Windows Media Player Crash - Codec issue

[ep3998]

OS: Windows 10 (Creators Update) Version: 6.1 Using Since: 2+ years?

Error: "Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."

Now, this is new as of a day or two ago, which means I don't know if it's related to the fact Apple is releasing their new 4k versions of these videos. See: https://9to5mac.com/2017/09/11/tvos-11-4k-apple-tv-screensaver/

Since they're actively working on this code-base, it's possible they might've changed the videos as well?

Edit: Saw the previous comment in #132 relating to a soundcard issue and tried that link specifically - that video is still working in Windows Media Player when I download it directly. It's just the screensaver form that is not.

[alistairmcmillan]

It's not cause of the new 4K videos and it's not cause "they're actively working on this code-base" cause the file that the screensaver sources the videos from hasn't changed. Yet.

Windows Media Player doesn't deal well with badly formed files. If this just started happening in the last day or two, my first suggestion would be to check the cache folder to see if any of the files have been created or modified recently. If so try deleting them and letting the screensaver download them again.

[ep3998]

Alright, tried a couple variations to no avail. Following combinations were tried:

• Restarted the computer, like a good engineer.
• No Cache, {AppData}/Local/Aerial/temp empty (settings I had up until now)
• No Cache, Deleted {AppData}/Local/Aerial and saw it get re-created next run
• Uninstall (deleted), restarted, re-installed (unzipped fresh), No Cache
• Cache - Default path to {AppData}/Local/Aerial/
• Cache - New path to a folder outside of {AppData}, in case of any weird UAC/Read-Only issues
• I think every possible variation on the Setting screen (Play + Time + Disable + No Cache, No Play Different + Time + Disable + No Cache, etc.)

I'll check back through my update history next and see if anything came down the pipe from Microsoft.

[shpagaalex]

Friends, this video showed an error http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/000/Features/atv/AutumnResources/videos/comp_GL_G010_C006_v08_6Mbps.mov

I saw it when I downloaded it to C: \ Users \ Shpagin \ AppData \ Local \ Aerial \ temp

[TR4SPY]

I have two monitors and I don't know how it is related to this but here is what's happening: Two screens, same Aerial video played at the same time on both screens (not extended so two same vids at the same time, each on each screen), same system settings. And it turns out that The "Media Player" issue is happening randomly but always just on one screen. So if it happens it's not on both screens, it's always on one screen, the second one is playing vid just fine. Each time I check screensaver, the vid is played correctly, or it's crashing on Monitor 1 or it's crashing on Monitor 2 but never on both at the same time.

[pathanlan]

Hey all - using @jonathonwpowell 's 4K fork. Worked fine for me up until I installed the Windows 10 Fall Creator's Update. Afterwards seeing same error as OP.

Fixed by installing a codec pack - be wary as the installer tries to do the usual install some bloatware & change your default homepage trick - run through the advanced set up and make sure to catch toward the end of the wizard. Codec pack link is: http://www.windows10codecpack.com/.

This might work as a temporary measure until MS fixes the codec issue...