HELP - Error message "Video not available, cannot find vids:cvid decompressor"

[dimize]

I get this error message when I start Half-Life 2.

The game play is fine and so is the ingame video's.

However, when the game starts, this message appears.

Anyone know of a fix?

Thanks,
Dim-Ize

 

[Son of Blahguy]

Sounds like the codec used for the intro video is not installed on your
system.
Have you tried the Half-life 2 website for support?

 

[dimize]

Sounds like the codec used for the intro video is not installed on your
system.
Have you tried the Half-life 2 website for support?

Thanks for your suggestion.

I've tried the support forums. Unfortunately the search feature is
disabled. As you can imagine there are thousands of posts to scroll
through looking for my particullar problem.

Also, I cannot seem to find a way to contact Steam or Valve to ask
them directly.

I downloaded this game through Steam, Valve's online payment and
distribution system.

I can't imagine why I wouldn't have gotten the intro video, but that
makes sense to me as to the error - as opposed to me missing some sort
of codec which is what I thought was the problem.

Anyone else have any suggestions as I continue to try and reach Valve?

Thanks,
Dim-Ize

 

[dimize]

Thanks for your suggestion.

I've tried the support forums. Unfortunately the search feature is
disabled. As you can imagine there are thousands of posts to scroll
through looking for my particullar problem.

Also, I cannot seem to find a way to contact Steam or Valve to ask
them directly.

I downloaded this game through Steam, Valve's online payment and
distribution system.

I can't imagine why I wouldn't have gotten the intro video, but that
makes sense to me as to the error - as opposed to me missing some sort
of codec which is what I thought was the problem.

Anyone else have any suggestions as I continue to try and reach Valve?

Thanks,
Dim-Ize

Actually, it is a codec problem.

I found the intro movie (thanks for getting me thinking correctly) and
used gspot to determine why the file wouldn't play.

It says I don't have the codec installed. I checked in system32
directory and I do in fact have it installed. It was part of XP
Service Pack 2 update.

Very puzzled. I can play every other type of file (video file) on my
system except this one.

Dim-Ize

 

[Son of Blahguy]

Actually, it is a codec problem.

I found the intro movie (thanks for getting me thinking correctly) and
used gspot to determine why the file wouldn't play.

It says I don't have the codec installed. I checked in system32
directory and I do in fact have it installed. It was part of XP
Service Pack 2 update.

Very puzzled. I can play every other type of file (video file) on my
system except this one.

Dim-Ize

I think there was some kind of similar Indeo codec problem, if you had
installed 5.11, all of your 5.10 reliant videos would either just not play
at all (you didn't even know you had missed them), or the screen would go
black for the duration of the movie.
Maybe there is some way to register the codec in the registry, or get the
codec by themselves and install them.

Good luck.