Audio but no video when playing a file

[alegator]

I captured a 100MB m2t HDV video file from my HC3 and then encoded to a 3MB file using Mainconcept H.264 Encoder v2. The encoded file plays fine in my PC. I emailed this encoded videofile to a friend of mine and he told me he was unable to play it. So I suggested that he install ffdshow or VLC player, but neither worked out, when playing the file he's only able to listen to audio, but unable to see any video. What can I tell him to do to fix the issue? Thanks.Below is the Mediainfo report on the encoded file:
Format : MPEG-2
Family : MPEG-2
File size : 2.96 MiB
PlayTime : 3mn 14s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 2
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
Delay : 39003

[Baldrick]

Does the file work with vlc for you? Then it should work for him also...if you use same version. It has builtin video codecs.

Or tell him to install the mainconcept h.264 encoder, it includes a decoder for it.

[mats.hogberg]

VLC should do it, even if Windows can't decode mpeg2 video by itself.
Could also be some overlay problem - Can your friend play other video without problem?

/Mats

[alegator]

Yes, he installed the same VLC version as the one I use, and he's able to play other videos fine. I'll tell him to install Mainconcept H.264 Encoder. Will post the results soon. Thanks.

[alegator]

OK, here is the update. Bad news. My friend installed Mainconcept H.264 Encoder and he still is unable to play the file, just audio, no video. I told him to install Mediainfo and scan the file to make sure it's not corrupted. He did and this is his report, so the file is healthy. What could be happening with his system? Maybe installing a Codec Pack will solve the issue or bring more serious trouble?
Format : MPEG-2
Family : MPEG-2
File size : 2.96 MiB
PlayTime : 3mn 14s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 2
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
Delay : 39003

[Scorpion King]

OK, here is the update. Bad news. My friend installed Mainconcept H.264 Encoder and he still is unable to play the file, just audio, no video. I told him to install Mediainfo and scan the file to make sure it's not corrupted. He did and this is his report, so the file is healthy. What could be happening with his system? Maybe installing a Codec Pack will solve the issue or bring more serious trouble?
Format : MPEG-2
Family : MPEG-2
File size : 2.96 MiB
PlayTime : 3mn 14s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 2
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
Delay : 39003

Format: MPEG-2 means that installing H.264 isn't going to help.

The easiest way of sending or giving someone a video file is make it MPEG-1 and he could of played it without all this hastle. Are you sure this is the right specs?

Also, installing a Codec Pack isn't something I would advise anyone to do, let alone someone I called a friend. lol

Good luck.

[alegator]

Are you sure this is the right specs?

What do you mean?

[Scorpion King]

Format : MPEG-2
Family : MPEG-2
File size : 2.96 MiB
PlayTime : 3mn 14s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 2
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
Delay : 39003

Is this the right file specs for the file he is trying to play? This looks like an MPEG-2 file to me. If he's trying to play MPEG-2 then he needs a program like PowerDVD that comes with an MPEG-2 decoder. H.264 is a codec. One example is x264 Video Codec. I think QuickTime Pro will play H.264, but I don't know. I'm not much of an H.264 expert.

Good luck.

[alegator]

Yes, those are the right specs, as said it is what Mediainfo reports, so it must be it.I'm not an expert at this either, that's why I posted in the first place. But MPEG-2 can come in many flavours depending on how it was created? I mean bitrate, codec, and other specs.

[ZippyP.]

But MPEG-2 can come in many flavours depending on how it was created? I mean bitrate, codec, and other specs.

Only mpeg2 codec.

[Scorpion King]

Ok, here is the file specs for two forms of the same video. I captured a 1 minute clip in MPEG-2 DVD format. I then did a simple conversion in VirtualDubMpeg2 using the x264 Video Codec with default settings. As you can see these files are now very much different from each other.
************************************************** *******

General #0
Complete name : F:\Sata Capture\S-Video (3 51 pm).mpg
Format : MPEG-2
Family : MPEG-2
File size : 40.0 MiB
PlayTime : 1mn

Video #0
Codec : MPEG-2 Video
PlayTime : 1mn
Bit rate : 9590 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Width : 720
Height : 480
Aspect ratio : 4/3
Frame rate : 29.97 fps
Standard : NTSC
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.926
Delay : 19778

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 2
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
Delay : 19778
Video0 delay : 0
************************************************** ********************
General #0
Complete name : F:\Sata Capture\x264 defaults.avi
Format : AVI
Info : Audio Video Interleave
Family : RIFF
File size : 13.7 MiB
PlayTime : 1mn
Bit rate : 1884 Kbps
Writing library : VirtualDub-MPEG2 build 18019/release

Video #0
Codec : Intel H.264
Info : Intel H.264
PlayTime : 1mn
Bit rate : 1679 Kbps
Width : 720
Height : 480
Aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.97 fps
Standard : NTSC
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.162

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 3
Family : MPEG-1
Info : MPEG-1 or 2 layer 3
Codec profile : Joint stereo
PlayTime : 1mn
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16
************************************************** *******

Good luck.

BTW. The X264 looks just as good as the 9.59Mbps MPEG-2 file. Pretty impressive codec! IMO