Cannot view WMV files no matter what

[skay]

I know this sounds like a ridiculous question, but no matter what I've tried, I cannot view WMV files. I hear the audio but the only thing that appears on the screen is a bunch of multi-colored moving blocks, like if you were watching a cable channel you hadn't paid for. I have downloaded the latest version of ASF-Tools, but that didn't solve the problem. I tried to send emails to ASF-Tools but they kept coming back undeliverable. I use Virtual Dub regularly to work with avi and mpeg files with no problems. I use TMPGenc without any problems. I don't feel like a newbie with regard to anything else besides WMV files. I downloaded Twins Video Player because it's supposed to be able to play WMV files; the result was the same as with Media Player 6.4. I CAN play some ASF files without any problem, but other times they won't play either. I have all of the latest DivX codecs. I just don't know what's wrong or how to try to go about fixing it. Thanks for any assistance.

sk

[UncasMS]

tsunamis filterpacks 391 or 393 contain wmv

[skay]

Thanks. I tried the site you posted but the link for the 3.9.3 was not working.

http://www.ultimate-links.de/download.php?id=148

I had already tried an earlier version of the Tsunami filter pack, but that didn't work either. Digital Digest only had 3.8.9. Will that work? I seem to recall some warnings about installing Tsunami. Does everyone who views WMV's have to install the Tsunami codecs? I just can't imagine how or why this is such a hassle.

sk

[UncasMS]

use this one and rightclick save as:

http://www.dvbpool.de/tsunami/filter391.html

[skay]

Well, we're getting closer. My German isn't too great, but it's obvious I'm supposed to d/l the tsunami exe file and the 9 additional sequential files. At first I thought they had been split with HJSplit, but they weren't. Am I supposed to put them all into one folder and just double click on the exe file? Final question: There was a text file listing everything included in the code pack. Is it possible to only load whatever I need for the WMV files, and if so, do you know which one it is from the list. I was not able to figure it out just by looking at it. Thanks again.

sk

[UncasMS]

sorry, i didnt even care to watch out for language probs *g*

start the filterpack.exe - it'll be english and straigth forward.

go for custom and choose only wmv if you like.
hope it'll work!

[skay]

Thanks, but it didn't help.
sk

[setarip]

Go to: http://www.divx-digest.com/software/wm8eutil.html

Installing this official Microsoft utility will automatically include the installation of the required codec...

[skay]

Thanks. Before I install it the site states that Media Player 7.0 is required. I only have 6.4 installed and only intend to keep 6.4 installed, as I mentioned in my original post. Is that a problem? And while I genuinely appreciate the responses, I have noticed that no one has responded to whether or not this is such a problem for anyone else. I just can't believe that I'm the only person who is having this many problems playing a freakin wmv file.
sk

[UncasMS]

those very few wmv files i got hold of played fine for me.
and i dont have wmp7!

[skay]

good for you.
sk

[setarip]

In fact, it doesn't require the v.7.0 player. I personally only use v.6.4 - and have no difficulty viewing .WMV (.ASF, .WMV v.7, or .WMV v.8) videos.

Try it, you'll like it ;>}

[skay]

well, once again, thanks for your time, and I'm sure you know what you're talking about, but it didn't work. Was I supposed to actually do anything with the utility once it was loaded, or just load it? The only thing I get on the screen is a bunch of colors and sound.
sk

[setarip]

Although I don't understand why you're having such difficulty, if you go to "the horse's mouth" (Microsoft's website, in this case) for the codec, you can't go wrong:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=31921&area=search&ordinal=2

[skay]

Well, I must admit that I'd had so many go-rounds with this already I didn't expect the horse to say anything other than 'Nay'. But lo and behold...it worked! I guess it remains a mystery as to why nothing else seemed to work, but this definitely did the trick. I loathe having to load MS anything because it makes me wonder what little surprises will await me further down the road when I try to use other codecs, but at least WMV is an option now whereas before it was not. And if loading these codecs somehow messed up any of the DivX, I can always reload them and just forget about the WMV. But maybe they'll all work now; that would be nice. Thanks a lot for seeing this through.
Sincerely,
SK