Where are the toolbars with Options

[GeophysicalBrian]

I recently got a new laptop with Windows 10 Home 1511 When I play a MP4 or WMV file, the sound is out of synch with the video. Searching I found advice to click on Tools and Options in Windows Media Player. But the Toolbarswith Tools and Options no longer exists. For other naive users the secret trick appears to be to click the Windows + X keys, (the Windows key is the keyboard key with the Microsoft logo between the "fn" and "alt" keys.) Then click "Control Panel" in the list of options. Under the "System and Security" find and click "Find and fix problems"..(The help I found said to click "Troubleshooting". It apparently was so named previously; the panel that comes up is so labeled.) I followed the instructions, now it wants me to Restart, so I don't know yet if it has fixed the problem or not. I previously found this advice and I think it temporarily fixed the problem, but maybe it was only for MP4????
So for what this might be worth to anybody, Good Luck.
Make sure “Drop frames to keep audio and video synchronized”
1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Click on Tools and then on Options
3. Switch to Performance tab.
4. Ensure that a check is next to the "Drop frames to keep audio and video synchronized" and "Turn on DirectX Video Acceleration for WMV files" options.
5. Click "Apply" and click "OK."
Restart Windows Media Player and open a video file. Ensure that the audio and video are in sync.

The links I used were:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...problems/e60e9d0a-f870-4f9d-9055-6f6ca4696274

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ndows-10/a4309afe-574c-448d-a537-29686175aaa0

 

[Regedit32]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for sharing your research on your issue.

You mentioned File > Tools > Options is no longer available in Windows Media Player.

Actually it is available.

With Windows Media Player open, press Alt key. You can then click File | Tools > Options

 

[GeophysicalBrian]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for sharing your research on your issue.

You mentioned File > Tools > Options is no longer available in Windows Media Player.

Actually it is available.

With Windows Media Player open, press Alt key. You can then click File | Tools > Options

Thanks for the info; I'll add it to my notes.

I googled "sync audio and video" and got 1.3 million results. In the 1930s before digital computers were invented, an apparently robust method using electro-mechanical devices was developed to sync audio and video for movies. It seems with all the employees that Microsoft has, that they would be able to do something similar for digital media. The idea that the best they have come up with is- "Drop frames to keep audio and video synchronized" is pretty devastating. The only idea I have come up with is that it must have something to do with compression problems. Am I right?

You know, most of my friends and colleagues who are sophisticated about home computing have used Macs and other Apple products. Every time I buy a new computer, I think I should switch. But I get convinced that the switch in operating systems would be too difficult and time-consuming. But can it really be more difficult than switching from one version of Windows to another??

Getting back to my problem. I rechecked my WMV file with Media Player after the reboot. It is still completely out of sync at the start. However, towards the end it seems to be in sync. Seems like their are three possibilities.
1. The file is bad.
2, "Dropping frames" is the solution so I'll have to wait several minutes into my viewing before it syncs.
3. I still have no idea what's causing the asynchrony, let alone how to correct it.

I previously I used DivX to watch videos; but thought I would use Microsoft software with my new laptop because I disliked all the ads with DivX. Looks like I'll be going back to DivX and the ads.

 

[davehc]

Going back to the Tools and options. As Regedit says, it is certainly still there. No shortcut keys required.

1. If you follow the shortcut, you will see an item, "Show menu bar". This will give you back the more familiar top bar, where you can select tools and options.
2. If you do not want to show the menu bar, selct "Organise", where you can select the options that you were seeking.

 

[GeophysicalBrian]

For reference, I had to hit the Alt key, hit the pull-down Organize on one of two tool bars that came up, hit the Layout pull-down, and hit "Show menu bar"

 

[davehc]

I have not the slightest idea of your path. Mayb we have different releases of the Media player. "Organise" is, on mine anyway, visible and permanent by default. Hitting the Alt key only bring in a drop down menu fo me.

 

[Regedit32]

Hi again,

The audio / video syncing issues generally boils down to two things:

1. What the video was created with.
2. What software is being used to play the video.

When you create a video you are essentially combining a series of frames (images) together on a time line of X frames per second. The general standard is 30 frames (or images) per second, but there can be significant differences in this equation subject to what device or software package you are using to create this video with.

You then need to factor in what software you are using to play the video with. Different software packages will process video files at a default frame rate per second.

As an example. Suppose you have a .mp4 video you made using Windows Movie Maker. This software package uses a default 29.970 FPS (frames per second). This can be manually adjusted in the settings.

Now suppose you downloaded a .mp4 file off the internet which has this 29.970 FPS and you decide to play it using a third party application like VLC created by Video Lan. It has different playback rates, one of which is 17 FPS.

So there you are playing a 29.970 FPS video at 17 FPS. This means you are now playing 12 less frames per second, and as a result the audio from original file that would normally play for example at frame 29, is not playing in your VLC when it hits fram 17. This is obviously a syncing issue and you will notice quickly the audio does not match what you are viewing.

Most applications you use to create videos have additional settings which allow you to adjust the FPS rate to constant and set the FPS to the desired level to prevent this syncing issue. Certainly Windows Movie Maker does as does the VLC player.

As an alternative to this, you can download a very useful opensource freeware tool off the internet called Handbrake which allows you to process multiple video formats at a new constant framerate you set. Once you have done this you'll resolve practically all syncing issues on just about any platform you can think of.

That software can be obtained from the official site:

https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php


The advantage of software like this one is you can combine multiple video files all which have different frame rates, simply by setting all the files to a constant rate then combining them to create a single FPS rated video.

Regards,

Regedit32

 

[GeophysicalBrian]

Hi again,

The audio / video syncing issues generally boils down to two things:

1. What the video was created with.
2. What software is being used to play the video.

When you create a video you are essentially combining a series of frames (images) together on a time line of X frames per second. The general standard is 30 frames (or images) per second, but there can be significant differences in this equation subject to what device or software package you are using to create this video with.

You then need to factor in what software you are using to play the video with. Different software packages will process video files at a default frame rate per second.

As an example. Suppose you have a .mp4 video you made using Windows Movie Maker. This software package uses a default 29.970 FPS (frames per second). This can be manually adjusted in the settings.

Now suppose you downloaded a .mp4 file off the internet which has this 29.970 FPS and you decide to play it using a third party application like VLC created by Video Lan. It has different playback rates, one of which is 17 FPS.

So there you are playing a 29.970 FPS video at 17 FPS. This means you are now playing 12 less frames per second, and as a result the audio from original file that would normally play for example at frame 29, is not playing in your VLC when it hits fram 17. This is obviously a syncing issue and you will notice quickly the audio does not match what you are viewing.

Most applications you use to create videos have additional settings which allow you to adjust the FPS rate to constant and set the FPS to the desired level to prevent this syncing issue. Certainly Windows Movie Maker does as does the VLC player.

As an alternative to this, you can download a very useful opensource freeware tool off the internet called Handbrake which allows you to process multiple video formats at a new constant framerate you set. Once you have done this you'll resolve practically all syncing issues on just about any platform you can think of.

That software can be obtained from the official site:

https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php


The advantage of software like this one is you can combine multiple video files all which have different frame rates, simply by setting all the files to a constant rate then combining them to create a single FPS rated video.

Regards,

Regedit32

Thanks, this is very interesting. I'm sure I can get my problem sorted out once I find a lot of time to devote to it. I am beginning to be afraid that the file I was trying to watch (purchased and downloaded) is faulty. I jumped to the conclusion that it was a software problem because I had seen the same synch problem before and had assumed that I had fixed it using some toolbar that I could no longer find. But thanks again.

By the way, wanting to respond to davehc I went looking for Media Player in my apps and can not not find it. I can play files with "Movies & TV", the default player for my video files, or with "Media Player" by using a right button choice of "Play with Windows Media Player". Is the Media Player software now incorporated into "Movies & TV" so that it no longer shows up at a separate app?

Thanks again.

 

[GeophysicalBrian]

I have not the slightest idea of your path. Mayb we have different releases of the Media player. "Organise" is, on mine anyway, visible and permanent by default. Hitting the Alt key only bring in a drop down menu fo me.

View attachment 3227

This (see attached) is what comes up when I use the right button option "Play with Media Player" on a video file. Media Player is not listed in my available apps. I think I once got it to come up empty, but I don't remember how did it. I also have no idea how to find out the version I'm using. When I was working on X/Motif programs there used to always be a Help button on the right side of the toolbar which often had an option to describe the version. Seems to have disappeared also.

Thanks for your help.

 

[davehc]

Hi.

The media player is built in. It is tucked down in the Windows accessories. folder in "All Apps"