Video Error

[Crash2009]

Everything works perfectly on the PC through WMC. Video files work perfectly on the extender, only live TV and recorded TV do not work on the extender.

I have another question. Could you define Everything and list the types of Video files that work perfectly on the extender.

[3rob3]

May have been mentioned already, but this sounds a lot like the bad Windows Update that went out. May want to check and see if it is installed:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... f=5&t=8212

[Lyxicarn]

Trying everything and nothing is working...audio is fine, definitely as speakers on the HTPC and the sound from the Xbox plays through the TV via the HDMI. Have gone through the direct X option and installed the Optional Media Update (though I think this had been done previously). DCA override doesn't seem to work either - form what I can tell, it works if the card itself fails DVA, but mine passes DVA on the HTPC and only fails on the extender - unless there's a way to run the override on the extender or I'm reading the instructions incorrectly?

As to the Event Viewer, there's so much to look at there it's not funny, especially on the 26th. There was one particularly odd entry as below, but I don't know what it means:

Besides that, there are errors and warning messages saying "The Media Center Extender session was terminated because Windows Media Center exited unexpectedly" which I assume to be the Xbox being switched off at the on/off switch rather than proper shutting down procedure. A couple of information messages regarding failed updates, but they were later successful.

At a bit of a loss at the moment - can't afford a new card but have entered a competition for a PVR - crossing my fingers on that one now!

As to the bad Windows Update, I didn't have auto updates installed, so it looks like the bad one had already been revoked before I did an update - regardless, I have since rolled back all the updates installed to before the affecting date and it hasn't helped.

[cKuR6]

Maybe you checked it, by forgot to tell us, have you made sure none of the extra graphics stuff is running? The bloat crash mentioned? Hydra vision is listed as one problem In another thread.
Can you change out the hdmi from the xbox with another?
Do you have onboard graphics option to try?

[Crash2009]

According to these guys you botched the hd6800 install. Remnents of your previous video card driver are effecting the hd6800. Looks fixable. Do a little reading on the subject before you act on it.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/community ... is.127294/

I suppose it would be a waste of time to suggest that you restore your registry from a backup, wouldn't it? Another way would be to restore from System Image, or even System Restore.

You might even have to get friendly with REGEDIT to fix this.

[Mike88]

My understanding is, the directive was to set windows to stereo, then WMC to desired output. When inside the windows sound options, there is a radio box, automatically ticked i believe, that allows appications to take control. Thus, setting WMC to 5.1 overrides the stereo windows setting.

If applications take control then why would it matter what Windows sound is set for? If WMC set to 5.1 overrides the stereo Windows setting then how come it does not override the 5.1 Windows setting?

From everything I've read, most folks say you cannot have both Windows & WMC set to 5.1.However I've seen a few comments where some people say it works either way for them. So maybe for some people the WMC application does override either Windows setting. I don't know.

Mine only works with Windows set to Stereo & WMC set to 5.1, at least when using HDMI from HTPC to AVR.

I'm not trying to challenge anybody or to be difficult. I'm just curious why the heck a Stereo setting provides 5.1 audio.

[Crash2009]

Barb might have a better idea.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... 5ab6229ecf

This post sounds the same as http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... f=8&t=8399

[cKuR6]

Mike88, you pose a good question. I don't know any more than you, just sharing what I read when I had the same error on my extender.
Crash, strange. Ill test my xbox tomorrow. I have six echos working. If the xbox fails, it will at least point the issue away from the vid card and htpc. Not that it fixes the problem, but could save everyone time fiddling with the PC for weeks like I did.

[richard1980]

The number of speakers configured in Windows or WMC only affects how many channels of analog or PCM audio are output by Windows/WMC, respectively. Neither setting has anything to do with whether or not DD, DTS, or any other encoded audio format is output by the PC. That option is controlled by the Exclusive Mode checkboxes in the Advanced tab of the audio device properties. In order to output any kind of encoded audio, there needs to be a private pipeline between the audio source and the audio device driver, and the only audio information that can flow through that pipeline is the eccoded audio stream. When you enable exclusive mode, you are telling Windows that applications are allowed to open that private pipeline and communicate directly with the audio device driver. If an application is communicating directly with the audio device driver, it isn't communicating with Windows, so any Windows audio settings don't even come into play.

When you configure WMC audio output, you are configuring how many channels of audio are output from WMC when WMC is not communicating directly with the audio device driver...which means WMC audio settings only apply when WMC is outputting audio to Windows. When Windows receives the audio from WMC, the audio is processed according to the Windows audio settings. That is the only time Windows audio settings every come into play.

WMC only communicates directly with the audio device driver when all of the following are true:

1. Exclusive mode is enabled.
2. WMC is attempting to play a DD, DTS, or WMA Pro stream.
3. The "Auto volume" feature is disabled (Tasks > Settings > TV > Audio).
4. The encoded format is (for HDMI connections) listed or (for S/PDIF connections) checked in the Encoded Formats section of the Supported Formats tab of the audio device properties.

With all of that said, there is an issue where the "Video Error: Files needed to display video are not installed or are not working correctly. Please restart Windows Media Center or restart the computer." message is displayed in the following scenario:

1. Windows is configured to output 7.1.
2. WMC is configured to output 5.1 or 7.1.
3. The "Play sounds when navigating Windows Media Center" option is enabled (Tasks > Settings > General > Visual and Sound Effects).
4. WMC attempts to play a DD, DTS, or WMA Pro stream.

There are several solutions to this problem:

1. Disable navigation sounds. If doing this immediately after seeing the error message, you have to disable the navigation sounds, close WMC, and then restart WMC. It may also be necessary to do one or more of the following between closing and reopening WMC:
   1. Change the Windows audio output configuration from 7.1 to any other setting, then change it back to 7.1.
   2. Play audio from a different application.
   3. Restart the computer.
2. Change the Windows audio output configuration from 7.1 to any other setting.
3. Change the WMC audio output configuration to 2 channel.
4. Enable the "Auto volume" feature in WMC. Note that when doing this, WMC decodes encoded audio formats internally and outputs the audio to Windows.

Personally I have Windows set to output 7.1, WMC set to output 2 channel, auto volume disabled, and navigation sounds disabled.

[newfiend]

^This explains why we always tell people to use Stereo settings for Windows and Set the Audio settings to 5.1/7.1 in WMC.. If both are set to 5.1/7.1 (Windows and WMC) then it will display the "Video Error: Files needed to display video are not installed or are not working correctly. Please restart Windows Media Center or restart the computer." error. Like Richard pointed out disabling Navigation sounds also fixes the issue but I like my nav. sounds so I just set Windows to Stereo and WMC to 5.1.
Great write up BTW Richard.. =)
and nice find on the botched the hd6800 install Crash2009... If he can't restore from a backup or System Image/System Restore.. It may be best to format and reinstall if he's not good/familiar with using regedit.
newfiend~

[Mike88]

Thank you richard1980 for the detailed information.

[nigeltec]

Big thanks everyone on this thread as I would have never worked this out without your help.
Here is my experience:
Problem Description
• Media Center starts on the 360 OK however If I try to play any recorded TV I get this error:
Video Error
Files needed to display video are not installed or are not working correctly. Restart Windows Media Center or restart the computer.
• If I try to play anything from my music (.MP3) I get this error:
Audio Error
An error occurred while trying to play your selection.
More Info
Everything plays OK directly on the Media Center itself.
The Fix:
On Windows Media Center (NOT XB360): Control Panels\Sound:
Output was set to HDMI so sound was going to my TV via HDMI then from TV's stereo out jack to my amplifier.
I changed this (in sound control panel) from HDMI to Speakers and all errors immediately were gone.
(I then had to plug a cable into the stereo out jack at the back of my Media Center then to my amplifier in order to get sound)

[Arbitraged]

I have same issue. all worked till about a month ago. I had a working centon and xbox 360, now both get this error.

I have updated drivers, changed HTPC to 2 channel, and about lost my mind. Is anyone else still getting these issues or have anymore tips?

I have updated directx
audio is set two 2 speaker in windows and wmc
autovolume is on
cant imagine whats changed, music from wmp plays on extenders, i can stream movies that were ripped, just cant get recorded or live tv on extenders

[Crash2009]

I have same issue. all worked till about a month ago. I had a working Ceton and xbox 360, now both get this error.

I have updated drivers, changed HTPC to 2 channel, and about lost my mind. Is anyone else still getting these issues or have anymore tips?

I have updated directx
audio is set two 2 speaker in windows and WMC
autovolume is on
cant imagine whats changed, music from wmp plays on extenders, i can stream movies that were ripped, just cant get recorded or live tv on extenders

What you running for antivirus?

[Arbitraged]

ad aware and microsoft security essentials

[Arbitraged]

any ideas, this is driving me nuts.

[philipt95148]

I am living that problem right now and just could not figure out why. I built the system from components in 2013, first installation worked fine, no video error message. I did not have to change any sound setting. Just built the system, load win 7 home premium, configure WMC and it worked out of the box.
About 12 months later in Nov 2014, started getting SVCHOST.EXE issue taking up 100% resources, antivirus or spyware scan showed nothing, did a fresh OS install and things got back to normal.
Two weeks ago, SVCHOST.EXE issue came back, again AV and spyware scan came up with nothing, did another fresh OS install and now I have video error! I have played with all different audio settings but still nothing.
No hardware change, no cable was moved! Could it be a remnant of a corrupt registry somewhere?
Can anyone suggest something else?
System is
- intel Pentium g620
- ASRock H77M motherboard
- Ceton infiniTV 4 cable card
Output HDMi to TV
tV to receiver via Optical

I disabled updates because it tended to mess up comskip software, so system is as it was in 2013 with no updates to the OS.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks