Error Message: Cannot Play Back the Video Stream...

ID: Q156286

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.0, 4.0 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to play a video movie file with ActiveMovie, you may experience problems hearing audio, seeing video, or both. You may also receive one of the following error messages:

When you try to play a movie that contains audio and video that are both in unsupported formats, one of the following error messages appears:

    - "Cannot play back the video stream: no suitable decompressor could
      be found." The only option is to click OK. ActiveMovie then quits.

    - "Unable to download an appropriate decompressor." When you click
      Details, you receive the message "Error=80040200."

If ActiveMovie can play at least one of the streams (either audio or video), you do not receive an error message, but may see the word "Warning" next to the time index within the ActiveMovie window. Moving the mouse pointer over the word "Warning" displays the warning message in the form of a Windows tooltip. Some of these warning messages are listed:
```
      Some of the streams in this movie are in an unsupported format.
```
```
      Cannot play back the video stream: no suitable decompressor could
      be found.
```
These messages are shown only as warnings. The most common symptoms are either the lack of video while playing a video using ActiveMovie or the lack of audio while playing a movie (because either the video or audio is in an unsupported format for playback with ActiveMovie).

CAUSE

Cannot play back the video stream: no suitable decompressor could be found:
This message most commonly occurs with files with a .mov extension which were originally created on an Apple Macintosh computer. The Apple Macintosh has video and audio codecs (Compression/Decompression schemes) that are not supported by ActiveMovie.
Some of the streams in this movie are in an unsupported format:
This warning typically occurs when the audio stream is not supported within ActiveMovie. The most common symptom is the lack of audio while playing back a video using ActiveMovie
Cannot play back the video stream: no suitable decompressor could be found:
This message is similar to the first message noted above. However, you do not receive it as an error message in a message box.
This behavior can occur if video compression is not installed.

RESOLUTION

To properly view these files, use one or both of the following methods:

Method 1

Install video compression. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click

   Add/Remove Programs.

2. On the Windows Setup tab, click Multimedia, and then click Details.

3. Click the Video Compression check box to select it, click OK, and then

   click OK again.

Method 2

Use a third-party viewer that supports the video and audio streams used in the playback file.

MORE INFORMATION

The most common video streams that are not supported by ActiveMovie are RPZA (Apple Video Compressor) and JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). A third-party movie viewer such as the 32-bit QuickTime for Windows movie viewer version 2.1.1.57 or later may be able to view these files.

The most common audio stream that is not supported by ActiveMovie is IMA4 (Interactive Multimedia Association). A third-party movie viewer may be able to play these files.

By default, Windows 98 Setup does not install audio codecs under the following circumstances:

Windows 98 Setup does not detect a sound card.
You install Windows 98 using the Compact installation option.

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words: am 3.00 ie3 ie30 quartz 4.00 ie4 ie40

Keywords          : kbmm msiew95 msient 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 18, 1999