Pixellated display of wmv files by Media Player

[bnmohan via WindowsKB.com]

Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display
Any .wmv file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated
display :each pixel is 4mm by 4mm. The colour display also is something that
reminds me of the display with 16colour setting in old CRT monitors.

I am told this could be due to corrupted codecs. If so, how can I correct it?

Thanks

Mohan

--
Message posted via WindowsKB.com
http://www.windowskb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/windowsxp/201008/1

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Why isn't SP3 installed yet?

Support for WinXP SP2 ended on 13 July 2010. Computers running WinXP SP2
"will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update" [i.e., updates
released on & after 02 August 2010] until SP3 has been installed. Extended
Support for WinXP SP3 will continue through 08 April 2014.

• What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean

WMP FAQ - Playing music and video files:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/playing_files.mspx


bnmohan via WindowsKB.com wrote:
> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display
> Any .wmv file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated
> display :each pixel is 4mm by 4mm. The colour display also is something
> that
> reminds me of the display with 16colour setting in old CRT monitors.
>
> I am told this could be due to corrupted codecs. If so, how can I correct
> it?
>
> Thanks
>
> Mohan

 

[Stefan Patric]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:24:50 +0000, bnmohan via WindowsKB.com wrote:

> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display Any .wmv
> file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated display
> :each pixel is 4mm by 4mm. The colour display also is something that
> reminds me of the display with 16colour setting in old CRT monitors.
>
> I am told this could be due to corrupted codecs. If so, how can I
> correct it?

Are you playing the files full screen? Sounds like it. More than likely
the resolution of these videos is much, much smaller than 1364x768.
Check the properties of the video, if possible, to see what the true
resolution is, and play it at that size.

Try the above before assuming it's a corrupted codec.

Stef

 

[Alias]

On 08/11/2010 02:41 PM, PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> Why isn't SP3 installed yet?
>
> Support for WinXP SP2 ended on 13 July 2010. Computers running WinXP SP2
> "will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update" [i.e.,
> updates released on & after 02 August 2010] until SP3 has been
> installed. Extended Support for WinXP SP3 will continue through 08 April
> 2014.
>
> • What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean

Hack:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180478/Registry_hack_allows_Windows_XP_SP2_patching

--
Alias

 

[bnmohan via WindowsKB.com]

No: The files are played asis: clicked on email attachments

Mohan

Stefan Patric wrote:
>> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display Any .wmv
>> file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated display
>[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>> I am told this could be due to corrupted codecs. If so, how can I
>> correct it?
>
>Are you playing the files full screen? Sounds like it. More than likely
>the resolution of these videos is much, much smaller than 1364x768.
>Check the properties of the video, if possible, to see what the true
>resolution is, and play it at that size.
>
>Try the above before assuming it's a corrupted codec.
>
>Stef

--
Message posted via WindowsKB.com
http://www.windowskb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/windowsxp/201008/1

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[Figures you'd post that...]

Alias wrote:
> On 08/11/2010 02:41 PM, PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>> Why isn't SP3 installed yet?
>>
>> Support for WinXP SP2 ended on 13 July 2010. Computers running WinXP SP2
>> "will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update" [i.e.,
>> updates released on & after 02 August 2010] until SP3 has been
>> installed. Extended Support for WinXP SP3 will continue through 08 April
>> 2014.
>>
>> • What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
>> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean
>
> Hack:
>
> http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180478/Registry_hack_allows_Windows_XP_SP2_patching

 

[Stefan Patric]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:46:57 +0000, bnmohan via WindowsKB.com wrote:

> No: The files are played asis: clicked on email attachments

What do you mean "as is"? Does the Media Player app open using the whole
screen or is it very small? If it opens full-screen, resize it smaller
and see if the video quality improves. What size are the wmv files?

Stef

> Stefan Patric wrote:
>>> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display Any .wmv
>>> file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated display
>>[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>>> I am told this could be due to corrupted codecs. If so, how can I
>>> correct it?
>>
>>Are you playing the files full screen? Sounds like it. More than
>>likely the resolution of these videos is much, much smaller than
>>1364x768. Check the properties of the video, if possible, to see what
>>the true resolution is, and play it at that size.
>>
>>Try the above before assuming it's a corrupted codec.
>>
>>Stef

 

[bnmohan via WindowsKB.com]

Hi!

Thanks!

1) XP is SP3 not SP2 mentioned in my first post.

2) By asis I mean there are no special settings to WMP: the email attachment
is a .wmv and double clicked upon. The video I saw was about 10 cm wide by 8
cm tall. It was not Fullscreen, as the rest of the WMP skin is visible.

3) Today I double clicked on a sample .WMV found on the HDD. WMP opened
opened nomally: and then the screen became like VGA: with the top left
quarter blue (the blue of BSOD), the other three quarters black; and XP hung.
Had to power off. On restart, I have set Video Accleration to min, and left
it like that: I could not check again

I will report on the situation next week: when I can access the machine again

Thanks again

Mohan

Stefan Patric wrote:
>> No: The files are played asis: clicked on email attachments
>
>What do you mean "as is"? Does the Media Player app open using the whole
>screen or is it very small? If it opens full-screen, resize it smaller
>and see if the video quality improves. What size are the wmv files?
>
>Stef
>
>>>> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display Any .wmv
>>>> file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated display
>[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>>
>>>Stef

--
Message posted via WindowsKB.com
http://www.windowskb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/windowsxp/201008/1

 

[Stefan Patric]

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 103:22 +0000, bnmohan via WindowsKB.com wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Thanks!
>
> 1) XP is SP3 not SP2 mentioned in my first post.
>
> 2) By asis I mean there are no special settings to WMP: the email
> attachment is a .wmv and double clicked upon. The video I saw was about
> 10 cm wide by 8 cm tall. It was not Fullscreen, as the rest of the WMP
> skin is visible.
>
> 3) Today I double clicked on a sample .WMV found on the HDD. WMP opened
> opened nomally: and then the screen became like VGA: with the top left
> quarter blue (the blue of BSOD), the other three quarters black; and XP
> hung. Had to power off. On restart, I have set Video Accleration to min,
> and left it like that: I could not check again

Okay. You have a problem. Whether it's a bad codec as you initially
suspect or something else, I can't determine based on the info so far.
What I would do is find a .wmv on another system that plays properly,
transfer it to your notebook and see if it plays properly there. If it
doesn't, then the problem is definitely in your system and not the .wmv.

Replace the codec or codecs, and repeat the test. If it still does it,
reinstall Windows Media Player. If the problem still persists, do a
virus/malware scan. You might also try another compatible player.

Stef

> I will report on the situation next week: when I can access the machine
> again
>
> Thanks again
>
> Mohan
>
> Stefan Patric wrote:
>>> No: The files are played asis: clicked on email attachments
>>
>>What do you mean "as is"? Does the Media Player app open using the
>>whole screen or is it very small? If it opens full-screen, resize it
>>smaller and see if the video quality improves. What size are the wmv
>>files?
>>
>>Stef
>>
>>>>> Windows XP Sp2 : WMP 9.00 on Lenovo S510 : 1364/768 display Any .wmv
>>>>> file when opened shows the video as a very heavily pixellated
>>>>> display
>>[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>>>
>>>>Stef