problems with M3U video clips

ARTHUR

I have a couple of M3U video clips on my computer which have just recently ‘stopped’ working, I have had a look online and found a few sites that report that sometimes M3U clips extensions may become corrupted and windows media player needs to be repointed towards them, and those sites offer a free scan which will fix the clips, I have never used those sites before so I don’t want to download a potentially harmful piece of software onto my computer does anyone know how to fix them.

KillerWatt

Your M3U file isn't a video clip, it is a playlist (that is nothing more than a text file) that refers your chosen media player to the location of where the actual video file you want to view is stored.

In short, the playlist is either corrupted (easily checked by viewing it in notepad), or the video file has been moved/removed.

ARTHUR

KillerWatt wrote: »

Your M3U file isn't a video clip, it is a playlist (that is nothing more than a text file) that refers your chosen media player to the location of where the actual video file you want to view is stored.

In short, the playlist is either corrupted (easily checked by viewing it in notepad), or the video file has been moved/removed.

all the other clips are fine, its just the M3U clips that aren't working.
so if that is just the playlist where would I look on the hard disk for the actual clip
I checked the playlist for that clip in notepad and found this
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:40,antena1wheel1.mpg
http://uk.download.yahoo.com/pr/fu/oa/antena1wheel1.mpg
not sure of what it means though

KillerWatt

ARTHUR wrote: »

all the other clips are fine, its just the M3U clips that aren't working.
so if that is just the playlist where would I look on the hard disk for the actual clip
I checked the playlist for that clip in notepad and found this
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:40,antena1wheel1.mpg
http://uk.download.yahoo.com/pr/fu/oa/antena1wheel1.mpg
not sure of what it means though

The video clip isn't on your hard disk, it was on that Yahoo server you have linked to - but it isn't there any more (hence it doesn't play).

bengalknights

The link to the video has gone so you cant play it.

jayme1

ARTHUR wrote: »

all the other clips are fine, its just the M3U clips that aren't working.
so if that is just the playlist where would I look on the hard disk for the actual clip
I checked the playlist for that clip in notepad and found this
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:40,antena1wheel1.mpg
http://uk.download.yahoo.com/pr/fu/oa/antena1wheel1.mpg
not sure of what it means though

ok this link does work, OP right click the link and select 'Save file As' or 'Save Link As' then select a place to save it to your hard drive. you then have the video as a movie on your hard drive, as opposed to having just a playlist file telling your media player to play the file from the internet.

after the file is downloaded you can delete the playlist file as it is not needed anymore.

I would also do the same on any other m3u files you have, eg extract the link and save the file.

KillerWatt

jayme1 wrote: »

ok this link does work,

Was down when tried earlier, so if it's that unreliable then I'd say the OP should follow your advice ASAP.

ARTHUR

jayme1 wrote: »

ok this link does work, OP right click the link and select 'Save file As' or 'Save Link As' then select a place to save it to your hard drive. you then have the video as a movie on your hard drive, as opposed to having just a playlist file telling your media player to play the file from the internet.

after the file is downloaded you can delete the playlist file as it is not needed anymore.

I would also do the same on any other m3u files you have, eg extract the link and save the file.

Thanks for everyones help, I didnt realise that was just a link to an online clip, I have now saved all the clips as movie clips onto my hard disk.
that was good advice Jayme1, Thanks