.wmv (wmv10) and VLC - no audio or video

[bahamut]

I didn't really find much in a search (there's a lot, but not much that's too useful).
I tried to play a wmv file, but I got nothing. It plays perfectly in WMP10, but not in WMP9. If it's a simple matter of copying DLLs into the plugins folder, I'd like to know which ones. I use Portable VLC, BTW.

[DJ]

I know this is going to sound a bit confusing, so I will try to say it as simple as possible.

WMV/WMA 1 & 2 is handled by FFmpeg for VLC. WMV3 or HD and WVC1 along with multi-channel audio is handled through the Windows dshow codecs.

The best bet when trying to play any of these files is press ctrl i and then the Advanced Information tab and look at the formats.

The easiest way to get the codecs is to install the latest version of WMP 10 (WMP 11 Beta is NOT recommended).

For Windows 9x - Me try installing the Windows Media Format SDK package.

For XP users that want WVC1, the addon can be gained from Microsoft by searching WVC1DMO and downloading the encoder/decoder package.

[bahamut]

I opened it on a machine with WMP10 installed, and I'm getting choppy audio and video. Edit: If I skip even a few seconds ahead, it gets smooth, though. Odd.

Stream 0
Codec: wmap
Language:
Type: Audio
Channels: 2
Sample Rate: 48000 Hz
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 335 kb/s
Codec Name: Windows Media Audio 9.1 Professional
Codec Description: 384 kbps, 48kHz, 2 channel 24-bit 2 pass VBR

Stream 1
Codec: WMV3
Language:
Type: Video
Resolution: 320x240
Codec Name: Windows Media Video 9

Is there a way to make sure WMV will work on any computer that can run VLC?

[Guest]

Hopefully FFmpeg project gets the VC-1/WMV3 decoder ready soon, after that WMV works on all platforms without Microsoft codecs. Meanwhile you have to listen DJ's advice. And there aren't any easy way to know for sure that WMV3 works for VLC (Codec packs can also mess WMV decoders).

[bahamut]

Because I use Portable VLC, I'd like to be able to play the files on computers that may not have WMP10 installed. I want to know if this is possible. If I can simply copy the codec files into VLC's plugins directory, which files are they?

[DJ]

NO! VLC is not a dshow player. WMV3 or WVC1 is an exception for VLC and under Windows only. Windows codecs must be installed and registered for use under dshow's axtivex system.

As the Guest mentioned codec packs can and do mess up that system.

[bahamut]

So Windows VLC depends on Windows to have the codecs installed when it wants to play a WMV3 file?

[Guest]

Yes.