Please HELP to HELP

[BSPeter]

Please help your fellow-BSPlayer-users to help you !
When posting a new topic it surely helps if you ... :
(1)
... mention your BSPlayer's version/build by the number (and date) of its build (as in BSPlayer's "About box"), e.g. "Build 501, 16 Sep. 2003". You can download version 0.86 build 501 here and here. Some updated language files for build 501! (Deutsch, Finnish, Français, Hrvatski, Magyar, Nederlands, Romanian, Russian, Spanish) can be downloaded here.
(2)
... include in your post - if applicable - the type of the video-file, the type of audio, type of subtitle and/or other information (e.g. video-card, Direct-X version) which may be useful to be able to tell what's perhaps happening. Of special interest is to know which (video- & audio)compression (=codec) is used for the moviefile. These can easily be established by using (freeware) utilities like GSpot or Mediainfo or alternatively Avicodec or VideoInspector. For MP4 files you may use mp4UI instead. I personally use GSpot (only). For GSpot: you need to load the avi-file in GSpot (e.g. by "drag and drop"-ing it in GSpot's window), after which GSpot will tell you at the right hand side of its window which compatible codecs it found on your PC for the file in question. Further you should click [Render] at the bottom of GSpot's window to see the Video and Audio paths and then you can further "click for details". What is the info given by GSpot with respect to the 4CC video codec resp. the audio codec and what is the info if, after "Rendering Successful", you 'click for details' at the bottom of GSpot's window? If you click on filter/codec-name additional detail is available such as i.a. its version, which may also be of interest to know;
(3)
... first check if there is no existing similar post of an earlier date, by using the "Search"-button and a well chosen keyword (preferably a single 'significant' keyword, e.g. "green" instead of "green screen", as this last one will produce all posts with the word "screen" and NOT only the ones with "green screen"; you can also perform more advanced search-options by using AND, OR resp. NOT together with your keywords (as explained on screen after you've pressed Search-button);
(4)
... take some time to look at the various individual settings which are possible on the several tabs in BSPlayer's "Options"/"Preferences" (i.e.: General, Video, Audio, Intervideo AC3, DivX;-), 3.11, DivX, (Equalizer), Subtitles, Key definitions & WinLIRC and the most recently added tab: DVB Broadcast client). Use the arrow-buttons at top-right to make tabs which are "out of sight" visible. Perhaps try some variations of settings. Also have a look at BSPlayers "About"-information if you didn't do that before;
(5)
... know that the site to which this forum belongs (by bst, i.e. the creator of BSplayer) has an excellent skins department. However, be aware that whereas BSPlayer 2.x and 1.x (thanks to its special plugin) can also use version 0.86 skins, this is not so the other way around. In this connection note that the very first version 1.00 RC1 Build 800 was released on 10 Nov 2003. So skins made before that date should be version 0.86 skins. Further 'old' skins may perhaps still be found e.g. here, here, here, and here; but you'll have to really search very very hard. (However you can easily download a few 0.86 skins of my collection.)
If you wish to try and create your own new skin you could have a look at the "Creation of Skins" page of kurtnoise
(6)
... need some assistance creating .bsi (ini) files and/or .cbf (chapter) files, that you are aware that Matimott's utilities Inimaker and/or Chapmaker could be of use to you (tutorial on site). Another utility to create bsi/ini-files is HWMaker.
(For chapters you could also have a look at ChapterXtractor, e.g. here);
(7)
[text concerning Norton A/V-incompatibility removed; Norton seems to have sorted it out.]
(8)
... know that you can use BSPlayer 0.86 with a directshowfilter: e.g. download ffdshow (alpha) here, but you can also use it with the proper codecs. I would advise to start with a minimum installation (which is OK for playing most common avi's), i.e. a suitable (non-bloated) DivX-codec, which - if you havn't already installed it - can be downloaded here. (Note: you do NOT need to include "Google" and you also do NOT need to install the DivX Player, which is included in this "bundle"; you can simply deselect these upon installation).
After installation of DivX-codec please check settings on Tab "Quality", which can be reached directly through [Start] "Programs"/"DivX"/"DivX codec"/"Decoder configuration Utility". If "Support Generic Mpeg-4" is checked (selected) DivX-codec will e.g. also play XviD encoded movies.
With respect to audio, I would install AC3 filter ver. 0.70b as many movies have AC3 sound. To access AC3 filter's settings from BSPlayer (with videofile loaded) follow: (rightclick >) Other menu > Properties > AC3Filter. For general setting purposes you can also access it directly through: [Start] > Program files > AC3Filter > AC3Filter Config.
(Though in most cases it really is not necessary, you may also decide to use XviD's codec (which can be downloaded i.a. here or alternatively here) to play XviD encoded movies (instead of letting DivX-codec handle these; see above). Then (to avoid possible conflicts) I advise to deselect "Decode all supported FourCCs (DivX, DX50, MP4V)" during XviD's installation (or later). Further, to make sure that BSPlayer indeed uses XviD-codec for XviD-encoded movies, you should uncheck the box "Support Generic Mpeg-4" of DivX-codec (see above).)
(9)
... know that you cannot download subtitle-files from this site. Instead you may try an appropriate site (for your language) out of the selection of 60+ subtitle sites (as also mentioned under item (9) of my new Help2Help-post for 1.x/2.x BS.Player versions).
(10)
... know that for Help on BSPlayer 1.x/2.x versions, you can click on the link Help2Help hereunder.
:wink: