Radio Stuttering, Ambient/Radio Music disappearance, Active Movie Window Pop Up Crash, SOLVED

[Lanfear]

I have solved a couple of problems concerning Radio and music sound disappearing/stuttering and the Active Movie Window Pop Up Crash; This main post will be re-written soon with more links and easier to follow instructions.

 

I know that there are threads over at Steam, Bethesda and the Nexus concerning this but I believe this thread will be fully complete. All I have done here is united several different posts that suggested possible solutions (posted different members at said forums) and unite them into one coherent explanation after I tested all the plausible solutions. I have suffered from these problems on two separate installs on different gaming rigs over the years using different video cards and overall PC capabilities. So I really understand the frustration regarding these issues

 

Recently I suffered a complete radio loss and it put me over the edge. I always knew that it was a codec issue but I never found a post with a complete solution. In my FO3 game I could not listen to the radio with out getting the Active Movie Window Pop Up Crash a few minutes later. So I just never turned it on and I was good to play. Recently all my radio stations disappeared but I didn't really care because I couldn't listen to them anyway. However a week later I then started to get random Active Movie Window Pop Up Crashes with the radio off. OMFG It drove me nuts for a few days and that was it. I decided to finally get off my butt and solve it.

 

So here goes nothing

 

I believe that radio stuttering and no sound coming from the radio and the active movie window pop up crash are all related to installed codecs from existing programs interfering with FO3.

 

As most of you may you already know this tool InstalledCodec can deactivate any codec but you have to do this blindly HOWEVER...

 

You can determine exactly which codec may be causing the problem by using http://www.headbands.com/gspot/ (freeware). Install it, load a MP3 file, render it with the MS A/V buttons at the bottom of the window. Button 1 will display what codec is being used - the middle item. Button 2 will play the file, if you can hear it play then the codec is working. If you can't hear the file play then you may have found the problem, the middle item in the list at the bottom of the window is the codec that is in use. You can use the "InstalledCodec" application to disable that codec, then reload the codecs in GSpot and try again until you find the codec that may be the problem.

 

I have had no problem for 2 weeks now and it has also improved the games overall performance   Case in point; 3 hour gaming session listening to GNR and only 1 crash that was unrelated to the Active Movie Window pop up crash AND my game is also noticeably smoother

 

<(¤_-)>.¸¸.•´¯`* CHEERS*`¯´•.¸¸.¤*

Edited May 31, 2014 by Lanfear

[Nessa]

Huh. I don't have any radio stations for the FO3 part using TTW either. The New Vegas stations seem to work but as soon as I pop over to the DC area, all I get are President Eden and that moron 3-Dog whining erm.. talking without music.

 

I'll give this a look and try and see if this might be the culprit. I can load the audio files directly just fine.

[Nessa]

Oh yeah, one other thing. I made my own radio station for a mod awhile ago and NONE of those played in game either.... HMMM... 

[Nessa]

Ermm...  OK. I may have opened a can of worms. Where does one, say... download codecs? Apparently I can't even render any of this stuff using the MS A/V thingy.

 

Lookit:

[Lanfear]

Ermm...  OK. I may have opened a can of worms. Where does one, say... download codecs? Apparently I can't even render any of this stuff using the MS A/V thingy.

 

Lookit:

Try this here--> http://www.headbands.com/gspot/minifaq.html

 

Basically you are checking mpeg files from the game folder to figure out which codec is the culprit and then turning that codec off with the other program.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Lanfear

[Lanfear]

If you want a quicker way but less accurate then use the "Installed Codec" program and turn off every codec listed that is not by Microsoft (or major known corp. like Adobe) and then try the game and see if it works then. If so then it is just a process of elimination. If you have Creative Audigy installed like I do, I have read that it too can be a problem but it wasn't for me.

 

If you need more info on this method then read this-->  http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/897990-codec-investigation-project/ Although you won't find any more information on the Gspot program there.

 

Remember if you find the codec that is the problem and you turn it off and then you later realize that another program unrelated to F3/NV is not working properly then all you have to do is turn the codec back on. Then it is really not such a big deal but you would have to turn that codec off before playing F3/NV.

 

Confusing enough for ya

 

PS; Disrespecting cheeseburgers and Three-Dog...

 

I can't believe we are even friends

Edited May 29, 2014 by Lanfear

[Nessa]

Well.... downloaded the K-Lite whatever-it-is and now G-Spot can do the rendering business. Tried turning all codecs off with the other app and it can still play everything. (Which now has me wondering if they codecs are really deactivated at all.) But... still no radio in FONV with TTW. *shrugs* I may play around with it a bit more later.

 

Oh, if anybody installs the K-Lite thingy be sure to uncheck the stupid "free" apps before installation. I hate it when morons installers do that.

 

Now why would I disrespect a complete, total, and in all ways abysmal annoying loser um.. I mean such a "nice" guy like 3-dog?    Surely he has some good points. Somehow.

 

:D

[Lanfear]

Oh the the K-Lite Codec Pack. Make sure you got the FULL package. I already had it and I assume everybody has it already or that they use VLC Media Player that includes all the codecs you possibly would need too.

 

I also hate when installers try to sneak PUPS (Potentially Unwanted Programs) with my downloads. I always choose advanced options and I am very careful from where I download from. I don't even trust CNet or Download dot com any more. They are the worst because they don't even give you a choice any more. In fact they actually try to fool you into downloading their own installer which is actually some type of modified root kit. That's another thread in itself.

 

Here I made this for you; a picture of your boyfriend morphing into real life....   bow-wow-wow!

 

">http://

Edited May 30, 2014 by Lanfear

[Nessa]

Oh. I have VLC. That's what I use for playing any video or audio anyway. *laughs* 

 

Still no audio for the FO3 radio stations. Though it is kind of fun listening to JUST President Eden. (I don't listen to that OTHER guy...)

 

Heh...

 

You know, I'm not sure which one I like... less. :D Though at least the one guy has a suit. That is at least a step up in a way.  

 

Give me Mr. New Vegas ANY day! Or rather Mr. House but THAT is for another thread!

[Lanfear]

Well to be honest here this thread was just to solve problems in Fallout 3. You are having a problem in TTW (Tale of the Two Wastes.) You may want to check out the TTW website and ask there.

 

It could be an issue between the two games though. One has to win out over the other but I am only speculating here. Maybe they know how to fix that over at the TTW site.

 

Still what I suggest you do is use the "Installed Codec" program and turn off every single codec and then turn them back on with like... I don't know... lets say 10 codecs at a time and then turn on the game and see if it works and keep repeating until you find the evil codec that is causing the raucous.

 

 

Edit;

Mr House??? I didn't realize you have a fetish for the geriatric type cuz this guy looks terrible!

 

 

But I bet it would be easy for you to go top your local senior centre and find dates

Edited May 30, 2014 by Lanfear

[Lanfear]

 

 

Still no audio for the FO3 radio stations. Though it is kind of fun listening to JUST President Eden.

 

 Here you go Nessa, here is a solution for you taken from another website but I don't know where. It was posted on a thread of mine as a reply not as a solution to my issue but more as a direction towards a solution. It does seem to address your specific situation;

 

"... music played by ANY station on the PipBoy. Announcers (voice) play fine on the radio stations - just no music at all.

So you say, "But I can play MP3 files just fine with Windows Media Player." Well, so can I and FNV still doesn't work right. That's because Media Player uses its own embedded audio decoder in preference to any installed codec.

The problem is that OGG files (voice) play fine and MP3 files (music) do not play at all. OGG files have their own separate audio decoder so they are not affected by a misbehaving MP3 audio decoder.

It has been found in Oblivion and FO3 that codec problems are usually the source of audio problems and FNV is no exception.

I tracked this down to a codec, in this case it was the file "asaudio.ax" the ArcSoft Audio Decoder. ArcSoft codecs have been found to be a problem in both Oblivion and FO3.

The solution is either to disable the codec or uninstall the offending software package. In my case I chose to uninstall "ArcSoft Media Impressions" which was installed as part of a software package supplied with an Epson scanner. The uninstall removed the codec and totally solved the no music on the radio problem."

 

You can of course accomplish this with the "Installed Codec" program once you figure out what is the culprit in your case.

 

Hope this helps you hun but if not  you can always take a bite out of this

 

">http://

Edited May 30, 2014 by Lanfear

[Nessa]

Not the Mr. House in the iron lung thing, the one on the SCREEN! LE SIGH. :D

 

I don't have the codec mentioned so that must not be it. Though it doesn't just affect FO3 vanilla stations, there's another station from one of Puce Moose's mods that doesn't work as well. (The radio computer announcer thing has some crazy problem with accordions. What's wrong with those!? Stupid thing!) But, it's probably a TTW issue. And if I was all that concerned I'd probably check and see if anybody using TTW had similar issues. However I'd rather just do some more play testing instead! Plus I sort of derailed this FO3 thread. I blame.... you.

 

:D

 

Oh, and great! With that pic of the cheeseburger I won't be hungry for a week!

Edited May 31, 2014 by Nessa

[Lanfear]

Not the Mr. House in the iron lung thing, the one on the SCREEN! LE SIGH. :D

 

I don't have the codec mentioned so that must not be it. Though it doesn't just affect FO3 vanilla stations, there's another station from one of Puce Moose's mods that doesn't work as well. (The radio computer announcer thing has some crazy problem with accordions. What's wrong with those!? Stupid thing!) But, it's probably a TTW issue. And if I was all that concerned I'd probably check and see if anybody using TTW had similar issues. However I'd rather just do some more play testing instead! Plus I sort of derailed this FO3 thread. I blame.... you.

 

:D

 

Oh, and great! With that pic of the cheeseburger I won't be hungry for a week!

Ohh... that Mr. House eh? How could I have mistaken that hmm?

 

No, no, no silly    not that specific codec, that was his problem but the general idea is similar to yours. Something on your PC is interfering. By any chance do you watch TV or movies on your PC? PM me the list so I can take a peek will ya. I have nothing better to do

 

What is wrong with that picture Nessa? I thought you love cheese burgers

[Lanfear]

Your list only includes 17 codecs. What type of computer do you have, a commodore 64?

 

On average a PC will have 130 codecs installed. I have 79 codecs from Microsoft alone.

 

I sent you a long email with a list of my codecs and examples from other computers and other links N stuff.

 

Once we get your real list of codecs we will then turn every codec off that is not from Microsoft and Adobe. Then it is just a process of elimination turning on 5-10 at a time until we find the bad one.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Lanfear