Problems with streaming an .asx file to my hard-disk

[shirker]

Hello all after some time. I am currently having problems with playing online-video with Windows Media Player; for details see: Firefox and Windows Media Player problems (it's a thread that I've opened on Ars Technica forum), so I've decided to try it with VLC Player.


And since I am still on dial-up, I also want to stream the output to my hard-disk for later viewing. Therefore I choose Open Network Stream, then I check the Stream/Save (under Advanced options), and under Outputs section, tick/check File checkbox and choose my local directory "D:\Referent\Linkings\video.ws.asx" as the output location. But nomather what I try, it doesn't seem to work (sometimes I also checked "Play locally", but I can't even view it normally); although the "video.ws.asx" file is surely being written into the specified directory, however it seems that it's not in the "right format" (or whatever)


So I am curious: is there anything else that I should do, i.e. for instance what should I choose for "Encapsulation Method": MPEG TS (default) or Raw, then further, what are all those "Transcoding options" (related to codecs), should I set those too??


P.S. - I am trying to stream this particular stream/file: video.ws.asx (btw. it's a Saddam Hussein's execution video, so be warned that it's quite graphical), and I am running Windows XP/SP2 and attempting to stream it with the latest VLC 0.8.6.


regards, shirker

[DJ]

Choosing ASF for the container, giving the file a folder and name should be sufficient in this case. Viewing the video may be problematic for you as not viewing, records at best speed of your equipment. However just downloading the file may be the best option here, if that's possible.

[shirker]

Choosing ASF for the container, giving the file a folder and name should be sufficient in this case.

Thank you for the quick reply; yeah, I also thought first "by intuition" of choosing ASF, although I later realized that file's extension is actually .asx and not .asf, and want' sure if they are at all related ...


shirker

[DJ]

Ya! I read it wrong! ASX is a playlist that can contain almost anything. It's difficult to transcode without knowing what the source is. Using RAW still doesn't allow you to name the file properly.

Try pressing ctrl i while playing the playlist then go to the advanced info... tab to see the formats in use. Post that here.

[shirker]

However just downloading the file may be the best option here, if that's possible.

Yeah, unfortunately I can't. I tried with chaning the "action" in Firefox for ASX file-type (from "Open in Window Media Player" to "Save to Disk"), I tried with wget, tried to download it with IE, trying to play it various other players etc. etc.


I just don't want to install the HiDownload program (that saved my butt once; seeLearn me on streaming (of "rtsp" protocol) thread on Ars Technica forum for details if you want) just to be able to want this one single clip.


P.S. - Oh and when I wrote that I was unable to play it, it was that if "Play locally" was checked the video-window was in sort of gray colour, while if I didn't check it, it seemed first to play normally, but was just stuck in the "welcoming CNN screen" (when they warn you about "graphical conent"), and also, I did managed to output the stream to the "video.ws.asx" file that was written to the specified directory, but after approx. 1.5 MB it just stoped/prematurely finsihed, lol.


shirker

[shirker]

Try pressing ctrl i while playing the playlist then go to the advanced info... tab to see the formats in use. Post that here.

OK thanks, I did that and here below is the screenshot of that sub-window.




shirker