Codecs in Ubuntu not working properly?

Question

Hi there! I'm having some serious trouble with playing some files. It seems like it's mostly avi files, but i get the hunch that it's not just avi. Anyway, it's like I don't have the newest codecs, the video can play properly but sometimes it's lagging, and becoming unsynced with the sound. it's not that my computer is bad, because i can play .mp4 files just fine. or at least some of them. The file i'm trying to play is 1280×720 DivX611 120fps.
I have Ubuntu 8.10.
I already installed ubuntu restricted extras and non-free-codecs.
I tried in VLC, but the same result.
I know the file is properly downloaded - i tried another one with the same encoding, and had the same problem.

anyone have any recommendations? please! don't make me have to go back to windows again! >_<

Answer 1

AVI's are just a 'wrapper' around the media, so it most likely is just a missing codec or the video's been encoded with a bizarro obscure codec that the ones you have are doing their best to decode.



You could try transcoding the files through VLC (not sure on Linux, but on OS X it's under 'File>Streaming/Exporting Wizard...') which will save them as whatever format you want (letting you set the video/audio formats/codecs).

Answer 2

you probably need to install ubuntu-restricted-extras use either: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras OR go into synaptic, search for ubuntu-restricted-extras ; install; if 9.10 does not have ubuntu-restricted-extras for some reason, look into medibuntu (medi for media), you can add the medibuntu repositories into ubuntu (using synaptic), but this is not necessary if ubuntu-restricted extras works for you

Answer 3

try using mplayer, also search for divx decoder for linux, as all the avi cannot be decoded with same decoder, it depends.