# playing videos in MSS2 format



## eliezer (Apr 24, 2007)

Is there any way of playing WMV files in MSS2 codec on a mac?

Here's an example of an MSS2 file:
http://nathan.given.googlepages.com/Kai_Software2.wmv

Thanks


----------



## MisterMe (Apr 24, 2007)

A quick Google search indicates that the MSS2 video codec is  proprietary Microsoft code which has yet to be reverse engineered. There is no standalone QuickTime codec for it. Neither *VLC*, *Perian*, nor *Mplayer* can handle it.


----------



## eliezer (Apr 26, 2007)

that's ridiculous


----------



## gorgar07 (Nov 21, 2008)

That's more than ridiculous. Which is why EVERYONE should switch to quicktime or flash, at least they have all their codecs freely available for all platforms.


----------



## g/re/p (Nov 21, 2008)

Have you tried Flip4Mac?  http://www.flip4mac.com/download.htm


----------



## gorgar07 (Nov 21, 2008)

flip for mac won't play the codec either. I made sure it was the latest version. From what I understand it is proprietary to windows media player 9 for the PC. I have the media player 9 on the mac but it won't play the codec either.


----------



## g/re/p (Nov 21, 2008)

You may need to pay and upgrade to Flip4Mac Pro to do what you want to do.


----------



## gorgar07 (Nov 22, 2008)

I guess if these people want me to view their content they will have to use a codec the entire world can view, not just Windows users. Since so many more people are going mac I think microsoft will have to bend to the old "supply and demand" principal and make their codecs available to other vendors. Quicktime has ALWAYS been xplatformed and I always encode either in QT or Flash. That way I know everyone will be able to see my content. Although I don't have a problem paying the Flip for Mac people I do have a hard time coughing up the dough when there are other "free or open source" alternatives. I did submit a query to F4M to see if the pro version supports the MSS2 codec. Guess we'll see. Thanks for your responses!!!!


----------



## MisterMe (Nov 22, 2008)

The paid version of *Flip4Mac* is not about access to extra codecs. It is about the ability to transcode video to WMV content.


----------



## Satcomer (Nov 22, 2008)

Yea i have the Flip4Mac Studio and it only hears audio with no video.


----------



## MisterMe (Nov 22, 2008)

Satcomer said:


> Yea i have the Flip4Mac Studio and it only hears audio with no video.


This is a classic symptom of an unsupported WMV codec.


----------



## Waista (Jan 2, 2009)

Here's the solution I came up with for playing MSS2 files. Intel Macbook. OS10.5.6.

I have mplayer intalled via macports. http://www.macports.org/

Then grab the Windows-All dlls from the codecs directory on Mplayer's site. http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/

Download and unzip. Copy the contents of the windows-all-xxxxxxxx folder to the macports directory: /opt/local/lib/codecs/

You may have to make the `codecs' directory.

Now I suspect the only dll that matters is wmsdmod.dll. So You can copy that one _only_ and it may play just fine.

I'm still having trouble with the colourspace tho. You'll see what I mean when you play a video. If anyone can figure out how to fix this, please let me know!


----------



## Waista (Jan 2, 2009)

Okay, fix the colourspace problem by asking mplayer to use the `quartz' video out module instead of the `macosx' video out module.

mplayer -vo quartz


----------



## Waista (Jan 2, 2009)

If you have the Mplayer application rather than the macports mplayer, install the Windows-All ddls into /usr/lib/win32/

You'll have to create the win32 directory.

If you have both, just link the macports directory to /usr/lib/win32/

cd /usr/lib/
ln -s  /opt/local/lib/codecs/ ./win32

You'll probably have to use `sudo' for the link command.

In the Mplayer application, go to preferences to change the video out module to `quartz' to fix the colourspace problem.


----------



## 123walter (May 4, 2009)

I would buy the upgrade if I thought it would work. Has anyone tried it.? Its funny but I took a program called VSO convertx2dvd and made DVDs out of a bunch of those wmvs and then played them on my macbookPro. A lotta trouble I know, but it was a fairly costly set of lessons, and I dont have a win based laptop.Also my Ubuntu desktop wont play them either. So I had given up hope of ever viewing them any other way except to convert to DVS on my wifes Windows desktop.


----------



## guiju (Jul 25, 2009)

Hi Waista, 

thank you so much for the tips. Took me a bit of time since I'm new to MacOS but it now works both with port and without!

the MacOS version seems to crash quite easily though. Do you experience the same thing?

cheers



Waista said:


> If you have the Mplayer application rather than the macports mplayer, install the Windows-All ddls into /usr/lib/win32/
> 
> You'll have to create the win32 directory.
> 
> ...


----------



## guiju (Jul 25, 2009)

I couldn't get the OSD to turn on in Mplayer in port. 
do you have the same issue? 
I press the "o" key but nothing happens..


----------



## johny777 (Jul 11, 2012)

Hello guys, I found out a simple way to play these MSS2 WMV videos on Mac OS.

1. Install MPlayer OSX Extended from http://www.mplayerosx.ch/
2. Install Binary codecs for mplayer (mac) from here: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html#binary_codecs

This is the direct download link:
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/essential-macosx-x86-20060611.zip

It's an installer, so you don't have to create any folders or copy codec files anywhere manually, it's done magically for you.

If you're on a 64 bit Mac, one more step is needed:

3. Open MPlayer OSX Extended Preferences dialog, select Mplayer tab and check the "Use 32bit binary blah blah... codecs"

Now you can watch those WMV videos in Mplayer OS X Extended.
Enjoy


----------



## MisterMe (Jul 11, 2012)

Why are you reviving a three-year-old thread to post links to six-year-old software? Are you a spammer building his post count?


----------



## MrWonderful (Jul 18, 2012)

... I found the post to be relevant and quite useful.

Thank you.


----------



## greg57 (Jul 23, 2012)

...why do you criticize useful posts?


----------

