Member Avatar for Inlovewithnight

Hello,

I tried playing a movie with Windows Media Player. I have sound but not video. A message screen did come up and said that WMP did not close properly and some codecs were missing. My version of WMP is 11 and I would like to know what codecs I need to get my video back. My Operating System is Windows XP.

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Dani AI

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Short expert summary and focused troubleshooting for the black-screen-with-audio symptom reported by (WMP11 on Windows XP). Several replies already suggested codec packs and alternate players (thanks to , , and ). Those are useful for isolation; below are targeted diagnostic steps and practical fixes that were not spelled out in detail in the thread.

Quick isolation (confirm cause)

  • If an alternate player that bundles its own decoders (as mentioned in replies) shows video, the problem is with Windows Media Player / the DirectShow filter chain or the system video renderer rather than the disc/file.
  • Run dxdiag (Start -> Run -> dxdiag) and check the Display tab for DirectDraw/Direct3D status and driver details. Use dvdupgrd /detect to list installed DVD/MPEG-2 decoders. These checks separate codec/decoder problems from driver/DirectX problems. (support.microsoft.com)

WMP-specific fixes to try

  • In WMP11 try toggling the video-acceleration/renderer options: Tools -> Options -> Performance -> Advanced. Switch between “Use overlays” and the Video Mixing Renderer modes (and try turning off high-quality mode), then restart the player. Also try lowering video hardware acceleration (via WMP advanced options or system Display Troubleshooting) and retest. These changes commonly fix renderer/overlay driver conflicts that cause audio-only playback. (zachd.com)

If the problem persists

  • Remove duplicate MPEG-2/DVD decoders (keep only one), uninstall recently added codec packs if they made things worse, update or roll back the display driver, and install the latest DirectX for XP. For advanced diagnosis inspect the DirectShow graph with GraphEdit/GraphStudioNext to see which filters are used. If none of this restores video, using a self-contained player that bundles decoders (as suggested earlier) is a valid long-term workaround. For the dvdupgrd/dxdiag guidance and the “one MPEG-2 decoder” rule see the Microsoft troubleshooting notes. (support.microsoft.com)

References: Microsoft troubleshooting for WMP playback and tools for adjusting WMP renderers and overlays.
How to troubleshoot playback in Windows Media Player (Microsoft Support)
WMP tips: Performance/overlay/VMR details (community FAQ)
Renderer/overlay guidance (CodecGuide FAQ)

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for Inlovewithnight

Hello,
I downloaded the K-Lite mega Codec Pack and installed it. I still do not have any video in WMP. I also tried a different DVD to see if that was the problem and it was not.

try downloading K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.51 http://www.filehippo.com/download_klite_mega_codec/

if that cannot solve it, just keep in touch okay

Member Avatar for Inlovewithnight

Hello,
After downloading the codecs needed and uninstalling WMP and reinstalling it, I still get a black screen with just audio when playing a DVD. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi,
You could try downloading WMP11 again and reinstalling, it may be useful to uninstall the current copy.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx

Member Avatar for FragFighter

Hi, I had a similar problem. I don't use Media Player unless absolutely necessary; I use iTunes and QuickTime. I had a DVD I wanted to play, Apple recommended DivX Player. It's slow to load but great once you're set up to watch. The codec that goes with it also works seamlessly with Media Player 10; should also work with 11, so you may not necessarily need to use DivX Player. Best of all, it's free, which is awesome. :D
Here's the download link from CNET:

Member Avatar for slash49er

If you are having trouble with a video in WMP then I would download VLC Player. Works great

Member Avatar for caperjack

If you are having trouble with a video in WMP then I would download VLC Player. Works great

great minds think alike

Member Avatar for slash49er

great minds think alike

Sorry Caperjack only seen your post after I sent mine.....lol

Member Avatar for Inlovewithnight

Thanks to all for your help. Probably best I download a different player as suggested. Just puzzling as to why this happened in the first place.

Member Avatar for caperjack

Thanks to all for your help. Probably best I download a different player as suggested. Just puzzling as to why this happened in the first place.

why we are suggesting another player is to see if it will play the file ,if it doesn't then there is something wrong with the file

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