When I play any video files or clips the video plays at the right speed but the sound is distorted and sounds like Pinky and Perky (older Brits will know what I mean).

It's playing the sound at a slightly faster speed, or like listening to someone talking after inhaling helium.

This happens in Nero Showtime, Windows Media Player and Gom Player.

Anyone know why?

The same files were OK on my old computer, it's just been a problem on my new one.

Thanks

Do you experience distortions with *all* types of files including web-based media such as Flash? If so, try upgrading your audio drivers. However, I wouldn't rule out faulty hardware either. A bad audio chip may also exhibit the symptoms you described.

Have you tried VLC? VideoLAN - VLC media player - Open Source Multimedia Framework and Player

Thanks guys but neither solution worked.

All drivers are up to date which I would expect as the machine is new, and VLC has the same problem so I'll go with the faulty audio chip theory.

Guess I'll have to put up with it, lucky I always did like Pinky and Perky.

Try installing a PCI soundcard (if you can get hold of one). At least this will confirm whether or not the onboard audio chip is defective; in which case, you should take the computer back to wherever you bought it from to get the motherboard replaced. That is, if it's still under warranty.

Your other alternative would be to purchase a sound card which are relatively cheap nowadays... A couple hundred baht will afford you one -- without the bells and whistles of course, but good enough for casual audio playback.

Thanks Supernova, it's all under warranty etc. but it's a company machine and it'd take a couple of months to return it and get it back so I'll put up with it as I can watch movies etc. on my own computer at home. I guess the company techs didn't check out the video before sending it, they must have mistakenly thought I'd be using it for work!!

You could run a Linux Live CD or boot Linux from USB to check if the audio problem is hardware related. If it works on Linux it is most likely a Windows software problem.

Download | Ubuntu

That sounds too technical for me Welo, but thanks for the suggestion.