How to ensure I'm using a widely-supported codec?

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Guest

I recently made a show in WMM 2.1, saved it as as WMV file and later
discovered it couldn't play it back on a different PC because of a missing
codec. How can I ensure that when I create a new movie that it's compressed
with a codec that's pre-installed on any new-ish Windows XP PC with Windows
Media Player? I don't want to send videos to people and have to worry about
if they have the right codecs installed.
Thanks
Ken
 
Hi Ken

It is unusual for a computer not to have the right codec for a WMV created
in Movie Maker. The only reason that I can think of is that you have a
different codec yourself than the standard.
If Media Player doesn't automatically download the correct codec for your
video on your friends computer then I suggest directing them to:
http://www.free-codecs.com/ and downloading the Windows XP Codec pack.
If that doesn't work then take a close look at your own installed codecs,
maybe you have an unusual one that you can simply deactivate so WMM will use
the standard WMV codec. I am not a codec guru by any means but the above
definitely makes sense and follows "video logic". :-)
 
Thanks for the help. The problem turned out to be not a codec, but an obscure
setting in Windows Media Player. I changed this setting and I was able to
play my video as well as other videos:

tools -> options -> performance -> advanced -> uncheck 'use overlays'.

Also I learned that even when I couldn't play a video in WMP, I could still
use file -> properties to see the properties of the video that wouldn't play
night and this cofirmed that the codec was a basic MS Windows Media Video
codec.
 
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