How to play WMV files?
Solution 1:
If you have installed The Restricted Extras package sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras and you have tried to play the WMV video with VLC with no luck (I am assuming you did both of this already) then you have a problem with the file itself. You can do the following to check if the file is actually BAD and try to recover the parts that are OK:
On the same folder where the file execute the following in the terminal:
ffmpeg -i YourVideoFile.wmv -vcodec copy -acodec copy NewVideoFile.wmv
or the new version:
avconv -i YourVideoFile.wmv -vcodec copy -acodec copy NewVideoFile.wmv
If it starts throwing errors you know it was corrupt. The new file created will be better and you can play it but the corrupt or missing parts will be gone.
Normally if VLC can't read the file is because of 2 things:
Streaming format - Which means you need to be connected to the internet or the progression of the video got lost in several parts somehow.
Corrupt file - Which VLC would offer a way to fix it temporarily so you can view it.
If you already have the Restricted Packages which give you many compatible formats to encode/decode and also VLC which uses it's own native codecs and has the best way to solve video problems then most probably the problem is the WMV file. You can test another WMV to make sure.
Solution 2:
vlc doesnt use any external codecs as its self contained and comes with all codecs, it should play wmv fine as it does here on all my machines.
VLC can be installed from the Ubuntu Software Center
: VLC
Solution 3:
Do you have the ubuntu-restricted-extras package installed? That might help you. Restricted Extras Package This will install some proprietary codecs also you can also add this ppa and install other W32 or W64 codecs Medibuntu this I hope helps. Here is a link That might help Here is another Link Here
Solution 4:
You could also move on from WMV files altogether.
sudo apt-get install libav-tools
Then just use:
avconv -v quiet -i input-filename.wmv ouput-filename.mkv
Solution 5:
I'm assuming that SMplayer can play your WMV files but totem and VLC can not. so here's the solution:
- look for libavcodec extra in synaptic package manager and mark it for remove. it shows you a list of to be removed softwares and packages. press ok and do apply then log out.
- log back in and remove ubuntu-restricted-extras in software center. log out again.
- log back in again and install ubuntu-restricted-extras again. you will be able to play WMV files. tested on my ubuntu 14.04LTS.