Video display issues

Solutions:

• Use ffdshow to decode Xvid instead of using the Xvid decoder.
• Use ffdshow to decode DivX instead of using the DivX decoder.
• In Xvid decoder configuration, force Output Colorspace to YV12.
• Use DirectVobSub version 2.33 instead of newer versions.
• Enable YV12 on the 'Output' page in ffdshow video decoder configuration.
• Use Vista's default theme instead of the classic theme.

General solutions to try when the video displayed is all messed up:

• In Media Player Classic, go to Options -> Playback -> Output -> DirectShow video, select a different video renderer.
• Install a different version of your graphics card driver.

This may happen with some buggy graphics drivers.

A workaround that often helps is to disable usage of the YV12 colorspace. In ffdshow video decoder configuration, on the Output page, uncheck YV12.

This may happen with some buggy graphics drivers.

A workaround that sometimes works is to disable usage of the YV12 colorspace. In ffdshow video decoder configuration, on the Output page, uncheck YV12.

If you have an ATi video card, this is caused by the driver trying to accelerate WMV decoding and failing. You need to disable DXVA WMV hardware acceleration.

With newer ATi drivers, this can only be done from the Catalyst Control Center:

1. Start the Catalyst Control Center.
2. Click "View -> Advanced View".
3. Go to "Video -> All Settings".
4. Scroll down to the bottom.
5. Uncheck "Windows Media Video Acceleration".
6. Click "Apply".
7. Close the CCC and reboot your computer.

If you have an older ATi driver that doesn't use the Catalyst Control Center, you'll find the WMV acceleration setting in the Windows Desktop properties:

1. Right-click the desktop and click "Properties".
2. Click the "Settings" tab.
3. Click the "Advanced" button.
4. Here, find a checkbox called "WMV9 acceleration" or something like it. Uncheck it.
5. Click OK, and reboot your computer.

This problem is usually caused by a bug in the graphics drivers. First try resetting all the drivers settings to their default values. If that doesn't help, then try a different version of the driver, either older or newer.

A workaround that often works:

In WMP menu go to Tools -> Options -> Performance -> Advanced. That brings up the video acceleration settings. There you should see options called "Use overlays" and "Use high quality mode". Change those settings and restart the player.

Adjust the brightness. There are several ways to do that:

Graphics card

Most graphics card drivers allow you to adjust various picture properties such as Brightness, Contrast, Gamma and saturation.

You can access your graphics card control panel via:
Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display -> Settings -> Advanced

Decoding filter

Most video decoding filters have an option to adjust the brightness. For example DivX, Xvid and ffdshow have such an option.

In Media Player Classic the properties of a filter can be accessed via:
MPC menu -> Play -> Filters -> [name of decoder]

In BS.Player the properties of a filter can be accessed via:
Right-click menu -> Options -> Filters -> [name of decoder]

In Windows Media Player it is not possible to access the properties of a filter.

In ZoomPlayer the properties of a filter can be accessed via:
Right-click menu -> Filter Properties -> [name of decoder]

Windows Media Player

1. In WMP, right-click on the title bar of the window or the Now Playing tab
2. In the context menu, select: View -> Enhancements -> Video Settings

Note: If you can't adjust the sliders in Video Settings, then you need to enable the option in WMP to use the video mixing rendering (VMR). To turn on VMR in WMP, do the following:

1. In WMP, right-click on the title bar of the window or the Now Playing tab
2. In the context menu, select: Tools -> Options
3. Click on the Performance tab.
4. Click on the Advanced button.
5. In the Video Acceleration area, enable Use video mixing renderer.

This is probably caused by incorrect settings of your graphics card drivers. Some versions of the nVidia drivers are notorious for messing up their own settings.

• Go to your graphics card control panel. Reset all settings to their default values. Important settings are Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Gamma. You can access the control panel via: Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings > Advanced.
• Go to your graphics card control panel. Select the "Color Correction" page. Select "All" in the dropdown box called "Apply color changes to:". Then click on the button called "Restore Defaults".
• Go to your graphics card control panel. Open the "video and television" options. (You need to be in the advanced view). Select "adjust video colour settings", then select "correction". Hit "do not use colour temperature correction".
• If resetting the settings does not help, then find a newer or an older version of the graphics drivers. Uninstall your current drivers, reboot, and install the older ones.

Another solution (read: workaround) is to change the video renderer in Media Player Classic. By default it uses the Overlay Mixer. If that gives you troubles, then change it to either VMR-7 or VMR-9 (renderless). You can find this option via: MPC Options -> Playback -> Output -> DirectShow Video

In Windows Media Player there also is an option that influences the renderer that is used. In the WMP menu go to Tools -> Options -> Performance -> Advanced. This brings up the video acceleration settings. There you can choose between 'Use overlays' and 'Use high quality mode' (VMR).

If you are able to videos at their normal resolution, but not in full screen, it means something is wrong in the graphics drivers or its settings.

Updating your graphics driver should fix this problem.

Rename your file to .rmvb. Then MPC will use DirectShow instead of the RealMedia framework to play the file.