Why Might Some Avi Files Play On My Dvd Player

[Richb2004v2]

I recently discovered the art of downloading AVi files. Although I can convert them to play on a regular DVD player I decided that it would be better to buy a new player that plays pretty much everything, and included a USB point. What I am finding is that some of the AVi files play fine whilst others play a few seconds and then go off regardless of if I burn them to DVD or put them on a USB stick. They all play on my PC. I can't see any difference between them. They are all tagged as AVi and are approx. the same size. Other than a faulty DVD player I can't work out what the problem might be, but it is quite annoying.

[TiredTeacher]

Some .avi files are encoded using various codecs such as divx. The chance is that this is the most likely.

Now, your computer will play these as either you have downloaded these codec packs to view stuff or the pirate computer guy that sold you the computer, without all licensed stuff, included this as well (more likely in Thailand).

Now, divx moves fast... if your tv's player does support it, the chances are it supports something a few months to a year back. Most pirated videos on the net tend to use such codecs.

Solution: Use a program that can read the video and convert it to the most likely readable format i.e. MPEG! Then put it on your USB stick and have lots of fun.

If it isn't divx it will be another codec. Programs such as avidemux etc will convert (more for video editors)... I used to do this using a really easy and free program, but I have forgotten the name. If you want to pay then use Adobe Media Encoder.

[JohanV]

TiredTeacher is right. It all has to do with the codecs.

There a program called "AVI Codec Viewer" that shows you what codec a certain AVI file is coded with.

You can download from here: http://avi-codec-viewer.soft-ware.net/download.asp

It is legal & freeware.

The reason you can't play them on your DVD is that your DVD can't download new codecs, it only has the ones that are burnt into its chips.

If you run into an AVI file that you can't play - even on your computer - you can use the viewer to determine what codec is used,

and then do a Google search for that. The chance is big you will find a downloadable version of the codec that you can install on your computer

and after that you will be able to view the AVI file.

Some players - e.g. Windows Media Player - have (default) settings that enables them to automatically search for, download and install new codecs

as you attempt to play a file.

All codecs are ID'd by a four-letter abbreviation that is unique for that codec. It is called FOURCC or something like that.

This ID can be seen in the viewer and - if there is no name for the codec - you can use the FOURCC to identify - or Google it.

The reason the world is now filled with so many different codecs is that there are many clever ways to compress video ( and audio ) data

to reduce bandwidth needs and increase download speed. Each codec represents a unique method/protocol for data compression.

Good luck

Edited May 15, 2010 by JohanV

[dave_boo]

As an aside, there are a lot of XVID movies floating around; these are a bit better than DiVX which the others are talking about.

Technically AVI is a container, much like MKV, MP4, OGM, or Quicktime. Inside the *.AVI there can be DV, h.261-262-263-264 (264 not widely used in AVI containers due to b-frame issues), INDEO 3/4/5, MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 part 2 (which the following codecs fall under--3ivx, DivX, FFMPEG MPEG-4, HDX4, Nero Digital, Xvid), OGV(Theora), Sorenson, VC-1, WMV, and a whole bunch more!

**edit**

My bad, Real Video can not be transported in *.AVI....so solly.

Edited May 15, 2010 by dave_boo

[dscheydschey]

As an aside, there are a lot of XVID movies floating around; these are a bit better than DiVX which the others are talking about.

Technically AVI is a container, much like MKV, MP4, OGM, or Quicktime. Inside the *.AVI there can be DV, h.261-262-263-264 (264 not widely used in AVI containers due to b-frame issues), INDEO 3/4/5, MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 part 2 (which the following codecs fall under--3ivx, DivX, FFMPEG MPEG-4, HDX4, Nero Digital, Xvid), OGV(Theora), Sorenson, VC-1, WMV, and a whole bunch more!

**edit**

My bad, Real Video can not be transported in *.AVI....so solly.

Yes it can. Just google "flv (or rv, ram, rmvb) to avi" and u´ll find a lot of freeware...

Cheers,

Jo

[steve187]

to watch all avi formats on a computer use VLC player it free and will play everything you throw at it, no codecs required. lastest version is here - http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html. Regarding playing on your tv, it will be the way the avi was encoded, you can re-encode or connect your computer to the tv and watch as a second monitor if it is a lcd tv use a vga connector or if its a an old tv without a vga socket use a s'video cable. see this goggle page here - http://www.google.co.th/search?q=s+video&a...lient=firefox-a

[steveb]

I suggest you use a video converter program and you will not have any problems to watch on tv. I have very good results with any video converter and set it at mpg2. I comes out full screen and super clear.

http://www8.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

[dave_boo]

Yes it can. Just google "flv (or rv, ram, rmvb) to avi" and u´ll find a lot of freeware...

Cheers,

Jo

Ummh, you mean that it can be trasncoded into avi.....not transported.

[bendejo]

You may want to check out k-lite, it's a package of codecs and utilities for dealing with them.

[Richb2004v2]

TiredTeacher is right. It all has to do with the codecs.

There a program called "AVI Codec Viewer" that shows you what codec a certain AVI file is coded with.

You can download from here: http://avi-codec-viewer.soft-ware.net/download.asp

It is legal & freeware.

Thanks for that. It's quite useful.

I have opted to use freestudio to convert the movies to a DVD player usable format.

Thanks for all the advice though.