how to view mpg files?

dogwalker wrote on 11/10/2007, 11:11 AM
I hope someone can help with this. When I double-click an mpg file to test-watch it, Windows Media Player opens but can't play it. The same file plays on my son's computer.

He did watch a video recently, which included some dvd software (Intervideo, I think), so is that what I need to install?

I just assumed that WMP 11 would view mpg files?

thanks

Comments

Eugenia wrote on 11/10/2007, 11:30 AM
It's just a codec conflict, I have the same problem on my PC. Just download and install the VLC player, right click on the mpg file and select from the submenu to open it with VLC.
dogwalker wrote on 11/10/2007, 11:35 AM
I was wrong about my son's computer. I just checked and didn't see any dvd software on it. I found VLC at videolan.org and it works great!

Now I'm seeing another problem. A few of these clips play fine in VLC, but not in Vegas or DVDA. They look corrupted. I have the .vob files she gave me, and I copied them and changed the extension to .mpg.

Eugenia wrote on 11/10/2007, 12:03 PM
If Vegas/DVDA doesn't play them, maybe it doesn't support that kind of file. Try the "import dvd" option instead. Or as a last resort, transcode these files to another vegas compatible format using VLC or ffmpeg.
dogwalker wrote on 11/10/2007, 1:20 PM
Eugenia, you're a Godsend. I had given up on her first few tutorials, because they are corrupted. However, VLC will actually allow me to convert them to .mpg and to set one set of in/out points. I had to lose the last few minutes of one vob, but was able to convert it, and now DVDA handles the resulting file smoothly.

My son's teacher is going to be thrilled! I thank you ever so much for the VLC tip!
4eyes wrote on 11/10/2007, 11:00 PM
Hey, watch it, Godsend has a few meanings.....

Godsend
Ivan Lietaert wrote on 11/10/2007, 11:45 PM
I'm a bit confused here. I thought VLC is a media player, but this thread seems to suggest you can also convert files with it to different formats. Is that a correct deduction?
Eugenia wrote on 11/11/2007, 12:00 AM
Yes, VLC can both capture from a streaming source AND convert to other files. But it's so buggy in both counts that it's mostly used as a video player and nothing else.
dogwalker wrote on 11/11/2007, 10:14 AM
oh shoot, I didn't know that (about VLC being buggy)

I prepared a folder (took an hour an a half) and then burned a dvd from it (took 12 minutes) ... and my player won't play it. In fact, when I try to browse the dvd from my PC, I see nothing there. Ouch.

Well, I'll be spending my afternoon tracking this down, I guess.