> that a codec is from a trustworthy source before downloading and installing
> it.
>
> when I installed the codec detection utility to determine the FourCC code of
> the file, I was lost can somebody please help me out, I am completely lost.
> I forgot to mention that I did # 1 but I don't get what do I look up to
> determine thte FourCC of the file, like what do I look for?
>

AVIs can be encoded using different CODECs (Coder/Decoder), and to play
a particular AVI you need the decoder that was used to encode it. There
are many CODECs, and what you need depends on the content of your AVIs.
However, there is one relatively easy solution that I've been repeating
recently: download and install FFDSHOW (latest version from
www.afterdawn.com), and it will handle just about any AVI (and more)
you are likely to encounter.

After you install FFDSHOW, open the FFDSHOW Video Decoder (I'm not sure
of the precise title), go to the CODECs section, and click on each
entry that says DISABLED and choose something other than DISABLED (the
first entry is fine). Or, you can just start off by making sure that
entries that have DivX, Xvid, MPEG4 in their description are not
DISABLEd. I can't be more specific because I don't know which AVIs you
have. Normally, there is no harm in ENABLing more that you need in
FFDSHOW. After you familiarize yourself with it, you can enable/disable
as you see fit, though again, you are not likely to cause any harm by
just enabling a whole bunch.

After you do the above, FFDSHOW will decode any AVI, MPEG, or whatever,
for which it has been enabled. It is a very simple solution to all the
CODECs overwhelm us.