Windows Media Player playback problem

[wanzelbin]

Even though I'm a programmer, I don't know much at all about things like music and video on computers.

 

I've recently copied loads of my CDs onto my computer, partly to secure my music from being lost when the kids inevitably scratch the originals, and also so that I can listen to lots of stuff all at once while I'm working.

 

However, there seems to be a problem sometimes when I'm playing stuff through WMP. Things usually start off ok but then the quality will suddenly reduce, with something that sounds like a jump or scratch regularly interrupting the songs. A subsequent song will then be ok. I initially thought it must have been a problem during the original recording, but then I can play the same track later on and it's absolutely fine. In fact, if I'm half way through a "bad" track, I can drag the progress widget back to near the beginning and it gets better too.

 

I've tried using Real Player instead, but it seems to do the same thing.

 

The processor seems fine when the problems occur, and the only thing left I can think of is some kind of buffering issue. I've looked around in WMP and Real Player but can't find anything.

 

The tracks were mostly ripped with WMP and they're in wma files. Looking at the properties of one of them it says "Audio codec: Windows Media Audio 9.2 Lossless VBR Quality 100, 44 kHz, 2 channel 16 bit 1-pass VBR". I don't understand codecs and bit rates and whether these may be responsible and whether they can be changed etc.

 

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

David

Edited November 29, 2007 by wanzelbin

[IanR]

David

 

Can you send me a couple of the files? The codec that you've used is "Lossless", and therefore more processor intensive; in my opinion you would have been better encoding to MP3. Others may have a different slant. And Windows Media Player would not be my first choice for ripping and/or playing. Again, others may differ.

 

Address to send: ianATrobertianrae.co.uk

 

Obviously, replace AT with @.

 

Cheers

 

Ian.

[wanzelbin]

Ian, that's very kind of you.

 

Regards

 

 

David

[ColinW]

Try adjusting the hardware acceleration. Right click the speaker icon then "Adjust audio properties" then "Audio-Advanced-Performance" and you see a slider control.

[Si...]

You could try VLC media player to play them, plays just about anything without the need for extra codecs.

 

www.videolan.org

 

Failing that, it might be worth downloading the k-lite codec pack

 

Features of K-Lite Codec Pack 3.5.7 FULL version :• Player :- Media Player Classic [version 6.4.9.1]• FFDShow :- FFDShow [rev. 1627]- extra plugins- FFDShow VFW interface• DirectShow video filters :- XviD [version 1.1.3]- DivX [version 6.6.1.1]- On2 VP6 [version 6.4.2.0]- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0]- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Cyberlink) [version 6.0.0.3402]- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (DScaler5) [version 0.0.8.0]- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.3]- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (MainConcept) [version 1.0.0.78]- MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 (Ligos) [version 4.0.0.77]• VFW video codecs :- XviD [version 1.2.0-dev build 2006-11-08]- DivX Pro [version 6.6.1.1]- x264 [rev. 655]- Windows Media 9 VCM [version 9.0.1.1184]- On2 VP6 [version 6.4.2.0] [Encoding]- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0] [Encoding]- Intel Indeo [version 5.2562.15.54]- Intel Indeo [version 4.51.16.2]- Intel Indeo [version 3.24.15.03]- Intel I.263 [version 2.55.1.16]- huffyuv [version 2.1.1 CCE Patch 0.2.5]- I420 (Helix) [version 1.2]- YV12 (Helix) [version 1.2]• DirectShow audio filters :- MP3 (Fraunhofer) [version 1.9.0.311]- AC3/DTS/LPCM/MP1/MP2 (AC3Filter) [version 1.30b]- MP1/MP2 (MainConcept) [version 1.0.0.78]- Vorbis (CoreVorbis) [version 1.1.0.79]- AAC (CoreAAC) [version 1.2.0.575]- MusePack [version 1.0.0.3]- Monkey's Audio [version 1.00]- WavPack (CoreWavPack) [version 1.1.0]- FLAC (illiminable) [version 0.73.1936]• ACM audio codecs :- MP3 (Fraunhofer) [version 3.4.0.0]- MP3 (LAME) [version 3.97]- AC3 (ffcHandler) [version 1.3.1]- Vorbis [version 0.0.3.6]- DivX  Audio [version 4.2.0.0]• DirectShow source filters :- AVI splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.7]- AVI splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- MP4 splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- MP4 splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.3]- Matroska splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- Matroska splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.2.9]- Ogg splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- Ogg splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.0]- FLV splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.1]- MPEG TS splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- MPEG PS splitter (Cyberlink) [version 1.0.0.4528]- MPEG PS splitter (Gabest) [version 1.0.0.3]- MPEG PS splitter (Haali Media Splitter) [version 1.7.359.22]- MPEG PS splitter (MainConcept) [version 1.0.1.20]- MPEG PS splitter (Elecard) [version 1.0.31.51211]- MPEG PS splitter (Ligos) [version 4.0.0.77]- MP3 Source (DCoder) [version 1.3]- AC3/DTS Source (AC3File) [version 0.4b]- SHOUTcast Source [version 1.0.0.1]- AAC parser (Orban) [version 1.0.27]• DirectShow subtitle filter :- DirectVobSub (a.k.a. VSFilter) [version 2.37 + fixes]• Encoding tools :- LAME CLI and DLL [version 3.97]- LameDropXPd [version 3.97]- OggDropXPd [version 1.8.9 aoTuVb5]• Tools :- GSpot Codec Information Appliance [version 2.70a]- VobSubStrip [version 0.11]- GraphEdit [build 041201]- MMCompView [version 1.10]
- AVI Fixed [version 2.0b1]
- FourCC Changer
- Bitrate Calculator

 

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm

[wanzelbin]

Just to let you helpful folks know:

 

I tried the VLC player, the codec pack, the hardware acceleration settings, reloading the latest driver for my soundcard, and re-recording the music as MP3. Nothing worked.

 

Today however I re-ripped using the "Windows Media Audio (variable bit rate)" format, with the quality set to about the halfway mark (85 to 145 Kbps), and it all seems to be fine!

 

It's amazing how much it was getting on my nerves, and though I can't say i've got to the bottom of it, it's wonderful to be able to play some music again.

 

Thanks again for all your help

 

 

D