Win Media Player fussy with MPEG2

[Merv Wilson]

MPEG2 files saved with TMPGnc 12i encoding (480x576) play perfectly well on my computer using Win Media Player, (latest version 7.01.3055). But on other, similar PCs, Windows Media Player, (same version) will either refuse to play the file at all or plays distorted (tall picture).

MPEG1 files play perfectly well on WMPlayer on mine & on other PCs but the quality is LOUSY so if I want to distribute some of my movies on CD-Rs it forbids me to use the excellent encoding of TMPG 12i in MPEG2 mode - instead I have to resort to MPEG1, but quarter screen, 352x288. I have tried the MPEG2 Ligos encoder as supplied with MSPro6 but it is too 'blocky' & not as good as TMPG.

Cyberlink's PowerDVD running the same MPEG2 file is fine on my computer but on other PCs has some distortion (approx 10% squashed top & bottom). It also helps a little if these other machines have MSPro6 loaded on their Hard Disks (as I do) but is still distorted. (If I save it as a SVCD it still plays well on PowerDVD)

What do I have on my machine that the others do not? Of the others, they are all similar spec to mine.

Grateful for any suggestions,

Merv Wilson

My setup: CPU: AMD K7 Athlon 900Mhz. ATX power/supply 250W. Asus AV7 SktA M/Board.
Matrox Marvel G200 AGP VidCap/Graphics card 16Mb SDRAM. 512Mb of 133 system SDRAM.
30Gb system/boot Hard Disk IBM Deskstar. 40Gb Video Hard Disk IBM Deskstar.
Win98SE. Soundblaster 1024. Plextor CD-RW 10x12x32x. Iomega Zip 100Mb drive.
MediaStudioPro 6.0 Video Editing Software. WinOnCD 3.8 CD-burning software
Digital Camcorder: Sony PC4. DV in/out. 17in iiyama Vision Master Pro 410 - Diamondtron NF tube.
VCR: JVC HR-S7000 (S-VHS). Separate 5in JVC Monitor.

[Sciascia]

Sounds like you need to install an MPEG2 decoder on these other systems. It is relatively simple if you can find one. I have one called Directshow that allows me to select which MPEG2 filter I want. I imagine that PowerDVD registered the necessary decoder when you installed it. These files are really small, but if you can't find them you can install a mpeg player like ElcardMpeg Player and it will install and register the decoder for you. It is also free ( last time I checked).

[Alf Fulford]

Sciascia

I've been having the same problems with Win Media Player not playing MPEG-2 files burned on SVCD disks but after downloading and installing the Elecard MPEG Decoder I can now play my SVCDs on WMP v7.1 at full screen and the quality is excellent.

Many thanks for that information.

regards - Alf

[Merv Wilson]

Thanks Sciascia for the info on Elecard and its ability to play MPEG2 files with no problem. The Elecard Player also has the facility for changing the ratio of the playback screen by click/drag. I've not found a way to do that in WMPlayer7.1 nor in Cyberlink's PowerDVD Player. I am glad that it has also solved the problem for Alf & his WMPlayer7.1.

At the same time I fail to understand why Microsoft has failed to address this problem with its player. Why should it be left to a few clever bods to come up with a universal movie player (in particular to handle MPEG2 files) such as Elecard & PowerDVD. But it still means that I will have to provide the either of these two players on a CD when I come to distribute my movie files.

Just to reiterate Alf's comments, the quality of MPEG2 encoded by version 12i of TMPG (NOT the Ligos one supplied with MSPro6), converted from a DV Type 1 AVI file, is really good. And to cap it all this MPEG2 file is approx one tenth the size of the DV original.

Merv