I've spent a lot of time this weekend finally setting up Windows Vista Media Center, and I suddenly realised that Vista Media Center won't play Xvid and Avi files even if Windows Media Player will. If you want to add support for third party codecs including Xvid and Avi files in Vista Media Center then you need to install the Media Control Plugin For Windows Vista Media Center.
This plugin allows Windows Vista Media Center to utilize te FFDShow decoder, which needs to be installed seperately ((FFDShow rev 1108 recommended: download the last version from http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout)). FFDShow adds support to Vista for MPEG-4 video formats like DivX, Xvid, H.264 and also alllows MP3, AAC, Dolby AC3, and OGG Vorbis audio files to be played back.
The Media Control Plugin for Windows Vista MCE also adds the following additional features:
This plugin allows Windows Vista Media Center to utilize te FFDShow decoder, which needs to be installed seperately ((FFDShow rev 1108 recommended: download the last version from http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout)). FFDShow adds support to Vista for MPEG-4 video formats like DivX, Xvid, H.264 and also alllows MP3, AAC, Dolby AC3, and OGG Vorbis audio files to be played back.
The Media Control Plugin for Windows Vista MCE also adds the following additional features:
- Switching embedded audio and subtitles streams while playing a video: works with AVI, OGM, MKV
- Switching between external subtitle files (.SRT, .SUB)
- Switching between FFDShow presets (audio & video)
- Setting and loading bookmarks inside a video with visualization of the pictures of the saved bookmarks
- Real fastforward (and rewind) exactly like in the TV module (with 3 different speeds)
- Switching and setting post-processing filters in FFDShow (video filters only)
- Separate application to assign keyboard/remote control shortcuts to the commands and the MCML pages of the plugin.
- Full remote control support (6 buttons are mapped by default, but this can be changed)
- Default mapping (works in full screen while watching a video, except the blue button that is always caught) :
- Fast forward / rewind buttons
- [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Blue button[/FONT] : loads the startup page of the plugin
- [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Red button[/FONT] : switches audio stream
- [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Green button[/FONT] : switches subtitle stream
- [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yellow button[/FONT] : switches subtitle file
