Playback problem with .wmv and HD files

[g30rge]

I've recently reformatted and done a fresh install of windows xp pro sp2.

Now i've installed VLC whenever i playback .wmv files they are very slow to start and if a move the playback timeline cursor the image displays very strange colours/ artifacts and pixelation for a few seconds unitl the normal video bleeds through.
These files play correctly in windows media player and i have not installed any codec packs. All other file types, avi, mpg, iso etc play fine in VLC.

Also any HD footage i've downloaded from Microsfot or sky.com etc. in .mov, mpg or wmv plays back very poorly and sometimes without audio.
It either doesn't play, just a black screen or playback at about half a frame per second and even lower (skipping frames in between) and similar artifacts to the standard wmv files. Again all these files play fine in win media player.
Curiously in task manager whilst trying to play these files vlc.exe maximum at around 51 or 52% or below CPU usage.

I have tried reducing the resolution and color depth of my video card and tyoe --codec dmo after the properties in shortcut but they didn't help.

Dual core AMD opteron 170
2gb ram
Asus A8N-sli premium
Nvidia GeForce 7600GS

[CloudStalker]

Sounds familiar. Update the video card drivers and update the DirectX drivers. Once you've done that go to Preferences > (tab) Video > Output modules > (check the "Advanced options" box) choose "DirectX video output" from the drop-list.

[g30rge]

Thanks for advice, have updated and changed preferences in video settings but no change in playback.
Any other ideas?

[kmf31]

Your observation:

if a move the playback timeline cursor the image displays very strange colours/ artifacts and pixelation for a few seconds unitl the normal video bleeds through.

is quite universal and I observe it also with vlc on Linux. This is really the way the wmv-decoder in ffmpeg (and therefore in vlc) is working. It is only working for about a year or a little bit less (i.e. for wmv3) and this is a complete different and free implementation which has nothing to do with the implementation of Windows-Media-player. Actually the simple fact of having a free implementation is already a very big achievement and makes wmv3 also accessible for Linux.

The Windows-Media-player has for years the advantage that the MS-programmers have complete access to the detailed specifications of wmv while the open implementation is based on reverse-engineering and is less performant.

Furthermore the audio codec for certains HD-wmv-videos is, to my understanding, not yet supported in ffmpeg. I have heard that this is maybe on the programm for this summer.


I am not sure but I think I have heard that in vlc-Windows you may eventually also use a Windows-codec for wmv. If that is possible this might solve "your problem".

[DJ]

I've recently reformatted and done a fresh install of windows xp pro sp2.

Now i've installed VLC whenever i playback .wmv files they are very slow to start and if a move the playback timeline cursor the image displays very strange colours/ artifacts and pixelation for a few seconds unitl the normal video bleeds through.
These files play correctly in windows media player and i have not installed any codec packs. All other file types, avi, mpg, iso etc play fine in VLC.

Also any HD footage i've downloaded from Microsfot or sky.com etc. in .mov, mpg or wmv plays back very poorly and sometimes without audio.
It either doesn't play, just a black screen or playback at about half a frame per second and even lower (skipping frames in between) and similar artifacts to the standard wmv files. Again all these files play fine in win media player.
Curiously in task manager whilst trying to play these files vlc.exe maximum at around 51 or 52% or below CPU usage.

I have tried reducing the resolution and color depth of my video card and tyoe --codec dmo after the properties in shortcut but they didn't help.

Dual core AMD opteron 170
2gb ram
Asus A8N-sli premium
Nvidia GeForce 7600GS

You have core saturation for a dual core system at 50% CPU usage. VLC does NOT use dual core processing because there is no open source encoders or decoders that support this.

[g30rge]

@DJ - Thanks for this info, that's one worry resolved.

@kmf31 - OK good info, this is a great application and well worth checking back for future updates.
In the meantime I can use windows media for .wmv as with VLC installed no other codec packs for windows media (so far for me anyway) require installation.

My main use is for playing DVD .iso's with DD or DTS audio and VLC is fantastic.


Thanks again to all.