Cat-ness Posts
So you want to playback a video you just downloaded? Having problems playing back videos all of a sudden? This thread will attempt to answer some of the most common questions regarding video playback issues, especially related to anime fansubs.
[size=11]Last Updated: 2 March 2011
This information was thought to be accurate at the time it was written.[/h]
Many users find a video file their computer cannot playback. They might then download and install some playback codec or decoder they found online somewhere. Many of these files are old and outdated, have many bugs and glitches, or may cause problems with other decoders, or are even bundled with malware.
[size=14]If you already have a recommended codec pack or video player installed, please skip to the Troubleshooting section.[/h]
[size=14]Getting Started[/h]:
The specific programs and codecs used to playback videos varies by the type of system you are using.
The oldest operating systems you should use are Windows XP SP3 or Mac OS X 10.4.11 "Tiger". (There is no real excuse for not updating to SP3 or 10.4.11 if you are already running XP or 10.4 Tiger.) Newer versions such as Windows 7 and Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" are recommended. It is difficult to recommend an minimum Linux version to run due to the many quirks between different distros and kernel versions available, however this doesn't mean you should ditch using it. In any case, newer is generally better. Older OSs tend to lack features needed by modern media players and decoders.
Windows users should download the CCCP, the Combined Community Codec Pack, or the K-Lite Codec Pack in Basic or Standard. K-Lite Full and Mega are generally not needed unless you work with video files often. Do not install both CCCP and K-Lite. Only one or the other. While both work effectively, CCCP is more widely recognized as the pack to use for anime fansubs. They allow Windows Media Player and some other programs to read and decode almost any video file.
Mac users should download the Perian component. It combines many separate decoders into a single component controlled by one easy to use prefpane. Installing this allows QuickTime Player, iMovie, Final Cut, and almost any other programs that uses the QuickTime framework to open virtually any video file.
I'm not aware of any specific codec packs available for Linux distros. Some media players may only playback certain "open source" formats, or may attempt to automatically install the proper codec plugins for you. Some already have codecs built-in. Some players that come to mind are Totem, and xine. Again, because of the variety of distros and programs available, it is difficult to give advice. There's also Mplayer and VLC, which are mentioned below.
Available for most platforms, is Mplayer. It runs off the command line, so you would probably want to run Mplayer with a GUI, which adds in useful things like play/pause buttons and a seek bar. Windows and Linux users might want to try SMplayer (recommended by Flaser below), or Mplayer OSX Extended for Mac. (alt. download link)
Also all platforms (Mac/Win/Linux), there is always VLC Media Player. It's widely known for being able to playback almost every single video file thrown at it, even some incomplete, 'broken', or half-downloaded files. However VLC's user interface design can be a bit messy and some functions such as seeking and rewinding might be glitchy at times. Despite these bugs, VLC is still a viable option for video playback, especially with non-standard or obscure formats.
TL;DR (in order of recommendation):
Mac: Perian+QuickTime, Mplayer, VLC.
Windows: CCCP, K-Lite, Mplayer, VLC.
Linux[size=9]1[/h]: Mplayer, Totem/xine, VLC.
[size=10]1: Player support varies by distro[/h]
[size=14]Troubleshooting[/h]:
Glitchy, blocky, distorted video? Stuttering? Video appears to be cut off or cropped, or is playing outside the player window? Only a solid black/green/pink window? Odd error messages? Audio but no video? Whatever it is, read the following:
If you already have CCCP, K-Lite, Perian, Mplayer, VLC, or whatever codec/plugin installed, and some video doesn't play, check if there is a new version of the codec/component/program available. There may have been some bug fixes or new features added that will allow you to view the video properly. You can use the built-in update function (if available) or check the official website. Also check the "Release Notes" to see what bugs may have been fixed, and "Known Issues" to see what the programmers may be working to fix. You should always use the latest "Stable" version, unless a "Beta" test version is recommended.
If you are sure you have the latest codec pack, check for system updates via Windows Update, Apple's Software Update, or the like. For Windows and some Linux users, also try checking for graphics driver updates from Nvidia/AMD. It's possible there's a driver glitch preventing the video from rendering. You should do this especially if you can hear audio, but only see a solid color box or distorted video. It is highly unlikely, and quite rare, but it is also possible the actual video card may be defective.
If the video is stuttery, laggy, not in sync with audio, but otherwise appears to play, also follow the above suggestions. Again, if you are sure you properly installed the codec packs, and have all the latest system and driver updates, perhaps your computer is too old. Check the Task Manager, Activity Monitor, Process Viewer, or equivalent utility to see if your CPU is being overloaded. This frequently happens with older machines and HD content, but may even happen with SD content if your computer is very old. If the CPU meter seems pegged at 99-100% (or 50% for dual core), you might need to upgrade your computer.
In rare cases it may not be the computer, but a badly encoded or corrupt file. This might also result in the above symptoms. You could try playing the same file on another computer or media player. If it's a corrupt file, you might want to download the file again. If you are sure it's a bad encode, check for a reuploaded or "v2" fixed version.
Lazy, huh? Here is a TL;DR version, but many details that may be related to your problem may have been left out.
(Holy crap, I think I put more effort into this post that I do with some class assignments. I pasted this into Word and it turned out to be almost a 4 page double-spaced paper...)
[size=11]Last Updated: 2 March 2011
This information was thought to be accurate at the time it was written.[/h]
Many users find a video file their computer cannot playback. They might then download and install some playback codec or decoder they found online somewhere. Many of these files are old and outdated, have many bugs and glitches, or may cause problems with other decoders, or are even bundled with malware.
[size=14]If you already have a recommended codec pack or video player installed, please skip to the Troubleshooting section.[/h]
[size=14]Getting Started[/h]:
The specific programs and codecs used to playback videos varies by the type of system you are using.
The oldest operating systems you should use are Windows XP SP3 or Mac OS X 10.4.11 "Tiger". (There is no real excuse for not updating to SP3 or 10.4.11 if you are already running XP or 10.4 Tiger.) Newer versions such as Windows 7 and Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" are recommended. It is difficult to recommend an minimum Linux version to run due to the many quirks between different distros and kernel versions available, however this doesn't mean you should ditch using it. In any case, newer is generally better. Older OSs tend to lack features needed by modern media players and decoders.
Windows users should download the CCCP, the Combined Community Codec Pack, or the K-Lite Codec Pack in Basic or Standard. K-Lite Full and Mega are generally not needed unless you work with video files often. Do not install both CCCP and K-Lite. Only one or the other. While both work effectively, CCCP is more widely recognized as the pack to use for anime fansubs. They allow Windows Media Player and some other programs to read and decode almost any video file.
Mac users should download the Perian component. It combines many separate decoders into a single component controlled by one easy to use prefpane. Installing this allows QuickTime Player, iMovie, Final Cut, and almost any other programs that uses the QuickTime framework to open virtually any video file.
I'm not aware of any specific codec packs available for Linux distros. Some media players may only playback certain "open source" formats, or may attempt to automatically install the proper codec plugins for you. Some already have codecs built-in. Some players that come to mind are Totem, and xine. Again, because of the variety of distros and programs available, it is difficult to give advice. There's also Mplayer and VLC, which are mentioned below.
Available for most platforms, is Mplayer. It runs off the command line, so you would probably want to run Mplayer with a GUI, which adds in useful things like play/pause buttons and a seek bar. Windows and Linux users might want to try SMplayer (recommended by Flaser below), or Mplayer OSX Extended for Mac. (alt. download link)
Also all platforms (Mac/Win/Linux), there is always VLC Media Player. It's widely known for being able to playback almost every single video file thrown at it, even some incomplete, 'broken', or half-downloaded files. However VLC's user interface design can be a bit messy and some functions such as seeking and rewinding might be glitchy at times. Despite these bugs, VLC is still a viable option for video playback, especially with non-standard or obscure formats.
TL;DR (in order of recommendation):
Mac: Perian+QuickTime, Mplayer, VLC.
Windows: CCCP, K-Lite, Mplayer, VLC.
Linux[size=9]
[size=10]1: Player support varies by distro[/h]
[size=14]Troubleshooting[/h]:
Glitchy, blocky, distorted video? Stuttering? Video appears to be cut off or cropped, or is playing outside the player window? Only a solid black/green/pink window? Odd error messages? Audio but no video? Whatever it is, read the following:
If you already have CCCP, K-Lite, Perian, Mplayer, VLC, or whatever codec/plugin installed, and some video doesn't play, check if there is a new version of the codec/component/program available. There may have been some bug fixes or new features added that will allow you to view the video properly. You can use the built-in update function (if available) or check the official website. Also check the "Release Notes" to see what bugs may have been fixed, and "Known Issues" to see what the programmers may be working to fix. You should always use the latest "Stable" version, unless a "Beta" test version is recommended.
If you are sure you have the latest codec pack, check for system updates via Windows Update, Apple's Software Update, or the like. For Windows and some Linux users, also try checking for graphics driver updates from Nvidia/AMD. It's possible there's a driver glitch preventing the video from rendering. You should do this especially if you can hear audio, but only see a solid color box or distorted video. It is highly unlikely, and quite rare, but it is also possible the actual video card may be defective.
If the video is stuttery, laggy, not in sync with audio, but otherwise appears to play, also follow the above suggestions. Again, if you are sure you properly installed the codec packs, and have all the latest system and driver updates, perhaps your computer is too old. Check the Task Manager, Activity Monitor, Process Viewer, or equivalent utility to see if your CPU is being overloaded. This frequently happens with older machines and HD content, but may even happen with SD content if your computer is very old. If the CPU meter seems pegged at 99-100% (or 50% for dual core), you might need to upgrade your computer.
In rare cases it may not be the computer, but a badly encoded or corrupt file. This might also result in the above symptoms. You could try playing the same file on another computer or media player. If it's a corrupt file, you might want to download the file again. If you are sure it's a bad encode, check for a reuploaded or "v2" fixed version.
Lazy, huh? Here is a TL;DR version, but many details that may be related to your problem may have been left out.
- [*]Don't install random codecs
[*]Make sure you are running a recent, supported operating system
[*]Use reliable codecs with reliable media players
[*]Use the most recently updated stable version of the codec pack
[*]Make sure your OS and drivers is up to date
[*]Ensure sure your computer is fast enough
[*]Check if the file is bad
(Holy crap, I think I put more effort into this post that I do with some class assignments. I pasted this into Word and it turned out to be almost a 4 page double-spaced paper...)
Not sure, as some new posts are here while older ones aren't. Doesn't seem to be too much of a pattern to it. Well, on IRC Jacob sez there's a fix in the works, so I can wait.
Yeah, looks like it's a server issue. Apparently it's being worked on, according to the chatter on IRC. I think.
EDIT: See also: https://www.fakku.net/viewtopic.php?t=61811
EDIT: See also: https://www.fakku.net/viewtopic.php?t=61811
I eat almost anything, other than certain melons and pineapple, as I'm allergic to them. Not really into asparagus or artichokes, though. Bleh.
And I have a dirty mind, as I read the title as "Pussy Eaters"... >_>
And I have a dirty mind, as I read the title as "Pussy Eaters"... >_>
Sprite wrote...
I'm Chinese too, and I love those shrimp crackers.And normal pocky isn't good enough, you have to have MANLY POCKY!
And I also like those mini biscuits cakes that they sell on the street corners by the 2 dozen.
Yeah, those "Egg puffs" or whatever you call them are pretty good.
Cormac wrote...
This is the worst thread in Food and Cooking. It was in Random, but Waar moved it over here. :P
First anime I watched was DBZ and Sailor Moon, both on Cartoon Network's Toonami.
I was only like 7 or 8 years old back then, I think. I actually liked Sailor Moon a bit more than DBZ. I think it had a bit better storyline even with all the edits to the US version. Or maybe it was just because of the girls... Either way I think I was looked at a bit weird for liking a "girly" show.
I actually don't think I realized the shows were imported from Japan until later.
After that, it was Pokemon. Everything Pokemon. I got Pokemon Blue and Pokemon cards and some limited edition Burger King Pokemon Gold Plated Trading Card. I found Missingno. and used the "clone glitch" in Silver/Gold. Haven't really played or watched any Pokemon in a while though.
Then there was also Cardcaptor Sakura on KidsWB and Zoids and either Gundam G or Gundam Wing or "Something" Gundam (I forget) on CN. I remember that as it was the first time I remember seeing a real Japanese anime ending, not some edited remake. ("Shining Finger! Something something something!")
Sad how Toonami is gone... :/
I *think* it was around 2005 when I first encountered hentai. I watched whatever was on TV, until one day I found Inuyasha playing on Adult Swim. That led later led me to watch Bleach and Blood+ and then Code Geass. And then Gurren Lagann on Sci-Fi "SyFy".
Now it's mainly Crunchroll/Hulu/Netflix, along with some fansubs.
And I'm asian, so maybe that means something.
I was only like 7 or 8 years old back then, I think. I actually liked Sailor Moon a bit more than DBZ. I think it had a bit better storyline even with all the edits to the US version. Or maybe it was just because of the girls... Either way I think I was looked at a bit weird for liking a "girly" show.
I actually don't think I realized the shows were imported from Japan until later.
After that, it was Pokemon. Everything Pokemon. I got Pokemon Blue and Pokemon cards and some limited edition Burger King Pokemon Gold Plated Trading Card. I found Missingno. and used the "clone glitch" in Silver/Gold. Haven't really played or watched any Pokemon in a while though.
Then there was also Cardcaptor Sakura on KidsWB and Zoids and either Gundam G or Gundam Wing or "Something" Gundam (I forget) on CN. I remember that as it was the first time I remember seeing a real Japanese anime ending, not some edited remake. ("Shining Finger! Something something something!")
Sad how Toonami is gone... :/
I *think* it was around 2005 when I first encountered hentai. I watched whatever was on TV, until one day I found Inuyasha playing on Adult Swim. That led later led me to watch Bleach and Blood+ and then Code Geass. And then Gurren Lagann on Sci-Fi "SyFy".
Now it's mainly Crunchroll/Hulu/Netflix, along with some fansubs.
And I'm asian, so maybe that means something.
The DAICON III and IV animations were made by the same people who would later form Gainax, and go on to make shows like Gurren Lagann, FLCL, Evangelion, and Panty & Stocking. The videos were made for a sci-fi convention. At the time, they were only a bunch of amateur animators.
You can read more about the videos here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAICON_III_and_IV_Opening_Animations
The DAICON III video really looks amateur, but the amount of detail in the IV video could rival some recent shows Seriously, watch the second video and be amazed. Remember this was all hand-drawn, no CG.
DAICON III (1981): (kinda amateur-ish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaFVO4YrUWc
(Embed glitchy?)
DAICON IV (1983): (good part starts around 2:35)
You can read more about the videos here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAICON_III_and_IV_Opening_Animations
The DAICON III video really looks amateur, but the amount of detail in the IV video could rival some recent shows Seriously, watch the second video and be amazed. Remember this was all hand-drawn, no CG.
DAICON III (1981): (kinda amateur-ish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaFVO4YrUWc
(Embed glitchy?)
DAICON IV (1983): (good part starts around 2:35)
+1 for Microsoft Security Essentials. Free, and not full of crap like Norton or McAfee.
There's also Malwarebytes. The free version is good for basic scans, but doesn't have the automatic on-access file scanner like MSE has.
There's also Malwarebytes. The free version is good for basic scans, but doesn't have the automatic on-access file scanner like MSE has.
Nice new landing pages! Easy way to see what's new and popular, and much nicer looking than the current pages.
But I never completely understood the reasoning behind the Top Download/Favs/Views of all time, as the same stuff seems to sit in that list for a while. Maybe most viewed in past 7/30/365/all days, if that's possible? Depending on the way the database is setup it might take a while to code, though.
Maybe put a "Random" row on the bottom of the new manga page which displays thumbs from a couple completely random manga so some more obscure or lesser viewed stuff get viewed too. Some manga are pretty good but seem to get lost among the hundreds of others.
Hope I don't sound too negative. Just some suggestions.
But I never completely understood the reasoning behind the Top Download/Favs/Views of all time, as the same stuff seems to sit in that list for a while. Maybe most viewed in past 7/30/365/all days, if that's possible? Depending on the way the database is setup it might take a while to code, though.
Maybe put a "Random" row on the bottom of the new manga page which displays thumbs from a couple completely random manga so some more obscure or lesser viewed stuff get viewed too. Some manga are pretty good but seem to get lost among the hundreds of others.
Hope I don't sound too negative. Just some suggestions.
Generally if the RAM fits, it works. Although there's certain things like clock rate which *may* slow things down in certain cases. And no, you shouldn't need to upgrade an entire PSU if you install more RAM.
You should run a program like [url=http://www.piriform.com/speccy]Speccy[/Speccy] on it to show all the specs of your computer. Post them here so we can help a bit more
You should run a program like [url=http://www.piriform.com/speccy]Speccy[/Speccy] on it to show all the specs of your computer. Post them here so we can help a bit more
I was in the middle of editing my post, sorry.
I also think i7 is a little overkill. For most users it's just not worth the extra cost. I'm getting tired of these "gamers" who brag about spending thousands on the newest crap only to throw it out a month later.
I'm on an new-ish i3 laptop, but my desktop is a Pentium 4. I'm thinking of giving it to my uncle who is still running on an old 800MHzcPentium 3 which barely runs XP. It went through a few minor upgrades, and still have quite a bit of life in it. It can playback 720p video fine, even though the video card doesn't support hardware acceleration.
I also think i7 is a little overkill. For most users it's just not worth the extra cost. I'm getting tired of these "gamers" who brag about spending thousands on the newest crap only to throw it out a month later.
I'm on an new-ish i3 laptop, but my desktop is a Pentium 4. I'm thinking of giving it to my uncle who is still running on an old 800MHzcPentium 3 which barely runs XP. It went through a few minor upgrades, and still have quite a bit of life in it. It can playback 720p video fine, even though the video card doesn't support hardware acceleration.
All decent recent computers have at least a Intel Core i3/i5/i7, or an AMD Athlon II or Phenom II.
Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron are overkill and only really used in servers and crazy-powered workstations.
Intel Core 2 Duo is a little older but still perfectly usable.
A recent Intel Pentium or Atom, or AMD Sempron or Neo should work alright. Those are even older, or bottom of the line, though.
As for video cards, look for ATi/AMD 4000 or higher, or Nvidia 200 or higher.
ATi 1000+ or Nvidia 5000+ are older but should work fine.
Any kind of Intel IGP "Integrated Graphics" are bad for gaming, but work decent for video playback.
Some cards decode the video instead of the main processor (DXVA, etc.), but usually this doesn't matter too much unless you have a really bad processor.
At least 2GB of ram (4 recommended), DDR2 or DDR3.
Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron are overkill and only really used in servers and crazy-powered workstations.
Intel Core 2 Duo is a little older but still perfectly usable.
A recent Intel Pentium or Atom, or AMD Sempron or Neo should work alright. Those are even older, or bottom of the line, though.
As for video cards, look for ATi/AMD 4000 or higher, or Nvidia 200 or higher.
ATi 1000+ or Nvidia 5000+ are older but should work fine.
Any kind of Intel IGP "Integrated Graphics" are bad for gaming, but work decent for video playback.
Some cards decode the video instead of the main processor (DXVA, etc.), but usually this doesn't matter too much unless you have a really bad processor.
At least 2GB of ram (4 recommended), DDR2 or DDR3.
Handbrake makes some nice quality video with x264, although you need to configure it a bit for it to work with the PSP. Apparently different PSPs have different settings, and I don't have a PSP so I don't know about them.
Here's a forum topic that has some good directions:
http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18866 (The 3rd post down)
Instead of a bitrate of 768, you could try 512 to save some space. Or choose "Constant Quality" and set that to RF:23. You can make the bitrate higher or RF lower to make the quality better, but then it takes up more space.
Here's a forum topic that has some good directions:
http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18866 (The 3rd post down)
Instead of a bitrate of 768, you could try 512 to save some space. Or choose "Constant Quality" and set that to RF:23. You can make the bitrate higher or RF lower to make the quality better, but then it takes up more space.
I never liked Nero. Has a lot of features, but I always felt it bloated and difficult to use, especially because of the multiple programs bundled just to do one simple task.
You could try ImgBurn. Free, and can burn almost any disk image file you throw at it (including APE). And I find it's much easier to use than Nero for some things.
You could try ImgBurn. Free, and can burn almost any disk image file you throw at it (including APE). And I find it's much easier to use than Nero for some things.
Yep, Malwarebytes is good. A good, free, and unintrusive AV program that doesn't bug you to upgrade at all is Microsoft Security Essentials. Has good detection, and all the basic stuff you need without getting in the way.
AVG and Avast are also good, but bug you about upgrading from the Free version sometimes.
AVG and Avast are also good, but bug you about upgrading from the Free version sometimes.
