‘Windows Vista Annoyances’ has helped me fix a number of problems and glitches in Vista - but not this one. Which meant that I had no option but to use my usual brute-force strategy of aggressive Googling. It took me a while but I eventually tracked down the problem (sorry, I can’t recall where).
The solution was to download and install something called AC3Filter. I must say that I had no idea at the time what this was and even now I have only the vaguest of ideas. For the benefit of more audio-visually clued-up readers, here is the official description:
AC3Filter is a high quality free audio decoder and processor filter. It allows media players to playback movies with AC3 and DTS audio tracks. Also it can process any audio track, much of processing options allows to adjust the sound in almost any way. It is possible to upmix any audio source to 6 channels. Filter can do multi-channel and digital (SPDIF) output. It can encode any audio source to AC3 on-the-fly and send it over SPDIF to the receiver.
All I know is that, once installed (and having restarted Windows Media Player), I can now play my videos complete with sound. Hurrah!
Download AC3Filter from http://ac3filter.net/
I still have one other audio problem that I haven’t figured out. For some reason, some RealAudio files no longer play on RealPlayer (v 10.5). This means that I am no longer able to listen to the compendious sound library of the great British bandleader of the ‘20s and ‘30s, Jack Hylton: http://www.jackhylton.com/ - which is a great shame...
I have discovered an alternative media player, Real Alternative, http://codecguide.com/about_real.htm, which does play them. But I have yet to persuade RealPlayer to do so to. If anyone knows the fix for this, please let me know.
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