Playing PTE's MP4s with HomeCinema...

[goddi]

QUOTE (admin1 @ Oct 24 2008, 06:26 PM) *

The best result with software player is using of free Media Player Classic HomeCinema:

http://www.wnsoft.com/soft/other/setup_mpc.exe

It already includes all necessary decoders to play created video files with slideshows.

=================

Greetings,

Now that I am using PTE to create some MP4's, I want Igor's recommended HomeCinema program to play the files. However, my problem is I can not get the file associations to work. I want to be able to just click on the MP4 file in MyComputer so the HomeCinema program will automatically open it, as Windows does with other programs.

Each time I click on an MP4, either Winamps or Quicktime opens the file. Winamps gives me only audio and I don't like how Quicktime operates. I have gone into both of these programs and manually taken off their association with MP4 files. I have also tried the 'Open With' in Windows and browsed to the HomeCinema's exe and clicked on the "Always use...". Even when this is done, it reverts to the Winamp or Quicktime program to play the MP4, not HomeCinema.

The only way to play the MP4 in HomeCinema is to actually open the HomeCinema program first and open the MP4 directly there. Kind of a pain. Is there any way to make the MP4 file association work with this HomeCinema??? I am using Windows XP.

Thanks.... Gary

[fh1805]

Gary,

It may not be relevant but, after setting the HomeCinema exe file to be the "Always open with" program, have you re-booted?

When you find yourself struggling to get setting changes to stay "locked in" in can sometimes be resolved by re-booting.

regaards,

Peter

[goddi]

Gary,

It may not be relevant but, after setting the HomeCinema exe file to be the "Always open with" program, have you re-booted?

When you find yourself struggling to get setting changes to stay "locked in" in can sometimes be resolved by re-booting.

regaards,

Peter

========================

Peter,

Yes, I tried that but it does not help. But I did just notice something. After I did the Browse to the location of the HomeCinema's exe file, Windows is not pulling it into the list of Recommended Programs. I noticed this because if I just happened to have my cursor on a non-video program, like Acrobat, then click on "Always use...", the Acrobat program will try to play the MP4, even though I had finished the process and selected the HomeCinema program. Windows is ignoring my selection and defaulting back to whatever I happened to have had the cursor on before I selected the HomeCinema program. Must be just a Windows bug. As soon as I click into the "Always use..." block, the highlighted program, like Acrobat, would go grey, so you'd think it would not be selected as the program to use...but it does. It is ignoring my choice for HomeCinema and reverting back to whatever I apparently had the cursor on when I started the process. Strange. I just wonder if others have this same problem setting up the MP4 file association with HomeCinema.

Gary

Added later: I dumped the program and reinstalled it and I still have the same problem. I think that it is just not registering in Windows properly. Not sure why, though.

[nobeefstu]

Gary,

I think that it is just not registering in Windows properly.

You can verify if the .mp4 extention is registered by opening your Windows Folder Options and select tab File Types. Windows will display a window showing you all your registered file types. Browse the list for mp4.

If you find it ... you can modify the setting (program which you want to associate file to) which opens or plays the file. If not ... you may need to make a new file type entry of the mp4. Of course, you must feel comfortable doing this procedure ... but its always easily corrected.

I dont use Home Cinema to play mp4 ... but you may also try to see if Home Cinema itself has within its menu a way to set files associated to play.

Another quick way to tell if the file is registered to a program to open ... usually (not always) the Windows default file icon will change to an icon that the program uses for its files.

[goddi]

Gary,

You can verify if the .mp4 extention is registered by opening your Windows Folder Options and select tab File Types. Windows will display a window showing you all your registered file types. Browse the list for mp4.

If you find it ... you can modify the setting (program which you want to associate file to) which opens or plays the file. If not ... you may need to make a new file type entry of the mp4. Of course, you must feel comfortable doing this procedure ... but its always easily corrected.

I dont use Home Cinema to play mp4 ... but you may also try to see if Home Cinema itself has within its menu a way to set files associated to play.

Another quick way to tell if the file is registered to a program to open ... usually (not always) the Windows default file icon will change to an icon that the program uses for its files.

=======================

Nobeefstu...

Yes, Windows does have the .mp4 extension in its File Types. I tried re-setting the file association as you mentioned. No luck. I even deleted the MP4 association it had and made a new one but it wants to associate it with Quicktime. No matter what I do, I can not get the MP4 to be associated with HomeCinema. I do see that the Program list does show the icon for HomeCinema, but Windows will not let me do a file association with it.

Gary

[nobeefstu]

Gary,

It appears your Quicktime program has a file lock on that mp4 extention. I remember WinAmp use to do this to stop other players from stealing its file associations.

Open your Quicktime menu on file associations and see if you can free up or exclude the mp4 extention files. Again ... I dont use Quicktime either, I use WMP

[fh1805]

Gary,

This also is probably of no help to you but...

I have Quicktime installed and also have VLC Media Player. On my Vista systems the mp4 files are associated with VLC and not with Quicktime. Do you really need Quicktime? Is it worth trying an Uninstall of Quicktime, then set the desired association, and then - if you feel you must - re-install Quicktime?

regards,

Peter

P.S. If you do uninstall/reinstall, always watch out for prompts about changing file associations and take a conscious decision rather than the default decision. In a different thread, Eric (yachtsman1) is having problems because he allowed PTE v5.6beta to take over the association for the .pte files.

[davegee]

Quick Time, of all of the programmes which will work with the PTE generated MP4 files on my computers, is the MOST reliable.

Furthermore, if you plan on sharing your file with a MAC user, the chances are that QuickTime is the ONLY programme the MAC user will have. So trying an MP4 out in QuickTime before sharing would seem to be a wise thing to do.

Rather than uninstalling QuickTime, I would suggest downloading the latest version and getting it to work.

On the other hand, I installed my MP4 codec (on my desktop) using Lin's instructions from a while back - I wonder if that's the reason I had no problems from then on. On my Vista laptop I never had a codec problem.

BTW - I don't associate these files with QuickTime, I just right click on them, choose "Open With" QuickTime, ignore the offer to associate and they play just great. Doing it this way does not upset my other file associations.

DaveG

[goddi]

Gary,

I have Quicktime installed and also have VLC Media Player. On my Vista systems the mp4 files are associated with VLC and not with Quicktime. Do you really need Quicktime? Is it worth trying an Uninstall of Quicktime, then set the desired association, and then - if you feel you must - re-install Quicktime?

regards,

Peter

P.S. If you do uninstall/reinstall, always watch out for prompts about changing file associations and take a conscious decision rather than the default decision. In a different thread, Eric (yachtsman1) is having problems because he allowed PTE v5.6beta to take over the association for the .pte files.

==============

Peter and DaveG,

I finally gave up. I dumped both Quicktime and Winamp, and I still could not get the HomeCinema to associate with the mp4 extension. I reinstalled both. Then I installed the VLC media player and it works just find and associates with the mp4. The VLC seems to be the trick. Thanks. I think it is just the way HomeCinema was programmed.

Gary

[Conflow]

Gary & Peter

Win-Media Player and Quicktime and WinAmp have a "core" Player within their Program Folder.

This not to be confused with the (latest-version) of that Player which opens on your Desktop.

When you select the "core" Program (select standard or compact version) there should be a

Tab marked "View" and in the drop-down List you should find a Tab.."Always on Top".

Make absolutely sure that 'Tab' is unticked ~ this frees up your File Associations for other

Programs and Players. In fact just clear all such 'Always on Top Tabs' and you should find

that the RH.Click on your selected Program will produce the RH Context Menu with a selection

of "Open With Programs" ~ simply select the one you want.

See "Attachment below"

Brian.Conflow.

[goddi]

Gary & Peter

...Make absolutely sure that 'Tab' is unticked ~ this frees up your File Associations for other

Programs and Players...

Brian.Conflow.

=========

Brian...

I looked at each of my players and none of them have the "Always on Top" ticked. So, at least in my case, that does not seem to have any effect on the problem of file association with the "HomeCinema" program.

Gary

[jeanhum]

Hello Goddi

Yesterday, I experienced the same problem as you did:

With my Vista system, I was not able to assign MPC homecinema to mp4 file. Instead, MPC (standard) was always selected!

I did not understand why, finally, I discovered that the standard MPC was installed with K-Lite codec pack

I solved the problem by replacing the application Program files/K-Lite Codec Pack/Media Player Classic/mplayerc.exe with the latest mplayerc.exe (homecinema v1.2.90)

MPC and MPC homecinema use the same exe filename

Jean

[goddi]

Hello Goddi

Yesterday, I experienced the same problem as you did:

With my Vista system, I was not able to assign MPC homecinema to mp4 file. Instead, MPC (standard) was always selected!

I did not understand why, finally, I discovered that the standard MPC was installed with K-Lite codec pack

I solved the problem by replacing the application Program files/K-Lite Codec Pack/Media Player Classic/mplayerc.exe with the latest mplayerc.exe (homecinema v1.2.90)

MPC and MPC homecinema use the same exe filename

Jean

=========================

I kinda see what you are saying but I have only one 'mplayerc.exe' and that is for HomeCinema 1.2908.0. I did a Search. No matter what I do, the file association will play whatever program I had the cursor sitting on when I did a Browse to "Always use the selected program...".

Must just be a Windows thing...

Gary

[Conflow]

Gary,

1)

What Op.System are you using ? and what Windows Media-Player is installed (9 or 10 or 11) ?

2)

Will your PC play a normal (Retail) DVD Film ?...(Such as you can purchase in a Video Shop)

3)

Can this be played on Win-Player only ? or will it also play on the Home Cinema Program ?

I ask these questions because I have a suspicion that you may be suffering from DRM 'Lockdown'...

This is a situation where Win-Player.11 will only play a DVD with DRM encoding and will reject all others

not DRM encoded....this is to prevent DVD copying. If you have XP-Sp3 that upgrade brings Win-Player 10

into line with Win-Player.11. (In fact XP-Sp3 monitors all PC.Ports for DRM infringements) and unfortunately

newer versions of Quicktime also have DRM buit in.

Just a suspicion...

Brian.Conflow.

P.S

For those who may have this problem the "Link" and "Attachment" below may help.

Link:-

http://www.ultimatedrmremoval.com/

[mhwarner]

(In fact XP-Sp3 monitors all PC.Ports for DRM infringements) and unfortunately

newer versions of Quicktime also have DRM buit in.

Brian.Conflow.

Sounds like another good reason not to install XP SP3! Thanks for this info.

[goddi]

Gary,

1) What Op.System are you using ? and what Windows Media-Player is installed (9 or 10 or 11) ?

2) Will your PC play a normal (Retail) DVD Film ?...(Such as you can purchase in a Video Shop)

3) Can this be played on Win-Player only ? or will it also play on the Home Cinema Program ?

I ask these questions because I have a suspicion that you may be suffering from DRM 'Lockdown'...

Just a suspicion...

Brian.Conflow.

=====================

Brian...

Thanks for the reply but I don't have a problem with playing any mp4 or DVD or any video file. My problem is much less serious. It only has to do with setting up the HomeCinema program to automatically play any file, specifically the mp4s that PTE creates. The problem is getting Windows XP (SP2) to let me associate the mp4 extension with the HomeCinema program that Igor recommended to play the PTE's mp4 files. I wanted to be able to click on any mp4 file in MyComputer so Windows would automatically play it with HomeCinema. HomeCinema will play the mp4 but I have to open the program first, then browse to the mp4 to play it. I now find that I can associate mp4s with the VLC Media Player that Peter recommended. So I am just not going to use HomeCinema for now. Thanks... Gary

Added later:

Well, I thought I had it all under control. I now see that even the VLC Media Player bites the dust, too. I played an mp4 with it, though its file association to mp4s. Then I tried it again and got a Windows error message: "VLC media player has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." I re-installed it and now it won't even open the mp4 file in MyComputer. The mp4 will open/play if I open the VLC, then browse to the mp4 file...just like HomeCinema makes me do. Oh...boy. I guess I am back to using QuickTime. Back to square-one.