Help
Are you still having issues with getting certain video files to run on Windows 7? Wasn't this sort of thing supposed to be fixed by now? This excerpt from David A. Karp's Windows 7 Annoyances will clue you in on what you can do to remedy the situation.
Windows 7 can handle full-screen, high-definition video streamed over the Internet from websites like Hulu without any special software beyond a web browser, the Adobe Flash plugin, and a suitable video driver. But try to play a low-res video file sitting on your hard disk, and it gets complicated.
Unlike most other types of files, the filename extension alone doesn’t dictate the encoding scheme of a video. All .jpg image files use standard JPEG compression, but a given .avi movie file may employ any one of dozens of available compression standards, called codecs. Without the proper codec for a video file, you won’t be able to play the video or even convert it to a playable format.
A codec (which stands for compressor/decompressor) is software installed on your PC, akin to a device driver, with most of the pitfalls and frustrations that implies. Codecs are frequently buggy, and a bad one can cause video playback problems and even application crashes.
Windows 7 only includes codecs for a few common (and aging) standards; need anything else, and you’re on your own. And since Windows provides no “Device Manager” or “Windows Update” tool for codecs, there’s no easy way to list the codecs installed on your PC, get updates, or install missing ones. (At least not without add-on software.) And don’t even get me started on the More Information link in Windows Media Player, which doesn’t provide anything one would recognize as useful information.
To play a particular video, you need to install the same codec that was used to create (compress) the video in the first place, regardless of the player application you’re using. (In other words, a missing codec isn’t a deficiency of Windows Media Player, per se, but rather of Windows.). To determine which codec was used for a particular video, you’ll need a program like GSpot or AVIcodec, both of which are free. Just drag-drop the video file onto GSpot (Figure 4.1) or AVIcodec, and the program will display the file’s video codec, audio codec, and other statistics.
Note
The codec utility may indicate that the required codec is already installed. As comforting as that may be, you might still need to download and install the latest version of the codec to play the troublesome video. Otherwise, you may not have all the latest bugs…er, fixes.
If one of these tools can’t identify the codec, the file might be corrupted or encoded with a nonstandard scheme. This doesn’t necessarily mean the video isn’t playable, but rather that it might be a bit of a chore to find out how to make it playable.
Provided you’re not able to personally ask whoever created the video
for details about the software used, the easiest trick is to open the file
in a standard text editor and look for the four-digit 4CC code near the beginning. Figure 4.2 shows the code
buried in a file, DIVX in this case,
which indicates that the DivX decompressor is needed to play this
video.
Figure 4.2. A hex editor or text editor will show you the 4CC code embedded in the beginning of most movie files
Armed with the name (or 4CC code) of the codec, go to http://www.fourcc.org/fcccodec.htm, and download the codec installer from the list. If the 4CC code isn’t there, a quick Google search (along with the word “codec”) should turn up some useful leads. After a bit of searching, you’ll probably figure out how widespread this video codec problem really is.
Once you’ve installed the codec, close any lingering Windows Media Player windows, and then try playing the video again. Keep in mind that there are often multiple versions of a single codec available—sometimes from different vendors—so you may need to install several codecs before you find the one that works.
Some of the more requested codecs include DivX, Xvid for MPEG-4,Apple Quicktime, and and FLV/Flash Video (described in the next section, ). After installing the latest versions of these four codecs, you should be able to play most of the videos you come across.
Warning
Some enterprising individuals have created codec packages, large installers that include several, if not dozens, of the codecs that people seem to need most. While these packages may seem convenient, there are several problems with this approach. For one, you’re installing more software and drivers than you really need. Second, these packages typically do away with the standalone installers, which means updating or removing individual codecs can be a chore. And worst of all, if one or of the installed programs or codecs causes a problem, it’s nearly impossible to troubleshoot it. My advice: avoid the packages and install codecs one-by-one as you need them.
If, after installing an individual codec or codec package, some of your videos no longer play (or their thumbnails no longer show up), there’s a little trick you can try before you uninstall and give up. The FFDShow Video Decoder Configuration tool, included with many codec packages and shown in Figure 4.3, helps you troubleshoot specific codec problems.
Figure 4.3. When more than one codec is installed for a specific video format, you can choose which one to use with FFDShow Video Decoder Configuration Tool
For instance, on one occasion, Windows lost the ability to play back some .avi files: Media Player crashed every time it tried to play one, and Windows Explorer displayed an error message whenever it attempted to render thumbnails for the videos. To fix a problem like this, open the FFDShow Video Decoder Configuration tool, select Codecs on the left, and in the right pane, find the codec used by the video file that’s causing the problem. Then, in the Decoder column, use the drop-down listbox to choose a different decoder from the list. Click OK when you’re done; the change should take effect immediately.
Another way to manage codecs is with the free CodecInstaller utility (http://www.jockersoft.com/). Not only does it list all the codecs installed on your PC—along with their version numbers and filenames—but it can analyze media files to identify required codecs and even download common codec installers.
Windows 7 may be faster and more stable than Windows Vista, but that's a far cry from problem-free. With Windows 7 Annoyances, you'll learn how to deal with a wide range of nagging problems before they deal with you. Annoyances.org founder David Karp offers you the tools to fix all sorts of Windows 7 issues, along with solutions, hacks, and timesaving tips to make the most of your PC.
