"Going to" Points in a .wmv File

[RSLancastr]

Sometimes, when viewing a .wmv file in Real player, I can use the "slider" to advance ahead - or back up - to another part of the video, and Real player will start playing from that point.

Other times, if you drag the slider over, when you let go of it, it retunrs right back to where it was, and the video continues playing as though you never touched the slider.

Why is this?

[Donks]

Originally posted by RSLancastr
Sometimes, when viewing a .wmv file in Real player, I can use the "slider" to advance ahead - or back up - to another part of the video, and Real player will start playing from that point.

Other times, if you drag the slider over, when you let go of it, it retunrs right back to where it was, and the video continues playing as though you never touched the slider.

Why is this?
Are you playing the file off the web, or is it on your HD? I've seen this behavior when I'm streaming a file, it won't let me skip until it has finished downloading the whole file.

[RSLancastr]

Originally posted by Donks
Are you playing the file off the web, or is it on your HD? I've seen this behavior when I'm streaming a file, it won't let me skip until it has finished downloading the whole file. The file it is happening with now is on a hard drive, or on a CD (I have tried it with various computers.

Oddly enough, when I was playing the video over the web, the viewer allowed for repositioning quite nicely, though with somewhat of a delay.

[Ove]

I have encountered that too. I THINK it is because the file is "broken", you somehow miss the end of the movie. The media player then thinks that the file isn't completely downloaded yet and wont allow you to jump.
Just a theory..;)

[RSLancastr]

Originally posted by Ove
I have encountered that too. I THINK it is because the file is "broken", you somehow miss the end of the movie. Thanks Ove, that was it!

The movie stopped playing about an hour and ten minutes out of an hour and fifty.

Thanks for solving the mystery!

[Ove]

Thanks for solving the mystery!

You're welcome. It bugged me for a long time until i figured it out.;)

[Phillybee]

This can also happen when a windows media file (.wmv) is not indexed. Without the index, the slider doesn't know where in the file to jump to. There are some tools available for indexing .wmv files if it really bothers you. They are probably on Microsoft's website.