Issues playing HD video.

[DeniqueCoelum]

I'm having major problems playing HD video. This includes my own home videos (1440 x 1080 / 29 fps) and dual-layer DVDs. I can't use WM Player because it's useless, the picture looks like a moving oil-painting. I can't use VLC player because the audio cuts out every few seconds when I play either HD video files or a dual-layer DVD. I can't use GOM Player because the audio lags severely when I play HD video files and it squeezes my wide-screen videos into a square for some reason (it's okay with dual-layer DVDs though, thankfully). I can't use KM Player because it just won't start, no matter how many times I reinstall it.

My drivers are up to date.

What's going on here?!

EDIT: The GOM Player audio lag is caused by the software playing the video at several times normal speed, but not speeding up the audio. I hate computers...

 

[Lee]

First, "Welcome to the Forums."

Give WMP a try, and if that doesn't work you may need to download a Codec Package (hopefully not). Sometimes for what ever reason the system just can't seem to play video files without a proper Codec. Good Luck.

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Thanks, Lee.

WMP is still just terrible for me. The video plays smoothly, but it's ruined by the lousy quality. I've tried tweaking the settings but the picture quality is consistently awful. You mention a Codec Package. Where would I be able to download that?

 

[Lee]

Thanks, Lee.

WMP is still just terrible for me. The video plays smoothly, but it's ruined by the lousy quality. I've tried tweaking the settings but the picture quality is consistently awful. You mention a Codec Package. Where would I be able to download that?

Just Google with the verbage "Video Codec for Windows 7," and you should be able to find quite a few out there. One I used in the past was "Shark Codec Package."

Good luck and please let me know how it comes out along with the Codec package you use, and how well it performed. That was I can build a knowledge base for helping others. . .

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Thanks! I had a go, downloaded a codec package from here: Windows 7 Codecs Pack for Windows Media Player WMP12 and Media Center

I don't see any difference in the performance, I'm afraid. Is there a specific codec package that you'd recommend for improved performance? All I want is to get rid of the awful blurry oil-painting effect.

 

[Evil Nemesis]

try BSPlayer

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Thanks, Evil Nemesis, BSPlayer is good, it plays my M2TS files perfectly, but unfortunately it seems to have a problem with AVI files: it only plays the audio not the video.

 

[Evil Nemesis]

install shark codecs, then try the files with media player classic home cinema, I'm sure they'll work

 

[Anthony]

If hes tried all those players and still having problems I'm guessing its something else amiss. no?

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Thanks for the tip Lee and Evil Nemesis. I installed Shark007's codec packaged, and it seems to've helped Windows Media Player. I think it has, anyway. My latest batch of videos are M2TS files, and I tried to play them on GOM Player (video fast / audio at normal speed, resulting in horrific mismatch) and BS Player (horrible interlacing, completely unwatchable) and VLC Player (pretty nasty interlacing, then the video ground to a halt, stuck on the one frame about 30 seconds in, and the audio kept going), but after installing the Shark codecs, the M2TS files play just fine on Windows Media Player, and I think the quality is improved. The real test will be whether WMP can play dual-layer DVDs without any problems. We shall see!

 

[Evil Nemesis]

what's your gfx card ?

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Asus Radeon HD 6770 1 GB.

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

The latest update on my utterly irritating situation: GOM Player (which played normal DVDs fine last night) no longer plays normal DVDs. When I try to play them, the player simply does nothing.

VLC Player has also developed an issue with normal DVDs, the sound blanks out for a second every few seconds, just like it does with HD DVDs.

WMP no longer plays normal DVDs, giving the following error message:

"Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because there is a problem with digital copy protection between your DVD drive, decoder, and video card. Try installing an updated driver for your video card."

BS.Player simply won't open normal DVDs.

This is getting beyond a joke...

 

[Evil Nemesis]

are you on 12.8 CCC ? else sound like a windows reinstalling or hardware issue to me.

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

I'm on 12.8 CCC. I'd rather not reinstall Windows unless I absolutely have to... what sort of hardware issues might there be? Might it be some fault with my GPU?

 

[Evil Nemesis]

a GPU fault can be detected via running a latest Game.

 

[Lee]

What you could do is try one of the try before you pay video players. The one I like and ended up purchasing was Cyberlink's Power DVD HD. Power DVD will do dual layer DVD's along with Blu-ray Disc. There is also WinDVD from Corel (tried it but went with Power DVD). Just some Ideas. . .

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give PowerDVD a go, I've downloaded the trial version.

I've just had a thought. Don't know if this is at all significant, but the problems with playback started after I'd played a Region 1 DVD on my PC. I didn't realise it was Region 1 until I looked at it just now, I bought it used at Money Station here in Scotland. The DVD played fine, and I watched half of it, on VLC Player. Then, when I tried to play it again later, it started repeatedly missing chunks of the audio at regular intervals. I think that's when the problem started. Before that, the only problem I'd had was with one HD DVD which wouldn't play on my PC, but that was the only HD DVD I'd ever tried and everything else worked okay.

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Here's the latest:

PowerDVD isn't much good for me, because - although DVDs play fine - the picture is really pixelated with all DVDs. You don't get the quality of picture that VLC or GOM Player provide. Is this problem unique to me?

P.S. Evil Nemesis, I have Asus SmartDoctor on my PC which monitors my GPU constantly. It should flag up an issues with the card. Also, games seem to be playing fine - I can play Minecraft full-screen without any performance issues, apart from SmartDoctor warning me about the temperature of my GPU increasing from time to time.

 

[DeniqueCoelum]

Problem solved! I think. I downloaded a trial of AnyDVD, and now everything works on VLC! I don't know whether to buy it or not when the trial runs out though - will it continue to work?