Cannot run Practicum Verbum videos on desktop install of Logos

The videos run fine on my laptop, but not the desktop.

It says "The video could not be played. For help with troubleshooting this issue please visit our website."

When I click on a new video, it shows the title page, but when I click the run arrow, it stays at 0:00 for a few seconds then displays that message,

Looking at the logos.com media resources troubleshooting page:

I have run independent Mp4 and Mp3 videos/audio outside of Logos on my desktop and they run fine

Specs:

Windows 2008 R2 Server Enterprise, up to date with patches

Running Logos Bible Software 5.2 SR-2 (5.2.0.0086)

Internet connection is excellent (plus I downloaded all the media to the computer)

I have reinstalled the DirectX Runtime as suggested, no change.

Attached are the two log files which were updated today...

4401.DigitalLibraryInstall.log

5756.Logos.log

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Comments

Don Awalt

Here is some more information - it must be some sort of problem inside of Logos, because I found the videos at C:\Users\AWALT\AppData\Local\Logos4\Data\....\WebCache, I copied one of them that just downloaded to my desktop, renamed it to "test.mp4", and double clicked it - it ran and displayed perfectly, with good audio; it was one of the Practicum lessons.

So the videos are ok, the ability to run them on my system is ok, somehow Logos is struggling with them!

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546078#Comment_546078

Are there any ideas on this one? I cannot use the resource on my desktop install. Thanks!

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546188#Comment_546188

Are there any ideas on this one?

Sorry, I don't have any ideas on this problem. The log file doesn't seem to show any errors or warnings related to video playback, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546205#Comment_546205

running the video outside of Logos:

running the video inside of Logos:

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546302#Comment_546302

Is there any error being reported? What generates the error screen to be displayed? There must be some way to debug this...?

Louis St. Hilaire

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546303#Comment_546303

The log file isn't telling us much, but we're trying to figure out what's going on. Did any of the videos ever play, even partially, for you in Logos on this machine, or did you get the error message immediately (that is, after the flash of the title screen that you describe) on your first attempt to play one of the videos?

If you have any other video resources (e.g. Faithlife Videos), are those working in Logos on this machine?

I take you've tried restarting the application and rebooting the machine?

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546457#Comment_546457

Hi Louis, thanks so much for or the reply. This is perplexing!

I have rebooted machine, restarted Logos, tried Logos offline, tried streaming the videos, tried downloading the videos, tried many of the videos. Per the web site I reinstalled DirectX. My system is current on all updates, including MS Framework 4.5.1. As I said earlier, the videos in webcache play fine outside of Logos, I Just grab a copy and rename one to 1.mp4 to try.

What it looks like is this - when I click on a video, or when the resource comes up in a pane, I see the title page fine. When I hit play, it sits for about 20 seconds (I just timed it) and then the error screen comes up. My laptop is behind the same firewall etc. so I don't think it is that.

I never saw any videos play on the desktop install.

NOW - I do have the Abraham video series, and those videos have the same error! It may be I have not played a video on the desktop for a long time - I usually use my laptop.

I went into System Configuration and turned off just about everything except minimal stuff - no AV, update checkers, all that junk that runs when you boot. Same problem!

I am happy to try anything you want me to try/test. Thanks!

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546508#Comment_546508

Also Louis, I don't know if it's related, but a post just came on with the same problem reported when running the Logos Mobile Education video(s):

http://community.logos.com/forums/p/78182/546503.aspx#546503

Ryan Gano (Logos)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546512#Comment_546512

Don, Are you running any web traffic monitoring applications? I have noticed that when playing the videos with fiddler open I tend to run into the issue you're seeing.

What's actually going on here is a timeout issue. The time between requesting the video and actually getting it is much longer than expected so we give up.

I'd love to see your web cache database to verify the current state of the downloads: C:\Users\AWALT\AppData\Local\Logos4\Data\oihatlh2.nzq\WebCache\CacheData.db

Ryan

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546538#Comment_546538

Hi Ryan, no, I am not running any monitoring software.

I just tried again after re-downloading all the media. I also tried deleting everything in webcache and starting Logos again, download everything and run. It does seem like a freeze of sorts - I tried clicking around in Logos and it was unresponsive until the error screen shows. Note this, though - I had the Task Manager up, showing all processes, and idle process never went below 97% - it's not a CPU lock, its a 32GB computer with only about 4GB being used, Logos is using about 400MB.

PS - checked event log, no errors that appear relevant.

Here is the Cachedata.db zipped - the download of all media had not finished, let me know if I need to send it to you again (I exited Logos then zipped it).

2450.CacheData.zip

Thomas Downey

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546552#Comment_546552

I have the same issue and the same error message comes up. But by hitting the "full screen" icon, the video runs and fills the whole screen. See if you can get your video to run within Verbum, using full screen also. Let us know your result.

Thom Downey

Fr Michael Jarmulowicz

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546302#Comment_546302

Not sure why practicum has to run within logos? Why cant it be like 'LearnLogos.com' series of training videos that you download to your PC and run independently. I find that an easier way to switch between full screen video and the Logos program and duplicate what they are doing on video.

Currently Practicum is freezing my PC when you try and go from one video to the next, requiring switching off and rebooting

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546704#Comment_546704

Not sure why practicum has to run within logos? Why cant it be like 'LearnLogos.com' series of training videos that you download to your PC and run independently. I find that an easier way to switch between full screen video and the Logos program and duplicate what they are doing on video.

Currently Practicum is freezing my PC when you try and go from one video to the next, requiring switching off and rebooting

Hi Michael, welcome to the forums, sorry you are having trouble too. You may want to post your problem in a new thread, as this thread is reporting a specific problem different from your that Logos is aware of and is researching. Your problem/post may get missed if buried in this thread!

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546637#Comment_546637

I have the same issue and the same error message comes up. But by hitting the "full screen" icon, the video runs and fills the whole screen. See if you can get your video to run within Verbum, using full screen also. Let us know your result.

Thom Downey

Hi Thom, thanks for the idea. I tried it, it does not work but it's different - in full screen, I get no error message screen as I gave an example of bove, I just have a black screen with the media controls at the bottom.

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/546712#Comment_546712

Just to add some more information on this problem, I installed the new Verbum app on this computer, completely fresh except getting the resources from the Logos 5 app. Full re-index. I have just tried streaming, but the same problem is reported - I cannot view videos with it.

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/547368#Comment_547368

Is there any update on this problem? Thanks!

Ryan Gano (Logos)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/548158#Comment_548158

<p>Is there any update on this problem? Thanks!</p>

I'm sorry, I was out until this morning and have been unable to give this issue a lot of my time. In looking at your WebCache information I would expect you to be able to play the videos (given that most of them claim to be fully downloaded).

Can you play videos from the Faithlife Study Bible Videos resource?

I didn't realize when first looking at this issue that you were running Windows Server 2008 R2. It's possible that the proper codecs are not installed in Windows with that version. The other video player may have codecs built in that allow it to play h264 videos but we rely on the codecs in the OS.

I would recommend that you try the following:

In doing some searching for a codec for Windows Server 2008 I found this link which looks very promising. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2483177
Install the media pack from Microsoft. Windows N doesn't come with the proper codecs so if Windows Server 2008 has the same issue it's possible that the media pack will work (it's also possible that it won't let you install it because of the Windows version but it's worth a shot) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=16546
Do a search for codecs that support h264 (I searched for mp4 Windows server 2008 codec). it's possible that you will find a codec that will allow video playback.

Ryan

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/548466#Comment_548466

Hi Ryan, thanks for the reply. Now correct me if I am wrong, but I think it cannot be a codec problem, as the Logos videos from WebCache will run perfectly OUTSIDE of Logos - I change the name to an .mp4 as I said above, and I can just double click and it runs in Windows Media Player. True?

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

Windows 2008 R2 Server Enterprise

First of all: why? [:)] Logos is a consumer desktop application that's intended to be run on a consumer desktop OS. Microsoft typically disables desktop features on server OS SKUs, so I think you're kind of asking for trouble... [:)]

Second, according to http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/download-windows-media-player, Windows Media Player is "installed when the Desktop Experience feature is turned on". Try following these instructions: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947036.

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/548471#Comment_548471

Now correct me if I am wrong, but I think it cannot be a codec problem, as the Logos videos from WebCache will run perfectly OUTSIDE of Logos - I change the name to an .mp4 as I said above, and I can just double click and it runs in Windows Media Player. True?

No, playing a file in Windows Media Player does not guarantee that the codec is available to other applications (such as Logos) through the Media Foundation APIs. If you haven't run the Desktop Experience Decoder Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 from the link that Ryan gave, I would strongly recommend it. (And note that the Desktop Experience feature needs to be enabled, but it sounds like you may already have that if you have Windows Media Player.)

Don Awalt

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/548485#Comment_548485

Bingo! It was Ryan's suggestion that fixed it - The Update for Desktop Experience Decoder specifically. Thanks!

Point well taken Bradley - I originally installed Windows Server 2008 as it was a much better alternative, with Desktop Experience, than Vista, for my work - faster and handled multiple VMs, etc. Those issues are greatly reduced if not eliminated with Win 7 and Win 8, I have just never updated. It's on the list now!

Thanks for the help!