Unable to view .avi files, please help (in Off-topic)

I am unable to view .avi files using both windows media player and realplayer. If someone could direct me to a website where I could download the proper plugin (and specifically where on the site I could find it) I would deeply appreciate it.

your hated by the community seek help elsehwhere

why [is] he hated by the community?

Even though you've been nothing short of a consuming mass of endless hatred towards me, I'm going to be nice enough to point you in the direction of a program called AVIcodec. This isn't going to be an AVIcodec like the name suggests, but if you use it to open any type of media file, it can direct you to a download site for the proper audio and video plugins.

AVI files range from the standard to the very, very strange. I am not sure how mature VLC is on Windows, but on the Mac, it plays everything I throw at it. Type "VLC media" into Google and have fun.

Oh, yeah, and I hate you. Or something.

Avi is a pretty generic compression format - there are many different standards used to compress movies to that format, and most media players can only handle a few of those formats. Downloading the xVid or DivX media players might help. The DivX player can give useful error messages that say exactly what you need to play a file.

You can also download codec packs to solve this problem. Some pretty complete ones are the Storm Codec Pack, and the Nimo Codec Pack. These will let you pick and choose which media formats to install - after installing and rebooting, you should be able to play just about anything. Storm Codec also comes with a simple media player that works quite well.

Ok, here's what you do...

Put your computer and all of its components back into the box they came in. Take all of it back to wherever you bought it, and tell them you want your money back and to never sell you a computer again.

That should fix your problem.

Ok, maybe that response was harsh, but if you are savvy enough to find and play a game like CB2, you should be able to find a codec or a program to read/open an avi file.

you must ask jeeves
he knows what to do

lol @ fugz

LOL...Brandon and Fuh have good sense of character...? so they hate u I hate u bwahahaha!

Glory, that is ridiculous. Video formats are a whole new world. I am a 33-year-old IT professional, and I know my stuff. But when I started downloading Battlestar Galactica torrents and they wouldn't play, I had no idea what to do. It took a fair amount of Internet searches, downloading, and trial-and-error to get everything right (including burning them to quality DVDs until I can purchase the official Season One DVDs).

You had better pray to the heavens you never have a database, programming, math, or science question. Because if you do, I will ask politely for you to pack up your brain back in its original package (clearly not your head) to send back to its maker, never asking for another one.

Bottom line, if you don't have anything constructive to say, stay silent.

Actually, he's already punished himself by downloading a version of RealPlayer.

but yet, who thinks chet's picture would be better with a tommy gun instead of a guitar?

Yep, I'm with Chet on this one.

AVIs used to be pretty standard but the problem with AVI files is that it's a file type that will hold audio and video. The content within the AVI file can be of many different codecs (or formats) which a player will choke on if it doesn't have the appropriate 'translator'.

Have a look here for a good article on finding out which codec is in your AVI file.

http://msmvps.com/chrisl/articles/10453.aspx

Isn't my picture already creepy enough? lol...

Stephen that is the clearest view I've ever heard in my life. In never occured to me that AVI might simply be a generic file type meaning "Audio Visual Interface" or something along the lines. I've had a lot of the trouble with video files too, even post Nimo.

I can build a computer and get it running, I can install and run most software, and I'm net savy. That's enough to get me on CB. To think that if you can get on here you should be able to solve any video file shoved your way is retarded. 12 year olds play this game, I doubt they could solve this problem.

My usual piece of advice when a friend comes to me and says "This file doesn't play" is "Give up, it will never work, no matter how many different versions you download. Find something else worth watching."

And Chet, I thought he was holding a rifle in that pic for MONTHS.