Vista and Media Player 11

[FrankSpokane]

When I play a movie in media player 11, I get the sound but no picture- just
a black screen.

I'm pretty sure it worked a couple months ago - could one of the windows
automatic updates changed a setting?

How can I fix this or what should I check - thanks

 

[Charlie Tame]

When I play a movie in media player 11, I get the sound but no picture- just
a black screen.

I'm pretty sure it worked a couple months ago - could one of the windows
automatic updates changed a setting?

How can I fix this or what should I check - thanks

I have some stuff that is both legitimate and works fine with other
players, but the Vista version of media player simply won't play it.
Usually it complains about a missing codec, goes off to find it, claims
to have downloaded / installed it but still does the same thing you
describe.

Frankly the new WMP seems more interested in trying to "Sell" you media
and gather information about you than it does in playing anything.

I suggest you try this

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

which seems able to play just about anything.

The problem with trying to download codecs yourself is that they seem to
fix one movie and break another, in general it seems safer to leave WMP
alone and use an alternative for the ones that won't play.

You could search Google Groups for posts by zachd on the subject, most
will recommend against downloading "Codec Packs". Probably there is
something in the file that WMP thinks is incorrect, and it may well be
so but other players often ignore things and try to play anyway.

 

[oscar]

Hi,

Media Player 11 plays 95% of my dvd's and video files. The other 5% won't
play on MP11 for reasons unknown (maybe Vista's MP11 is looking for certain
video headers?) but will on XP versions. I spent hours trying to remedy this,
including downloading codecs. Final solution: Gom Player. Yahoo "Gom PLayer."
It's free and works 99% of the time.

oscar

 

[Greg]

Yep same problem here. Try it in skins mode - for me it won't show the video
in full mode but will in skins mode. Has been like that for months. Totally
unacceptable, but what can you do? Microsoft aren't concerned about fixing
things like that and we just continue to put up with it.

 

[marty]

just browsing through some posts and came across yours re wmp i gave up using
wmp 8 months ago it wouldn't play anything probably codec problems but
instead of just telling it icouldn'nt play them it "stopped working"then shut
down windows explorer then attempted to find a solution then reported back
saying it couldn't find one i have since taken advice other postee's and put
wmp classic on although nero works well as does divx player

 

[zachd [MSFT]]

You pretty clearly have a video card driver issue with your third party
video card. Update the drivers on that and you should be fine.

Everyone I know who works at Microsoft always wants to fix things. When
things fall down, it pains everyone. It's an ecosystem, and it's got to be
healthy / bug-free through and through. =\

 

[zachd [MSFT]]

Could you tell me what the fault details of your crash were according to the
Problem Reports and Solutions Center control panel:
http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#bucket
?

I can often decode those for you.

 

[zachd [MSFT]]

What file types are affected?