The VideoLAN Forums

Hi. I was having installed VLC 0.8.4 in my system. I was able to watch my WMV1, WMV2 (WMV 8) and WMV3 (WMV 9) files and also WMA2 (WMA 9). Recently, I have made some wmv video files with codec WVC1 (WMV9 AP) and VLC 0.8.4 could playback them normally. But because it couldn't play the WMA3 sound (WMA 10), I decided to download a newer version (vlc-0.8.6-svn-20060911-0002-win32.exe). I read in the website that VC-1 and WMA3 would be playable in VLC v0.8.6 using ffmpeg library and that are already playable in nigthly releases. I also read that VLC can use Microsoft's DMOs to playback the files. The new version however, not only couldn't playback WMA 10, but now I can't even see WMV9 AP videos (previously I could)! The player is showing some green nasty lines instead of the video. Why is that? How can I set whether ffmpeg or DMOs will be responsible for rendering WMV files? I can't find any relative setting. Please help, I love VLC. Thanks.

You can launch vlc from a "command box" :
vlc.exe --codec dmo or vlc.exe --codec ffmpeg to force the decoder.

Hi again and thank you for your fast response. The presence of a developer is always needed in a forum to spread his knowledge in the class of advanced users who then have to teach the novices etc! Yes indeed, when I typed in the Start-->Run box "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --codec dmo the player opened and I was able to open the WVC1 videos! But like 0.8.4, I can't hear the WMA3 sound (track is disabled). When I type "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --codec ffmpeg the situation is the one described in my first post. So I understand that the default setting in VLC 0.8.6 is to use ffmpeg to handle Windows Media. How can I change this default setting? I want to open my videos via right click-->Open with VLC method and use DMOs. Is there any GUI checkbox for that? And when will be supported the WMA 10 codec? These two are my questions.

I think the best thing for you would be handle the files association for the files you want to be opened with VLC --codec dmo. You can edit you rregistry or in your windows explorer optrions: Just change vlc.exe to vlc.exe --codec dmo.

About WMA10, I don't know.

Just a short time ago I went through a series of tests of 0.8.5 and HD sound and Video using Microsoft's newest codecs. I experienced no problems with VLC using these codecs including or with multi channel audio.

To j-b: OK, I change the association via Tools-->Folder Options...-->File Types-->WMV-->Advanced-->Edit, but I think that it would be better to have an option in VLC settings for that. Now it works well and the wmv files are being opened with VLC using dmo, but this solution is not perfect. First of all, I forced myself to de-associate wmv from WMP. I think that I have to tweak the registry to accomplish the same result (VLC in dmo mode) via right click-->Open with VLC (keeping the association with WMP). Second, I have many wmv files (with WVC1), but some of them VLC can't play them back with that way. The player opens and the play button quickly switches 3 times from play to pause and then stops. I have to go via File-->Quick Open File to play these particular videos.
To DJ: Do you mean that you succeeded to playback videos with WMA 10 audio codec? How is that? Otherwise, all the other (audio and video) codecs are working fine under dmo mode. To be more precise, VLC can't playback WMA3 5.1 audio, because I have a wmv video (capture from TV) with WMA 10 stereo and VLC handles the audio stream correctly. Do I have to check any option for the 5.1 sound to work? Thanks.

Yep. You may need to tweak registry. I think you can do it in another way with the files options, but I don't remember et Windows is far away...

OK, it seems I found the source of my problem with WMA 10. When I encode a video (DVD ripping) with stereo WMA 10 sound, the VLC player can play it back normally. The problem seems to be with WMA 10 5.1 sound, maybe because my system is with stereo speakers (2.1). Somewhere I read that many players can playback WMA Pro surround sound, but only WMP can do the downmix to 2.1. That's why I can hear the sound in WMP, but not in VLC. 3 WMV files with WMA 10 5.1 sound are not playable (sound track I mean) by VLC and 2 other with WMA 10 stereo sound are playable. So I think that this is the case. Just for decreasing the confuse in the forum...