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Windows 8.1 32bit Irfanview plays MP4 video, W 7 errors can't find codec

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    Solved Windows 8.1 32bit Irfanview plays MP4 video, W 7 errors can't find codec

    I have a Windows 8.1 machine and a Windows 7 machine.

    Uninstalled all (32 and 64 bit) versions of irfanview on both.

    Installed 32 bit v4.41 on both, then general plugins on both.

    On the Windows 8.1 machine, it plays video with the built in player just fine (MP4 from digital camera).

    On the Windows 7 machine, it used to complain about trying to install Roxio CinePlayer(?) but failed when it couldn't find original install files(????). I have Roxio installed but never used or knew about the CinePlayer.

    Fiddled with Properties/Video on the Windows 7 machine, now it just errors out with the error text below.

    BUT, if I open the built in video player in Irfanview on the Windows 7 machine, it plays the same video just fine! AUGH!

    I'm sure I'm missing some setting, somewhere, but WHERE? I've compared the Properties/Video settings between machines they're the same.

    Oh, and I'm SURE I never loaded special codecs on the machine where everything works, apparently the W8 machine knows to start the built in player, but the W7 machine doesn't.

    Attached are video settings from W7 machine.

    Here's the error text from the W7 machine:

    Error: Windows can't play this file!

    Windows error text: Can't create video player or Unknown codec.

    You can try to install additional video/audio codecs from this site:
    FOURCC, four character code, pixel, format, video, YUV, RGB, codec, windows, microsoft, video for windows, windows media player, AVI


    Or try the DirectShow option in 'Properties->Video'.

    There are several nice codec packs, like K-Lite Codec Pack etc.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by rwernst; 02.03.2016, 01:49 PM. Reason: Solved!

    #2
    I get the same error on Windows 7 64-bit.
    Before you post ... Edit your profile • IrfanView 4.62 • Windows 10 Home 19045.2486

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      #3
      On my Windows 7 machine, I happen to be able to play mp4 video (at least the files I have tested) using both 32- and 64-bit IV 4.41, in both external and internal DirectShow player. But I don't think this is an IrfanView issue, it depends on your system configuration. On one of your computers this extension seems to be associated with some Roxio software. Which program opens mp4 by default, from Explorer? Can you play these files in default Windows player?

      When set to use internal player with DirectShow, 32-bit IV is using Haali Media Splitter, and 64-bit IV uses ffdshow. I have these things installed for completely different purposes, and for watching video I use dedicated programs.
      IrfanView 4.62 64-bit

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        #4
        The same here with Iview 4.41/32 on Win7/64. Played around with the video options, but with no success.
        Did you ever install video-codecs on your system? If not, installing K-Lite codec pack basic (or standard) might help. You'll find it at http://www.softpedia.com and some other places on the web.
        However, I would use a 'real' video player instead of Iview. MPC-HC, VLC or Light Alloy are some of them and they all play MP4-files.
        Win 10/64 Home 22H2 IrfanView 4.66/64
        Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet. (Maya Angelou)

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          #5
          Originally posted by Jacal View Post
          On my Windows 7 machine, I happen to be able to play mp4 video (at least the files I have tested) using both 32- and 64-bit IV 4.41, in both external and internal DirectShow player. But I don't think this is an IrfanView issue, it depends on your system configuration. On one of your computers this extension seems to be associated with some Roxio software. Which program opens mp4 by default, from Explorer? Can you play these files in default Windows player?

          When set to use internal player with DirectShow, 32-bit IV is using Haali Media Splitter, and 64-bit IV uses ffdshow. I have these things installed for completely different purposes, and for watching video I use dedicated programs.
          Windows Media Player opens MP4 files by default on each machine.

          What is DirectShow? How does irfanview or directshow decide/get set to use a particular program to play the video?

          What's strange, is if I open the media player within irfanview, it plays the file just fine... :\

          I want a program that will show both pictures (jpg) AND video in one player. BUT, I want one that'll work in Linux and Irfanview runs great in Linux.

          Didn't want to load any extra codecs, since the player in irfanview already plays the video just fine on both machines, just that one won't by default.

          Comment


            #6
            DirectShow is "a multimedia framework and API produced by Microsoft for software developers to perform various operations with media files or streams" (you can read the Wikipedia article). IrfanView can use it - "(with installed codecs!)" - to play "most video formats". I wouldn't try this on Linux, it can get quite complicated even on Windows. IrfanView does not come with internal support for all the video formats, so it depends on system wide decoders. Troubleshooting a single format, that is important for you, can be done, but I wouldn't try to make IV my default video player for multiple different, exotic formats. (Same with Windows media player: making it play a mkv file with multiple audio tracks and subtitles, with chapters etc. perhaps is possible, but not worth the effort.)

            About codec packs: "I strongly advise against installing any general Codec Packs. These packs are tempting, as they typically advertise themselves as containing all the codecs you'll ever need in one package. However, they are known to cause conflicts which can result in a range of problems, from reduced performance, glitches and crashes in games and multimedia playback, to the complete loss of audio in certain applications. Even Microsoft warns against the installation of codec packs /.../. In some cases only a full reinstall of Windows can completely undo the damage caused by a codec pack."
            Source: TweakGuides Tweaking Companion, Windows 7.

            There are tools that can help you control priorities of installed codecs and filters on Windows, but I don't do this any more. The lightweight MPC-HC plays most video formats out of the box, and VLC - as a backup - can play almost all of them. Like many other video players. For Linux, I would choose a native Linux tool. (OK, I know that no Linux image viewer can "really" replace IrfanView, but I don't advise to use it for video.)

            I hope this is of some help. But I'm a dilettante here.
            IrfanView 4.62 64-bit

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              #7
              SOLVED!

              CinePlayer is something from Roxio (I have their 2011 Creator package), but apparently wasn't installed correctly or got corrupted somehow, and I never used it so never had an issue before. Supposedly it adds DVD playing capability to XP and Vista, no idea what it would do for W7, and don't play DVDs on my computer anyway.

              Hence Irfanview trying to install it when it tried to play the mp4 video on the W7 box.

              After much fiddling around, I uninstalled CinePlayer (that may have fixed it, I didn't try at that point), then tried to reinstall CD Creator 2011, failed at CinePlayer install, kept complaining that a later version was already installed.

              Found that I'd downloaded SP1 for CD Creator, so ran that and it went through fine. Apparently fixed/updated/installed CinePlayer ok as it's listed in programs again.

              Didn't run it manually at all, just fired up Irfanview and the video played just fine, just as it had/did on the W8 machine.

              Thanks for all the tips and help.

              (Now I'll go try to find how to change this to Solved)

              Rich

              Cure was found by fiddling around. Uninstalled CinePlayer (it was listed separately)

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