Xvid avi just crashes player every time. Weird

[presto]

Downloaded video from Torrent sample.xvid.rar

right clicked on sample.xvid.rar and chose "extract here"

got 50 or so parts, sample.xvid.part001.rar, etc

right clicked on sample.xvid.part001.rar and chose "extract to folder..."

got sample.xvid.avi in a folder

made sure xvid codec was installed.

open folder and see icon for sample.xvid.avi for a moment then it and the folder window vanish. happens each time.

open windows media player and try to open sample.xvid.avi and windows media player vanishes. every time.

Any Ideas?

Also, does it sound like I extracted the file right? Why would someone split a file into 50 pieces with winrar and then put all those pieces into one file using winrar?

[mats.hogberg]

99.97% sure a codec problem.
What does GSpot say about the avi?

/Mats

[celtic_druid]

What build/version of XviD and is it actually being used to decode?

[VegasBud]

Sorry, can't help you with the first part of your question, but as to the second part:

Also, does it sound like I extracted the file right? Why would someone split a file into 50 pieces with winrar and then put all those pieces into one file using winrar?

Yes, you extracted the file correctly. WinRar would have popped up an error message if there were any problems.

As to why they split files into many parts, it has to do with the transfer of large files over the internet (in general). If the file is left in one huge chunk, and there is an interruption during the transfer, it may be necessary to start the transfer all over again. With smaller chunks, if there's a download problem, it's easier to pick up where you left off.
However, BitTorrent resumes an interrupted download on its' own, like FTP can, so the original uploader didn't really need to do it.

Using WinRar, or WinZip, or any other compression program is to make the file smaller for transfer. The size difference for uncompressed video would be very large, but for mpeg (1 or 2) or divx or xvid (codecs whose sole purpose is to efficiently compress video), there would likely only be a 1% of so reduction, and it could actually make it larger (compression file overhead).

[presto]

I haven't been able to use Gspot on the file because the file and the window it is in vanish when I open the folder. I am going to look at it again because, maybe I need to set things so my computer doesn't try to generate a thumbnail of the file when I try to look at it. Maybe that is causing the crash.

Vegasbud, I understand why they broke it up in the first place. I don't understand why they, then used win rar to "package" all those parts as one .rar file. If they were split up to make them easier to send wouldn't the next step be to send them?

[mats.hogberg]

You don't have to have the folder with the AVI open in a window to load it into GSpot...

/Mats

[presto]

You don't have to have the folder with the AVI open in a window to load it into GSpot...

Sorry, I thought I had to right clck on the file. Dumb.

Gspot says the file is a valid avi but there is no audio. It says iv32 indeo 32 for the codec and says it is installed. It says there are junk files at the end and it says these are not usually a problem. When I hit render it says render succesful.

Now when I just tried to close Gspot it refused to close. It is frozen. I had to use control-alt-delete several times to close it.

[VegasBud]

I don't understand why they, then used win rar to "package" all those parts as one .rar file. If they were split up to make them easier to send wouldn't the next step be to send them?

You're not the only one who doesn't understand. That makes no sense at all.

[junkmalle]

I don't understand why they, then used win rar to "package" all those parts as one .rar file. If they were split up to make them easier to send wouldn't the next step be to send them?

You're not the only one who doesn't understand. That makes no sense at all.

They were probably originally posted to a usenet newsgroup where it's quite common to break large files up into 5 or 10 MB chunks. Someone downloaded all the bits from the newsgroup and then made them available via bittorrent.

[VegasBud]

junkmalle,

Yes, it's very likely the parts came from a newsgroup, but why not just unsplit the video, and post/upload the re-integrated file?

It would certainly be faster, and better for any recipient, than running WinRar to package all the parts.

[presto]

Well, if the method used to post doesn't make sense maybe the poster didn't know what he was doing and that explains why this video won't play. Thanks for all the input.