Figuring out why this AVI file crashes MPC & AVIcodec

[DRP]

I've downloaded this AVI file and I can't it to play in Media Player Classic or even get it analysed in AVIcodec. In both cases the program just crashes and reports the standard Windows "The program has generated errors" message. VDub can open it fine, as can GSpot and VLC plays it fine too, but I prefer to use MPC for playing. Can anyone help me out with why this won't play in MPC?

FILE_NAME                      101 - A Touch of Class.avi
FILE_NAME_WITH_PATH            D:\Television\101 - A Touch of Class.avi
FILE_SIZE                      216,518,656
CONT_AUDIO_STREAM_COUNT        1
CONT_BASETYPE                  AVI(.AVI)
CONT_BYTES_MISSING             0
CONT_INTERLEAVE_ALIGN          Aligned
CONT_INTERLEAVE_PRELOAD        496
CONT_INTERLEAVE_TIME           40
CONT_SUBTYPE                   OpenDML (AVI v2.0), 
CONT_TOTAL_BITRATE             0
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_AVI1      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_AVI2      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_CVD1      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_CVD2      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_DVD1      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_DVD2      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_SVCD1     
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_SVCD2     
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_VCD1      
VIDEO_ASPECT_CONVERT_VCD2      
VIDEO_ASPECT_SOURCE_MATCH      
VIDEO_ASPECT_TYPE_NTSC         
VIDEO_ASPECT_TYPE_PAL          
VIDEO_BITRATE                  865
VIDEO_CODEC_NAME               DivX 4 (OpenDivX)
VIDEO_CODEC_STATUS             Codec(s) are Installed
VIDEO_CODEC_TYPE               DIVX
VIDEO_DAR                      1.333
VIDEO_DURATION                 30:21.320
VIDEO_FIELDS_PER_SEC           
VIDEO_FRAME_COUNT              45533
VIDEO_FRAMES_PER_SEC           25.000
VIDEO_H264                     
VIDEO_MPEG2                    
VIDEO_MPEG2_3X2                
VIDEO_MPEG2_BFF                
VIDEO_MPEG2_I_L                
VIDEO_MPEG2_PPF                
VIDEO_MPEG2_PROG               
VIDEO_MPEG2_TFF                
VIDEO_MPEG4                    MPEG-4
VIDEO_MPEG4_BVOP               
VIDEO_MPEG4_GMC                
VIDEO_MPEG4_NVOP               
VIDEO_MPEG4_QPEL               
VIDEO_PAR                      1.000
VIDEO_PICS_PER_SEC             25.000
VIDEO_QF                       0.176
VIDEO_SAR                      1.333
VIDEO_SIZE_X                   512
VIDEO_SIZE_Y                   384
AUDIO_BITRATE                  73
AUDIO_BITRATE_TYPE             VBR
AUDIO_CHANNEL_COUNT            2
AUDIO_CODEC                    0x0055 MPEG-1 Layer 3
AUDIO_CODEC_STATUS             Codec(s) are Installed
AUDIO_MPEG_STREAM_ID           
AUDIO_MPEG_SUBSTREAM_ID        
AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE              44100

[Baldrick]

Maybe it just needs to be fixed with DivFix or Digital Video Repair.

[DRP]

VDub, DivFix & Digital Video Repair all report no errors. Stripping and rebuilding the header with DivFix makes no difference. I'm thinking it has the wrong fourCC code or something?

I've uploaded a very small portion of the complete video here cut out with VDub. It's only 1MB and 15 seconds long but should be enough to illustrate the problem.

[Baldrick]

The fawlty towers clip work fine using mpc 6.4.9.0 here. Does the clip crash in your mpc?

And you can upload files directly to our forum also, no need for crappy download services where I have to wait for ages...

[DRP]

Yes it does. Witness exhibit 'A'

[Baldrick]

What version of mpc? Or maybe some other codec problem...does wmp crash also?

[DRP]

MPC v6.4.9.1 and I only have the default v6.4 of WMP installed that comes with Winblows. I never use it and I've never upgraded to the later versions of WMP.

[jagabo]

Update your Divx codec.

[DRP]

The only DivX codec I have installed is v3.11. XviD is supposed to take care of all the others for me. Indeed, when I load it into VDub, it is XviD that does the decoding.

[jagabo]

The only DivX codec I have installed is v3.11. XviD is supposed to take care of all the others for me. Indeed, when I load it into VDub, it is XviD that does the decoding.

VirtualDub uses VFW rather than DirectShow for decompressing video. MPC uses DirectShow. VLC uses its own built in decoder. You need to find out what decoder MPC is using. Once a Divx4 video is playing select Play -> Filters and you'll see what decoder is being used.



Xvid can decode Divx4 but I have seen some versions crash with some files. Try a newer version fo Xvid if you have an older one. Or install the latest Divx.

[DRP]

The only DivX codec I have installed is v3.11. XviD is supposed to take care of all the others for me. Indeed, when I load it into VDub, it is XviD that does the decoding.

VirtualDub uses VFW rather than DirectShow for decompressing video. MPC uses DirectShow. VLC uses its own built in decoder. You need to find out what decoder MPC is using. Once a Divx4 video is playing select Play -> Filters and you'll see what decoder is being used.

I don't know how I can do this without being able to get it to play in the first place.

Xvid can decode Divx4 but I have seen some versions crash with some files. Try a newer version fo Xvid if you have an older one.

I'm using the XviD version included with the latest AutoGK which is quoted as being v1.2.0 CVS 20/12/06

[jagabo]

Can GSpot play the video? Press the 1, 2, and 3 buttons under "Vid" in the lower left hand corner. It will show you what filters are used to the right.

Windows' "The program has generated errors" dialog usually tells you what module caused the crash.

[DRP]

It crashes too when I press the 2 button. Here's a screen capture I took before Windows closed the program. Does this help identify at all what's going on? I don't know why it's trying to use ffdshow to decode the video. I have ffdshow installed for sure, but the only codec that's enabled for use is the FLV1 codec. That's all I use ffdshow for. Everything else within ffdshow is switched off so it shouldn't even try to use it at all. XviD should be doing the decoding.

[Baldrick]

I would try enable xvid and divx decoding in ffdshow and see what happens. Or test uninstall ffdshow.

[DRP]

The problem has been resolved with the release of AutoGK v2.48 beta. It would seem that it was a broken and unreliable CVS copy of XviD that was to blame. Going back to the old one included with this latest update of AutoGK has made all my problems go away!