Help with Windows Media Player?

[merry slug]

Okay, let me just start by saying I'm technically deficient when it comes to this crap stuff.

I've downloaded a video from the internet. I would like to watch it. It opens with Windows Media Player, which I'm okay with. But while I get the sound, all I get for video is the funky color visualizations you get when you play a song.

The file is an "avi" file, which WMP apparently recognizes as a video. So why won't it play it as a video?????????????????

Can you tell I'm frustrated?

Oha nd BTW, I tried changing it to open with Quicktime, but then I get a message saying that I first need to download "some components" from the internet before I can play this file. Okay, fine. I go to their website, but I have absolutely no idea which (of the bazillion) components I'm supposedly needing. WTF? Is it supposed to be this hard???

[Brian]

If it is giving you that message with Quicktime, then it is indeed an .avi file. (You already knew that though. :)) Quicktime is cranky about avi files, trust me. You don't want the headaches of trying to get an avi to play through Quicktime.

That said, if all you're getting is the visuals, then that may be all that's there. I don't have WMP so I can't say for sure if there are any visual settings. Just thought I'd chime in about the Quicktime thing since I'm using a Mac and have played around with Quicktime for years. I still don't use it for avis though, I use VLC. It's easier (for me).

[John]

It's possible that it's a divx or xvid video. You can go here (http://www.digital-digest.com/software/download.php?sid=1052&ssid=0&did=1) to get the software that you need.