"unsupported media file format"

[chocoblow59]

i am kind of new to this and i downloaded a few movies and when i try to watch them "unsupported media file format" pops up and i don't know how to watch the movie

[Dark_Shroud]

Download CCCP.

[chocoblow59]

i downloaded i but i don't really get what to do

[The UnUsual Suspect]

the problem here is you asked a very generic question, since you didn't specify what files your trying to play, so Dark shroud suggested installing a codec pack.

If you want specific answers, then ask specific questions, or no one can help you.

Suspect

[kluelos]

Digital video is complex. There is no standard, single way of doing things. The field has been evolving very rapidly, and continues to do so. It is also quite competitive.

A video file can be encoded in many different ways. A video DVD, of the sort you'd rent as a movie at Blockbuster, is encoded in one of those ways. It's a very old way, and very inefficient. It takes up much more physical space on the disk than more modern formats require. But it was adopted and standardized many years ago, and it has the advantage that every DVD player made, can play that format.

The video you download as a torrent is either a copy of a video DVD, and will be about 3 to 4 gigabytes in size; or it will be a rip into a more modern format, and will be about 700 to 800 megabytes. ( 4 GB vs 8 MB: I did say DVD was "inefficient", right?) The former are usually one sort of disk image or another - there are several different formats in use, sich as .iso and .bin/.cue These you either burn to a (DVDr/CDr) or mount in a virtual drive.

Of the others, the most common filetype you will find is an audio-video interleave, or .avi. This is a filetype that is not a filetype, not in the sense most people normally understand. Rather, it is a container, and the contents can differ greatly from one to another. Describing a video as "an .avi" is nearly meaningless because of this. It is the contents, not the container, that matters. (A jar of water is quite different from a jar of gasoline, no?. "It's a jar" fails to convey vital information.)

A video media player generally loads the video file, then analyzes it to see if a matching filter can be found on the system. If none can be found, you get the message you saw. That means you must determine what filter is needed, then download and install that filter, in order to play the video. Something similar applies to audio files, and also applies to the audio component of video files.

The CCCP you downloaded is a collection of such video and audio filters, carefully chosen not to conflict or overlap. That can create problems ranging from minor to so large you'll wish you'd never gotten into this. Such problems are the reason you should avoid large "codec packs", some of which will create just such problems for the unwary.

Having installed the filters on your system, your media player of choice should now be able to play the video or audio file. There is also a player included with the CCCP, based on the old version of Windows Media Player, which often does a better job than the current incarnation. If your player fails, try that one.

There is an alternative, a video player that does not use the filters and codecs installed on the system, but relies on its own, included with it. Good because it will simply play most of what you will encounter, bad because if it won't, you can't fix that by downloading something else.

It's called "VLC" player, it's free and open-source, and it's from videolan.org. This is my player of choice, after all the others I've tried. I am not interested in foreign anime or other exotica, so I don't often encounter things it won't play. When I do, I always consider converting them to something VLC can play. But that's not something you're ready to try yet.

There are some few files which are proprietary, or semi-proprietary. These include RealAudio files, Quicktime files, and WMV files. RealAudo files usually have extensions like ".ram" or ".rmvb". These mostly require the RealAudio player. Quicktime files have extensons like ".mov", though several other players can handle them, as can VLC. Finally there's .wmv, which is a Microsoft format. It was created for applying DRM to video, and has no advantage except the ability to lock people out of it. These are generally "pay to play" files requiring a license, and often include installing spyware/adware as part of the price. Not always, but often enough that this is a good thing to avoid.

MOSTLY, you'll either get DVD copies, or .avi files which give a hint as to their needs. CCCP plus your video player of choice should handle just about all of these. VLC will handle most of them and disk images too.

[jcbuz1970]

WOW.

Kluelos,top answer .

But i think chocoblow59 fell asleep about here "The video you download as torrents is either a copy of a video DVD,"

Sorry dude ,but was there any need to totally bumbfound the guy with an answer that in depth when it's pretty clear they haven't bothered to look for an answer or do any research before asking a question and probably won't read all of your reply..

I have read so many stupid questions that could be easily found or answered,but the answer that is given is "have you read the setup guide"or "have you read the speed guide".

I really am not tryin to get any bodies back up here,and if i do i sincerely apologise.

But the poster "chocoblow59",never gave any info at all.

Type of movie,type of player,OS etc etc.

Surely a little bit more info from noobs(of whom i am one)would be nice.

Or instead of just signing up and posting a question,try searching the boards would be a more sensible way of doing things.

I have the utmost respect for the mods on here and i don't know how you guys(and gals)cope with half the questions posted.

From one noob (me) to another(the rest of you out there) ,Stop asking DUMB questions.

READ the boards.Use the SEARCH function.Have you heard of http://www.google.co.uk/ or the multitude of other search facilities out there.

Like i said earlier ,kluelos ,i apologise, this is not a dig at you.

You too chocoblow,sorry.Your new and you have question,i know.

I just had to get this out.

Maybe i should have posted this in the lounge !

Or maybe there should be a forum called "GET IT OUT"

Once again ,sorry to anybody i offend. :(

Have a really nice day. B)

[kluelos]

We can always hope that the next guy will search the board, find this answer, and go away enlightened. We can hope. Meantime it's good practice for the book I'll get around to writing on the subject. Real Soon Now.