VLC playing problem - probably easy fix.. but I suck.

[SteveMKIIDub]

I have VLC on my computer (Toshiba Satellite A-100 TA2, Intel 950 128MB Graphics, 1GB RAM, Vista Premium, Centrino Solo TI350, Toshiba MK80GB HD).

Short Story: VLC Loads copied files that were taken from DVD-RW that other computer reads, but when the files are on my laptop it only plays the first second of video and only the audio. So I have a screen that shows the 20th Century Fox logo while the rest of the audio just carries on. WTF is up?



Here's the FULL STORY:

1: Copied 1 TV show from DVD-RW I burned. I did this on an old Dell w/ a DVD-ROM. I then copied the VLC File (It was arrested development) onto my USB Drive to copy it to my laptop. The laptop, even with it's DVD-RAM won't read the burned discs so I thought this was a clever way to get around that.

2: The VLC file that was copied on the Dell worked good on the Dell.

3: Plop! I put the VLC File (Arrested Development) on my Laptop and think I'm Pretty smooth.

4: VLC loads and ONLY plays audio. Just the first second of video appears on the player.

5: I suck. What's wrong with this??

[jman98]

It could be a variety of things. What you need to do is:
1) Verify on another PC or a standalone DVD player that the DVD-RW disc is good.
Assuming it is good (that means you can play it OK) then
2) Verify that what you copied to the USB drive is OK by playing it on another PC from the USB drive, do NOT try to play it on the PC you have problems with.
Assuming it is OK, your problem is either with Vista or VLC. My guess is it's yet another Vista problem. VLC may not work correctly under Vista. A lot of programs don't. If VLC running on a PC with Windows XP can play the file from your USB drive, then I'd blame Vista. I have seen VLC choke and die on files that other programs can play OK, but these steps should enable you to determine where the problem is, but you won't have a fix for it. because if it's Vista, what do you do? Downgrade to XP if you can? Wait for Microsoft to fix Vista? (You're gonna have a LONG wait on that one.) Use something other than VLC? Well, that's possible. Windows Media Player might be able to play the file OK as that probably works OK under Vista.

[SteveMKIIDub]

Very good steps, and they helped. Here's the update:

The file on my USB plays no problem on the Dell w/ XP. That is the computer I used to take the files from originally, but it works fine. WMP dosen't seem to want to touch the files. I just upgraded to Vista, so I don't really want to have to downgrade as I'm enjoying Vista minus a few very annoying this - this being one of them.

What other programs can run it? Will I have to wait for a VLC version update?

[jman98]

OK. That should mean that what you did is OK, but what exactly did you copy? Some VOB files? Just curious.

I'm surprised that WMP won't work. If VLC plays this fine under XP then the problem is Vista-related. Either VLC doesn't work correctly under Vista (very possible) or it's yet another Vista problem that Microsoft will have to fix. I don't see a good solution for you right now. The only other solution I can think of is that you could get a copy of WinDVD or PowerDVD and see if they can play the file under Vista or perhaps Nero's Media Player could do so, but none of those are freeware. You have some limited ability to try before you buy on those programs.

[jman98]

I went to the VLC webpage and found this:
http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=32513
This is a link to a forum post telling you exactly what you have to do to make it work under Vista. This might help you.

My advice would be that unless you just bought the Toshiba preinstalled with Vista that you NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER upgrade to a new OS from Microsoft until the first service pack comes out. Is a service pack available for Vista? No it is not. Anyone who installs a new version of Windows prior to the first service pack coming out deserves the problems they get.

[SteveMKIIDub]

Thank you sir, I'll let you know how it works out! I should have waited a bit, I expected a Service pack to come soon for Vista but I geuss I didn't realise how long they take.

[SteveMKIIDub]

UPDATE: The trick worked. Vista has to plop back to Basic to do it but it works good. Thanks a MILLION! I will recommend this place to everyone.