WMP [resolved]

[Stewart]

After years relatively problem free, I've recently started having a problem which seems video and/or audio codec related.

Question is, how does WMP "select" which codec to use & is there any user way to change the codec ?

[mal]

Hi Stewart, have you tried sherlock ?

SHERLOCK - The Codec Detective - FREE Codec Check Checking Utility!

[Fireblade]

Another program along the same lines as the one Mal has posted there, is Supereasy Codec Checker:

"Not playable", "Codec not found", "XXX cannot play the desired video because...", "No filter found", "XXX could not render".
Many a movie night has been ended abruptly - or at least interrupted by a message like this – which may not be surprising since software players usually inform you that a problem has occurred
(which you already know of course), but not about why it occurred or how it could be solved (which you would like to know).

This is where the SuperEasy Codec Checker steps into the breach. The software analyzes video clips and audio files and lists the found information in a clear tree structure.
Classified by audio- and video stream and by used file format the software informs you about for instance resolution, frame rate, file container, audio- and video bit rate, as well as about the used codec.
With this information you are perfectly equipped to install possibly missing software or to filter incompatible attributes of your current player during recoding – with our SuperEasy Video Converter for example.

[Stewart]

Thanks, all.

Seemed more than just a codec issue.
A couple of times after a restart played OK, but then reverted back – audio CDs OK, DVD played but like viewing video from behind Venetian blinds, and didn’t recognize my .avi files as media files & using “all files” option the video clip stopped at the first frame. Used different codecs but no difference.
Reinstalled WMP11 but still same although now recognized .avi media files.
Installed K-Lite Codec pack & all appears OK (touch wood) but (for now)

[mal]

Thanks for the feedback Stewart, glad it's sorted. For now..