Re: Codec for Flash videos

On Jan 10, 8:49 pm, "Jean Rosenfeld" <jean.rosenf...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Try ffdshow. It will allow FLV1 types to play in WMP. For some other flv
types, I have found WMP sometimes starts to play, but then crashes.

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

"Joe" <J...@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:eeVDfa3UIHA.4712@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have windows XP pro sp2 and use WMP 11. What codec do I need to play a
flash video that I saved from the internet, using WMP 11. Right now WMP
does not recoginze the .flv file.
Thanks for help

I did a little experimentation with codecs to make a .flv play on WMP
11. As you say, not all codecs will play all flavors of flv properly.
There seems to be another problem for some very large flv files,
which, unlike old-fashioned flash video .swf only files, often are
huge files with very high resolution - I have some over 30 MB. When I
try to play such big ones on the WMP 11 with any codec I have tried
yet, I get a buffer overflow message from McAfee, which you can select
to ignore. Overflowing a buffer can be a security concern. Likely some
buffer associated with the WMP overflows. Anyway, the WMP will not
play the big file. The play button remains dim, but even if you wait a
long time, playing will not start.

A flv (flash video) is just one part of a flv/swf video. You encode
the swf portion and the flv portion at the same time as separate
files, each of which must be put on the server. The flv contains the
video information and can be a huge file as in other video formats.
However the .swf file contains the player that can be constructed in
many ways. It can be of about any size, contain full or partial
control bars, large start buttons, logos, text etc. When you play a
flv/swf on the web, you link only to the .swf file in the html code.
The .swf file contains the information to start downloading the flv
file to the browser's temporary cache and to read the video
information in it for use in the swf player container. Thus you never
see the .flv listed in the html for the page. The flv can be recovered
in various ways from the browser's temporary cache. However when you
capture a flv, the swf player container usually is not captured. You
will notice that large start buttons, logos, etc are absent, because
they were part of the swf player container. It takes both the .flv and
swf files, along with flash being installed, to make a complete
player. If you have flash encoding programs, you can input the flv you
captured to it and construct a new flv/swf to your liking. This type
of encoding program can be expensive. Thus some have built special
players and codecs for other players, that will play an isolated flv.
This is not how flv/swf was designed to work, but it often will serve
lacking anything better.
.