Proper codec for S-Mpeg 4 version 2

[VCDmonger]

I have an avi file (and yes it is an avi, not a misnamed wmv or asf) that plays fine in WMP, but the video will not play in BSplayer (the audio plays fine in BSplayer though). When I analyze the avi with GSpot v2.1 (available at http://www.headbands.com/gspot/ ), it reports the codec as S-Mpeg 4 version 2 (the 4CC is mp42) which if I'm not mistaken is the second version of Microsoft's MPEG-4 codec. It also reports that the codec is present and installed on my system. The audio is PCM which accounts for why it is played back fine.
I tried to convert the file with TMPGenc but it would not open (due to lack of proper codec). I found a codec available for download at http://www.divx-digest.com/software/mpeg4codec.html so I installed it and from that point, TMPGenc could open it and reencode to mpeg. BSplayer still could not render the video, however. If anyone can point me to a specific codec (or hey, it could even be a setting in BSplayer I have set wrong) please let me know. And I'm uncomfortable using Nimo's codec pack, so please don't suggest that :)

Just so you know, I'm using the latest build of BSplayer (0.86 build 493) on Windows 2000 SP3. If you need to know more about my system, just ask.

VCDmonger

[Quietseb]

did you try to change overlay mode ? sometimes you must even disable overlay and/or check "force RGB mode" in the video preferences.

P.S. please do not cross-post
you can still delete your other message as long as nobody answered it

[VCDmonger]

Sorry about that - I deleted the cross-post.
Nevertheless, no matter what settings I use for BSPlayer, I cannot get the video to show up. I'm using FFDshow, and it doesn't matter if I dis/enable support for MP42 (I also messed around wth MP41 and MP43) or not - I still get the same grey screen with audio in BSPlayer.

I find it hard to believe that no one else is having this problem, because this is the exact problem I get whenever the proper codec isn't installed (and is corrected with the installation of the proper codec). Not to mention, I'm using a fresh install of Win2K so it's unlikely that something else is conflicting with it. I also read another post on this board about someone who is having the same problem getting DivX to play in BSPlayer, although the proper codecs are installed and DivX plays fine in other media players. Could it be a bug?

[Nick]

bsplayer should be able to access the direct show codec wmp uses.
could it be you're playing some encrypted stuff (you downloaded a license key)? (i don't think bsplayer supports copyrighted stuff, but honestly i've never tried.)

however if you can figure out the needed .ax or .dll library (ffdshow.ax, i think, this is the codec...) you may try to copy it to some (proper) bsplayer (subdir) (i currently don't have access to a bsplayer installation, so i cant say wich - the directory containing bsplay.exe may work...)

finally cou can try to use another codec (mpeg 4.2 should be a hacked ms codec, more popular as divX;-) )

[VCDmonger]

Today I also started noticing another problem with BSPlayer (on top of the MP42 problem). My movies would always be "on top" even with the option disabled. I messed with everything I thought could fix it and got very frustrated when nothing worked. Eventually I uninstalled BSPlayer and reinstalled it. That fixed the "always on top" problem, and guess what - it also fixed the MP42 problem (incidentally, I had never been able to play movies in desktop mode, and now that is fixed too)!

I had no idea that I had a faulty installation of BSPlayer, and quite frankly I'm not sure how it happened. I downloaded the installer version from a link from the official site. I'm thoroughly virus and trojan horse protected, so I doubt any malicious software deleted an important file. I'm the only person who owns and uses this computer, so I'm baffled. Anyway, another problem solved by a simple un/reinstall. :D

VCDmonger