My friend gave me some dvds that he burned from some bit torrent website. Some of them play on my computer, but some do not. I have a 5 year old Dell with Windows XP and DSL. I try to play those certain DVDs on 1.Winamp --sound but no picture 2.My DVD software--doesn't recognize it 3. Windows Media Player--says it doesn't recognize due to error in codec. I upgraded my Winamp and WMP because they needed it anyway--didn't HELP. What's this codec thing? Do I need to download some sort of basket of codecs so I can watch these movies? Help. And Thanks.i need to know the format of the movie, is it .AVI?Yay. If you solve this for me, I will just die. I needs me some Spiderman tonight!!

Ok. Tell me exactly what to do to find out the type of file. All I see is cdfs. And that is probably not the right answer.pop in one of the dvd's it WONT play, if windows ASKS you what you want to do, close that, click my computer, click D: or whichever drive your dvd drive is, then when that opens, right click the movie, click properties, then tell me what it says in the part i have circled in the image belowWinamp media file that opens with Winampi think its .avi if it is then you will have to download the divx codecs for windows media player, which can be downloaded here: http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/download/index.php

when you start the install choose to install codes only, its pretty simple, or you can install the FULL player, makes no differance reallyROCK!!!!
Although so far one of them didn't have sound. Picture, just no sound.

Thank you so much.your welcome, with alittle tweaking it may work properllyAlso, follow the software link in my signature, then try the codecs download there.ah, the disembodied head knows all...