Setup:
Matsonic MS7188D motherboard, VIA Chipset PLE133T
Celeron 1.1GHz
Memory 512MB
60GB ATA-100 HDD (upgraded from the 20GB that I started with)
onboard Trident video
generic (CompUSA) ATI RADEON 7000 PCI w/32MB RAM, DVI, VGA, composite video
Samsung TXP2675WHF 26" 16:9 High Definition Television connected to the Radeon via DVI

I am able to watch TV (albeit with much stuttering); I can capture TV and play it back; I can listen to music; I can view pictures.
I had a number of Divx (.avi) files on a Mac, which I view normally with VideoLAN client (vlc). I copied these files over to the KnoppMyth box, used the Manager to "add" the files, even pulled IMDb data for the movies (with posters!), but I cannot play them. When I select a video from the Gallery screen, it takes me to the detailed view, but when I hit Play the screen flickers for a second, then returns to the detail. The flicker seems to say "Please wait" over the poster. I checked /var/log/mythtv/mythbackend.log last night, and saw this:

2005-08-20 22:44:08.578 Changing from None to WatchingLiveTV
2005-08-20 22:44:08.688 Unknown video codec
2005-08-20 22:44:08.691 Please go into the TV Settings, Recording Profiles and
2005-08-20 22:44:08.693 setup the four 'Software Encoders' profiles.
2005-08-20 22:44:08.694 Assuming RTjpeg for now.
2005-08-20 22:44:08.695 NVR: Error, unknown audio codec
2005-08-20 22:44:18.329 Changing from WatchingLiveTV to None
Can't read vbi data

/var/log/user.log, /var/log/syslog, and /var/log/messages didn't seem to have anything.
I went into Recording Profiles, and set all four encoders to MPEG4. They were originally set to RTjpeg. Today, there are no entries like above in the log, but the videos still won't play.
This is a fresh install of KnoppMyth from Auto Install on the CD.
Do I need to install a Divx codec?

yes all patent encumbered codecs have been removed from mplayer in knoppmyth.

_________________
Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

Can I successfully use vlc instead of mplayer? Or, would it be better to continue using mplayer and add in thine necessary codecs?

I believe there are some instructions around about using vlc.

_________________
Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

Well, I found instructions for installing vlc, and followed them. Now, I get the vlc interface, and I get the audio track of the movie I am trying to play, but no video. There's not even a window: I pulled the MythTV window out of the way, and can see the KnoppMyth desktop. I am now Googling all over for ideas, and I am hoping someone here has solved this problem already.

Why don't you just upgrade mplayer with all the codecs? It isn't hard, and works really really well. Just because knoppmyth comes with a stripped mplayer doesn't mean you have to keep it that way.

This page has instructions for how to do it.

-Aubrey

Well, I have no good excuse for not updating mplayer, except my own bias towards vlc. Now that I have changed the command line for calling the MythVideo player for vlc, can you tell me what the mplayer command line is supposed to be?

This is the default line ...



-Aubrey

Thanks Aubrey!
Things are working very well now.

for the record on a fresh install of R5a16.1 mplayer is in /usr/bin
but the default command in Myth is /usr/local/bin

this is why my videos would not play thanks to the post above for pointing me in the right direction.

Craig

Do most of you guys use Mplayer? I use Xine exclusively...
Am I missing something?