Resolved MPEG video wonky on all players

Well, I've enlisted the help of computer-literate friends and poked through BBS topics here and found nothing that comes close to this issue. But you guys have come through before.

My PC is W2K Pro, SP4. Intel processor, 1.80GH, 512 rAM.

Whenever I play any MPEG-based file, be it DVD or an internet clip (or even WinMedia video), the image is entirely blown out - like it was sun-leached, save for hard yellows, and high-contrast and ultra-grainy in appearance. Most of the image is white. Depending on the clip, it may also appear to have a milky film over the entire frame.

It's been like this since I got the PC (donated - freshly reinstalled OS). I've d/l'd the Essentials Codec Pack and tried using 2 alternate players (DIVX and VLC media player). I've tried opening MPEG files in other standard players incl. iTunes and QT and - the ones that played, looked exactly the same. I've also utilized ffdshow (though I didn't understand it - set to default).

I tried to make some screen caps for examples, but IrfanView wouldn't do it - the video seems to play on some other level that avoids capture. Sorry.

So, I'm baffled. Clearly it isn't the players - is something in Windows itself askew or missing? Sound familiar to anyone?

Larry

 

Hmm, thanks for the link, Arie. I d/l'd it and filled in the spaces I could make sense of in my "User CP" section. Is that enough? I couldn't locate the sound card and PSU info in SIW. It's a home-built PC that was donated to me. I'm not certain how to update my graphics driver.

I should also mention an odd thing about my little problem: though the video is all blasted out when I watch it, if it's playing on a device that makes frame caps (PowerDVD or VLC Media Player), when I go to look at the caps, they all look perfect - the way they're supposed to look! Weird, huh?

 

Right. I just don't know what to do with that. That is, I have a memory of deleting a driver and it renewing itself on a friend's XP unit a few years ago, but having moved backwards to this W2K one, I can't figure out how to do that simple task. Am I looking in Device Manager? Under "Sound, video and game controllers" all I see there are numerous Legacy audio/video drivers codecs, media control devices and one for my Turtle Beach sound card. Sorry, I know this is basic, but I feel kinda stupid with this, now.

 

I would agree with Arie about the drivers, try the the ones here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_93.71_2.html

 

Well, you both got it right. Thank you especially, Hawk, for the link to an .exe! That made the whole thing easy! (I never would have thought to go to NVidia's site - a big Duh, I guess.) I guess it ALSO installed a whole mess of things (NVKeystone, etc.), which I hope I don't need to futz with. But the main thing is, it worked! Thanks again-- as always, this site comes through!

L.

 

Oh, OK, Arie, didn't know about that. I'll use it next time. Thanks again.