When I use Windows Media Player, some VCD would give the message "No combination of filters could be found to render the stream" in other similar titles, I would have no problem.

Please advise whether there is a way around this

-- Van Mai (vanmai@ar.com.au), July 11, 1999

Answers

No way around it. You have to buy a VCD player program because Media Player was never designed to play VCD.

-- The Lone Ranger (rutger_s@hotmail.com), July 11, 1999.

Dear Lone Ranger

Thanks for your advise, I have no object to pay for a VCD player program. What I found with the "30 days" trial version of XingMPEG player was it allowed me to use for 2 days then when ever I opened the program I got the Error message "RSAPI not found" then it would take me straigth to the section where I have to fill in all my details and credit card number to buy the program, when I click cancel the program just shut down. I feel 2 days is hardly enough for anyone to evaluate the software fully. Heck, I used that time to play only one VCD.

I checked XingMPEG web site and they post a message that they are aware of the problem. However they have no solution apart from paying full price for their player. You may call me cynical but this smell like an attempt to get people parted with their money as soon as possible.

I can't understand the logic that a major software company like XingMPEG don't have solution around a simple problem that is to allow their potential customers the appropriate time for evaluation. If you look around the web, there a thousand of programs out there that are offer on a time trial basis and don't seem to have any problems.

Is PowerDVD any better?

Cheers

-- Van Mai (vanmai@ar.com.au), July 12, 1999.

PowerDVD is better but the trial is limited use. Me personally, I pay for my software first. Heck $30.00-$45.00 is a small price to pay if it avoids headaches in the long run. So far PowerDVD is the best of all the Video CD players but does require an MMX enabled processor.

-- The Lone Ranger (rutger_s@hotmail.com), July 12, 1999.

Windows Media player will play VCD's with no problem. Your problem is caused by something else. My home computer running Win 98 and will play all VCD's. My work computer running NT-4 will not play any VCD's. I suspect a hardware or OS problem with the white book format.

If you can see the DAT file, copy it to your hard drive and convert it with VCDGear.

-- Badguy (Badguy@nospam.com), July 13, 1999.

Dear Badguy

Where can I find VCDGear to convert the files? I searched the web but has no luck for the program.

Thanks

Van

-- Van Mai (vanmai@ar.com.au), July 14, 1999.

Hello,

I used to be able to play VCD's, but all of a sudden (possibly after installing cd-burn software) my system doesn't want to read whitebook anymore. How can I solve this?

Mark Haster

-- Mark Haster (m.h.haster@student.utwente.nl), July 14, 1999.

I heard in Asia, you can get 8MB S3 display card with TV output at only US$ 90 that comes with xing Mpeg software!!!

-- Vm (v_i_d_e_o@hotmail.com), July 15, 1999.

Badguy:

Here is a shortend list of films I own that do not work with Media Player. No matter how many machines or configurations I used:

Halloween: H20 (Malaysia)

Armageddon (Thai)

The Waterboy (Indonisia)

Face/Off (Thai)

Air Force One (Thai and Malaysia)

Negotiator (Hong Kong)

Black Dog (Hong Kong)

Pleasantville (Hong Kong)

There are over ten movies in my collection of forty that do not work with Windows Media Player. Another reason to get PowerDVD or MPEGPlayer, actually several:

Menu functionality (Negotiator Hong Kong release has a menu to select chapters from the film)

Ability to play multiple *.dat files in one session(i.e. you press the play button and you do not have to open the *.dat files individually, it just plays straight through)

Koreoke functions...especially useful if you buy pirates that have dual channel soundtracks

Dolby Stereo or Dolby Digital Surround Sound

And last but not least...less of a headache as trying to get the right configuration, installing and reinstalling Media Player or Windows is too much. For the cost of one software Video CD player you save yourslef trouble and headaches plus view or hear the great stuff on Video CDs

-- The Lone Ranger (rutger_s@hotmail.com), July 16, 1999.

You can get VCDgear from www.slinker.com.

What I said before about mplayer isn't entirely true. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm talking about the same movie file.

The Microsoft Media Player is capable of playing any VCD. It just gets confused and refuses to work a lot of the time. On the other hand, PowerDVD works every time.

-- Badguy (badguy@nospam.com), July 16, 1999.