Very wierd file...

[jimpeel]

I'm still using media player classic homecinema

There are too many files that Classic simply won't play. It is not upwardly compatible.

VLC has all the codecs built in which allows you to play just about anything from MP3 to Matroska, AVI to WMV.

I wish I could unload WMP and just get rid of it.

 

[jimpeel]

Excellent FREEWARE resources.

If you burn movie/audio/game etc. files to disk, you can get CD cover and label files from here:

http://www.cdcovers.cc/covers.php

Missing a codec for audio or video? Get K-Lite Codec Pack here:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/KLite_Codec_Pack_Full/1094057842/3

To unzip .RAR files, use ZipGenius from:
http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4696

To view .bin, .cue, etc files directly to the monitor use VLC Media Player from:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

To burn image files, cue/bin, toc/dat or iso format, to disc, use Burnatonce from:

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3992

For efficient writing of CD-R, CD-RW DVD+R/RW DVD-R/RW (as Data, Video and Audio) disks, use CDBurnerXP Pro from:

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4242

For codec detection, use GSpot Codec Information Appliance from:

http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

It appears that DVD Decrypter is a fee based program now. View HERE.

I still have the free version and can send it to anyone who wishes it. I use it all of the time to archive my DVDs.

To decrypt DVDs use DVD Decrypter from:

http://www.dvddecrypter.com/ UNDER CONSTRUCTION

To burn any size DVD to a standard 4.7Gb disc, use DVD Shrink from:

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4020

For frame-by-frame dubbing of .AVI files use Virtual Dub from:

http://virtualdub.org/

To convert files from various formats extract MPEG streams from CD images, convert VCD files to MPEG, correct MPEG errors, and more -- all in a single step use VCD from:

http://www.vcdgear.com/

To create torrent files for upload to a tracker use MakeTorrent from:

http://krypt.dyndns.org:81/torrent/maketorrent/index.phtml

For the Ultimate CD and DVD data recovery tool use IsoBuster (There are free and fee versions) from:

http://www.isobuster.com/

And for all of your freeware, software, review, help, etc. needs go to
http://www.majorgeeks.com

 

[pc_builder]

Here are a few more links to add to that wonderful list.

A mirror to the final version of DVD Decrypter.
http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/

BTW, Jim. That link you provided to the fee based dvd decrypter is for a program called Free 2 DVD. I've been using an older version of DVD Decrypter for so long, I didn't know Macrovision had it shut down.

In addition to majorgeeks you can also try this website. Plenty of guides and information. As well as links to a lot of the software in Jim's list.
http://www.videohelp.com/

XVID4PSP is excellent and you can use it to make small, high quality conversions to view on your computer even if you don't have a psp or ipod.
http://www.winnydows.com/news.php

The AMVapp is a nice suite of tools too. Includes Avisynth 2.56beta1, DGMPEGDec 1.2.1, DVDdecrypter 3.5.2.0, and an old version of FFDShow.
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech/amvapp.html

This is also a very good guide to ripping and encoding, escpecially if you try the amvapp.
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech/

Here is an updated version of ffdshow if you are going to try it.
http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/

Here is one more program. I used it for awhile, though I wouldn't really recommend it since there are better alternatives available now. But it is a quick and dirty way to convert from almost any format to any format.
http://www.erightsoft.net/SUPER.html

 

[pc_builder]

Oh yeah, I forgot this program.
http://www.imgburn.com/
I used CDBurnerXP for a bit, but I found ImgBurn more to my liking. It has the same interface as DVD Decrypter, too.

 

[Luis G]

There are too many files that Classic simply won't play. It is not upwardly compatible.

VLC has all the codecs built in which allows you to play just about anything from MP3 to Matroska, AVI to WMV.

I wish I could unload WMP and just get rid of it.

The homecinema is an updated version of the old classic. It plays just about everything.

Mine currently does:

.aif .aifc .aiff
.au .snd
.wav
.cda
.drc
.dsm .dsv .dsa .dss
.ac3 .dts
.vob .ifo
.d2v
.flv
.fli .flc .flic
.jpeg .jpg .bmp .gif .pic .png .dib .tiff .tif
.ivf
.mka
.mkv
.mid .midi .rmi
.mp3
.mpa .mp2 .m1a .m2a
.mpg .mpeg .mpe .m1v .m2v .mpv2 .mp2v .ts .tp .tpr .pva
.aac
.mp4
.mpc
.ogm
.ogg
.divx .vp6
.asx .m3u .pls .wvx .wax .wmx .mpcpl
.mov .qt .amr .3gp .3gp2 .3g2 .3gpp
.ratdvd
.ra
.rm .ram .rpm
.rt .rp .smi .smil
.roq
.swf
.smk .bik
.avi
.wma
.wmv .wmp .wm .asf

I haven't tried VLC. I'm just comfortable with MPC-HC, it plays what it needs to play and it does what I need it to do.

 

[pc_builder]

The nice thing about mpc is that it should be upwardly compatible. Because it's basically just a front end for your codecs. Get the right codec, and mpc should be able to play your file. At least that's what I've read. I tried mpc for a little while, but then I don't store a lot of video on my computer. And what I do have is mostly in the same format.

And frankly, if I ever do find something in a different format, a lot of the time I just reconvert it anyway. Either to a more efficient format, or to mpg2 format if I plan on burning a video dvd.

 

[jimpeel]

The homecinema is an updated version of the old classic. It plays just about everything.

Mine currently does:


I haven't tried VLC. I'm just comfortable with MPC-HC, it plays what it needs to play and it does what I need it to do.

Wow! I have never had much luck with MPC and it would constantly gag and upchuck every time I tried to play a file created with a newer version. I guess it has come a long way.

Thanks.

VLC has now included some "fun but useless" features like being able to rotate the image to any angle you wish. The main thing I like about it is that it plays DVDs directly and also will play an image (.iso) file without having to burn it first. It has so many features that I likely could never use them all.

 

[pc_builder]

That's cool that vlc can load iso files directly. When I'm dealing with iso's, I just use this virtual cd/dvd drive software.

Alcohol 52%

 

[jimpeel]

If you want to keep up with changes in the sites you get your programs from go here http://www.changedetection.com and register. They will send e-mail alerts if your monitored sites change. I keep several sites monitored and they send me not only that a change has been made but exactly what the changes were.

This is the addy for the changes recently at pgcedit:

http://www.changedetection.com/log/videohelp/download/index_log.html which shows what was added and deleted from the page.

Pretty cool.

By the by, pgcedit is a good program. http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html

 

[Luis G]

Wow! I have never had much luck with MPC and it would constantly gag and upchuck every time I tried to play a file created with a newer version. I guess it has come a long way.

Thanks.

VLC has now included some "fun but useless" features like being able to rotate the image to any angle you wish. The main thing I like about it is that it plays DVDs directly and also will play an image (.iso) file without having to burn it first. It has so many features that I likely could never use them all.

One of the things I like the most about MPC is the amount of control you get.

Some files have video and audio out of sync, and I find MPC capabilities to delay either so they can match quite useful.

Some other files have incorrect aspect ratio, no problem, I can increase height and width at will.

When projecting to the wall, I like to move the widescreen movies a little down, mpc lets me do that.

When projecting my speakers are "reversed", mpc allows me to reassing channels to any speaker, so I don't have to move them.

Don't know if vlc does that, if it does I might give it a shot, but old habits die hard

 

[jimpeel]

One of the things I like the most about MPC is the amount of control you get.

Same with VLC.

Some files have video and audio out of sync, and I find MPC capabilities to delay either so they can match quite useful.

VLC does that also in 1 mS increments.

Some other files have incorrect aspect ratio, no problem, I can increase height and width at will.

VLC has aspect ratio adjustment but not infinite. The ratios are fixed at 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 2.21:1, and 5:4. It has interlace / deinterlace, and cropping @ 16:10, 16:9, 1.85:1, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1, 5:3, 4:3, 5:4, 1:1. It has zoom ratios of 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1.

The extended settings include graphic eQ with presets and spatializer, video image adjust for hue, contrast, brightness, saturation, gamma, you can screw with the color and even invert the colors (whatever good that is), you can rotate the screen 360 degrees, overlays including onscreen messaging and logo.

When projecting to the wall, I like to move the widescreen movies a little down, mpc lets me do that.

Don't know about that. You mean you can interactively move the image up, down, left, right at will?

When projecting my speakers are "reversed", mpc allows me to reassing channels to any speaker, so I don't have to move them.

Don't know if vlc does that, if it does I might give it a shot, but old habits die hard

Most people go with what they know. The best program on the face of the Earth is the one they first learned on. I still know a guy who swears that WordStar is the end-all, be-all. It took me quite some time to migrate to Word from Write.

VLC is pretty cool but I'll look into MPC and see what I think of it now that is has obviously been vastly improved.

 

[jimpeel]

pc_builder,

Thanks for that mirror site to DVD Decrypter. I forgot to mention the companion program for DVD Shrink, PgcEdit.

http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html (freeware)

PgcEdit is great at decrypting discs which are encrypted with ARccOS. It automatically runs DVD Decrypter and creates files for use when ARccOS files are found. It then writes the files so that DVD Shrink can read them. Usage is very intuitive. It will handle files that even DVD43 will fail on.

http://www.dvd43.com/

The main thing to remember is that when running PgcEdit that DVD43 is not running even in the background.

 

[pc_builder]

Thanks for those links. I've never heard of DVD43 before. Heard of pgcedit but didn't know what it does. I might have to try them out eventually. I (so far) haven't run into any discs that dvd decrypter can't handle.

 

[jimpeel]

Thanks for those links. I've never heard of DVD43 before. Heard of pgcedit but didn't know what it does. I might have to try them out eventually. I (so far) haven't run into any discs that dvd decrypter can't handle.

The problem comes when you try to read ARccOS encrypted files into DVD Shrink for modification. ARccOS is Sony Corp.'s encryption algorithm.

An interesting read on ARccOS can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARccOS_Protection

 

[Luis G]

VLC does that also in 1 mS increments.

Same with MPC

VLC has aspect ratio adjustment but not infinite. The ratios are fixed at 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 2.21:1, and 5:4. It has interlace / deinterlace, and cropping @ 16:10, 16:9, 1.85:1, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1, 5:3, 4:3, 5:4, 1:1. It has zoom ratios of 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1.

You can increase width and height at will in mpc, I think the increments are 16pixel. There is a zoom option as well.

The extended settings include graphic eQ with presets and spatializer, video image adjust for hue, contrast, brightness, saturation, gamma, you can screw with the color and even invert the colors (whatever good that is), you can rotate the screen 360 degrees, overlays including onscreen messaging and logo.

I don't recall any of those options directly in MPC.

Don't know about that. You mean you can interactively move the image up, down, left, right at will?

That's right.

Most people go with what they know. The best program on the face of the Earth is the one they first learned on. I still know a guy who swears that WordStar is the end-all, be-all. It took me quite some time to migrate to Word from Write.

VLC is pretty cool but I'll look into MPC and see what I think of it now that is has obviously been vastly improved.

I might as well take a look at VLC. One more thing, does it have an installer or is it just an exe file? I hate installers messing with my current file associations

 

[jimpeel]

I might as well take a look at VLC. One more thing, does it have an installer or is it just an exe file? I hate installers messing with my current file associations

It gives a list of associations that you can uncheck. Simply uncheck all associations and they will be ignored. To start a file, simply right click on it and select "Open With" and select VLC Media Player. You may have to browse for it. Make sure that the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is unchecked.