I've been using tcpmp to play videos on my X5 but it doesn't want to play videos with IV 32, MPEG-4 or .AVI extensions.

Any idea why?

Is there another media player that works with these types of files?

I play .AVI's all the time on TCPMP. Have you downloaded all the codecs for TCPMP? Grab them from their site:

http://tcpmp.corecodec.org/about

iPAUL

I think that's my problem, that I'm not downloading the correct/complete ones. Could you please provide a very detailed list of which files I need (I'm assuming that I'm pulling them from the "TCPMP for Windows" menu?

And how exactlly do I do it? Right now I'm opening the files up and putting them in my "Programs" box for the "Pocket PC My Documents" box in my PC, but is there a better way?

Go to this link and download the plugin .exe files to your PCs Desktop. Cradle your device for an Activesync connection then open the .exe files on the PC. Activesync will do the rest. You'll want the AC3, FFMPEG, SPEX and VORBISLQ plugins.

An additional plugin not on that page is for Non-DRM AAC files. You can get that one, the BetaPlayer AAC plugin 2005-08-02, here. This one is a zipped .cab file. After you unzip it transfer the aac.arm.cab file to your X5s My Documents folder an tap on it.

HTH

Don't Panic!
Bobby
42
Soft-reset is our Friend :

    

I used fairuse to make some dvds for my ax but it wouldn't play ac3 sound. So if I download the codecs it'll work?

Edit: And the answer is...Yes! Thanks everybody. Now, what's the difference b/t Ac3 and mp3 128? Is one a better recording than the other?

Here's the answer:

MP3
MP3 is an acronym for MPEG-1 (or MPEG-2) Layer 3 audio encoding (it is not an acronym for MPEG3). MP3 is a popular compression format used for audio files on computers and portable devices.

The compression in MP3 works on the basis of a "psychoacoustic model" which means that parts of the audio that human ears cannot detect are discarded by the encoder. Although this is a LOSSY process, it can yield very high quality audio files are relatively high compression rates.

A typical MP3 file encoded at 128 kbit/s (12:1 compression) is near CD quality.

MP3 audio is increasingly being used in video production coupled with various MPEG-4 video codecs like divx. The audio may be encoded with a constant or variable bitrate.

AC3
Dolby Digital
Dolby's best-known digital system, is used to provide multichannel surround sound in cinemas from 35 mm film, and in the home from laser discs, DVDs, and digital broadcast television, cable, and satellite systems. It enables the transmission and storage of up to five full-range audio channels, plus a low-frequency effects channel (LFE), in less space than is required for just one linear PCM-coded channel on a compact disc. Dolby.

My question is how much better does one sound versus the space it takes up? I imagine AC3 is supposed to sound better and probably doesn't take up much more room on a cf card. Any opinions?

---Steve-O

Check out Stevenator65 Weblog. It's back and worse than ever!

        

Thanks Bobby. I'l try it and let you know. Just to make sure...I grab all the files under TCPMP Plugins 0.71? Even the smartphone.exe files? What about the 0.72RC1 files? Do I need those as well?

Unless you have a smartphone you won't need the smartphone plugins.

The only reason to get the 0.72RC1 files is if you're using the 0.72RC1 player.

Don't Panic!
Bobby
42
Soft-reset is our Friend :

    

OK, I think I'm almost there. The videos seem to be playing albeit jerky. Am I missing any of the files to make them run smoothly?

Two questions - Once I download these files onto my PC do I have to do anything to any of the files other than the setup files? If so, how? They're zipped and don't know how!!

Same with the Beta AAC plugin - it was zipped - all the way to the aac.arm.cab file. Not sure how to proceed. Thanks in advance.

when I use tcpmp to play mpg4 file it will say MPEG4 AAC audio decoder not included! It was removed from the offical install package because of intellectual property considerations.
What can I do to get the audio run, I am using fairuse2 lite to convert to avi and use autogk to convert to 320x240 avi file, and I use another free program to convert to mpg4 file for the ipod video, but the thing I don't want to convert one avi for the x51 and one for the ipod video if tcpmp can play mpg4 that is perfect.
any idea how I can do that.
Thanks.

Any Help???

I had this problem also. I installed the codecs as suggested by Don't Panic! above. All is well now.

Note that the AAC plugin is only for non-DRM protected files. I interpret this to mean that you cannot play songs purchased off of iTunes, but you can play the ones you have ripped off your own CDs in iTunes. That seems to be the way it is working for me.

I try what you said and download all 4 codec from don't panic suggest, but when I try to play the video again, I cannot get any audio too, I did reinstall the tcpmp again but no luck. any suggestion.
btw how do the tcpmp know that their is new codec install. they are all in the same directory of the sd card.