I'm in the same boat. I used to be able to play anything with either xine or umplayer, but recently I've had all sorts of problems. I reinstalled Vector to be sure it wasn't an issue with my machine (I had a mixed system with some packages from testing, which I no longer have -- it's all stable now). Anyway, still I am having issues with multimedia.
Here's an attempt to play an flv file with umplayer:
vector:/~/dwhelper
mark:$ ls
SCTV\ -\ Cronkite\ does\ _Dialing\ for\ Dollars_.flv
SCTV\ -\ Cronkite\ does\ _Dialing\ for\ Dollars_.mp4
vector:/~/dwhelper
mark:$ umplayer SCTV\ -\ Cronkite\ does\ _Dialing\ for\ Dollars_.flv
Debug: main: lock_file: /home/mark/.config/umplayer/umplayer_init.lock
Debug: global_init
Debug: global_init: config file: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer/umplayer.ini'
Debug: Preferences::load
Debug: AssStyles::load
Debug: Translator::loadCatalog: can't load qt_en_US from /usr/share/umplayer/translations
Debug: Translator::loadCatalog: can't load qt_en_US from /usr/lib/qt/translations
Debug: Translator::loadCatalog: successfully loaded umplayer_en_US from /usr/share/umplayer/translations
This is UMPlayer v. 0.97 running on Linux
Debug: This is UMPlayer v. 0.97 running on Linux
Debug: Compiled with Qt v. 4.7.0, using 4.8.2
Debug: * application path: '/usr/bin'
Debug: * data path: '/usr/share/umplayer'
Debug: * translation path: '/usr/share/umplayer/translations'
Debug: * doc path: '/usr/share/doc/packages/umplayer'
Debug: * themes path: '/usr/share/umplayer/themes'
Debug: * shortcuts path: '/usr/share/umplayer/shortcuts'
Debug: * config path: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer'
Debug: * ini path: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer'
Debug: * file for subtitles' styles: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer/styles.ass'
Debug: * current path: '/home/mark/dwhelper'
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: arguments: 2
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: 0 = umplayer
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: 1 = SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: files_to_play: count: 1
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: files_to_play[0]: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: MyClient::MyClient
Debug: UMPlayer::processArgs: trying to connect to port 43856
Debug: UMPlayer::gui: changed working directory to app path
Debug: UMPlayer::gui: current directory: /usr/bin
Debug: Core::changeFileSettingsMethod: hash
Debug: MplayerLayer::setRepaintBackground: 0
Debug: Preferences::monitor_aspect_double
Debug: warning: monitor_aspect couldn't be parsed!
Debug: monitor_aspect set to 0
Debug: Playlist::setModified: 0
Debug: Playlist::loadSettings
Debug: Playlist::addItem: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Playlist::setModified: 0
Debug: Playlist::updateView
Debug: Playlist::updateView: name: 'SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Style name: 'gtk+'
Debug: Style class name: 'QGtkStyle'
Debug: Favorites::load
Debug: TVList::parse_channels_conf
Debug: VList::parse_channels_conf: /home/mark/.mplayer/channels.conf.ter doesn't exist
Debug: TVList::parse_channels_conf: can't open /home/mark/.mplayer/channels.conf
Debug: Favorites::load
Debug: TVList::parse_channels_conf
Debug: VList::parse_channels_conf: /home/mark/.mplayer/channels.conf.ter doesn't exist
Debug: TVList::parse_channels_conf: can't open /home/mark/.mplayer/channels.conf
Debug: BaseGui::initializeMenus
Debug: BaseGui::initializeMenus
Debug: BaseGui::updateRecents
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: Core::changeSubVisilibity: 1
Debug: Core::tellmp: 'sub_visibility 1'
Warning: tellmp: no process running: sub_visibility 1
Debug: Core::displayMessage
Debug: BaseGui::setStayOnTop: 0
Debug: BaseGui::setStayOnTop: nothing to do
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: BaseGui::updateRecents
Debug: Preferences::save
Debug: AssStyles::save
Debug: BaseGui::initializeGui: server running on port 51684
Debug: BaseGui::initializeMenus
Debug: BaseGui::updateRecents
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: BaseGuiPlus::loadConfig
Debug: TimeSlider::setDragDelay: 100
Debug: BaseGui::initializeMenus
Debug: BaseGui::updateRecents
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: DesktopInfo::isInsideScreen: geometry of screen: x:0 y:0 w:1024 h:768
Debug: Helper::qtVersion: 4802
Debug: BaseGui::showEvent
Debug: BaseGui::openFiles
Debug: Playlist::setModified: 0
Debug: Playlist::addFiles
Debug: Playlist::addItem: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Playlist::updateView
Debug: Playlist::updateView: name: 'SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Playlist::addFiles: latest_dir: '/home/mark/dwhelper'
Debug: BaseGui::open: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Core::open: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Core::open: * identified as local file
Debug: Core::openFile: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Core::playNewFile: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: Core::saveMediaInfo
Debug: FileSettingsHash::existSettingsFor: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: FileSettingsHash::existSettingsFor: config_file: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer/file_settings/8/8e405c82ec912bdb.ini'
Debug: Core::playNewFile: We have settings for this file!!!
Debug: FileSettings::loadSettingsFor: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv'
Debug: FileSettingsHash::loadSettingsFor: config_file: '/home/mark/.config/umplayer/file_settings/8/8e405c82ec912bdb.ini'
Debug: MediaSettings::load
Debug: Core::playNewFile: Media settings read
Debug: Core::playNewFile: volume: 40, old_volume: 40
Debug: Core::initPlaying
Debug: Core::startMplayer
Debug: Core::startMplayer: setting working directory to '/home/mark/.config/umplayer/screenshots'
Debug: MplayerVersion::isMplayerAtLeast: comparing 29058 with 32634
Debug: Core::startMplayer: * not using -colorkey for xv
Debug: Core::startMplayer: * report if you can't see the video
Debug: MplayerVersion::isMplayerAtLeast: comparing 27872 with 32634
Debug: MplayerVersion::isMplayerAtLeast: comparing 24924 with 32634
Debug: Core::startMplayer: file basename: '/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_'
Debug: Core::startMplayer: edl file: ''
Debug: MplayerLayer::playingStarted
Debug: Core::startMplayer: command: '/usr/bin/mplayer -noquiet -nofs -nomouseinput -sub-fuzziness 1 -identify -slave -vo xv -ao alsa -nokeepaspect -nodr -double -input nodefault-bindings:conf=/dev/null -stop-xscreensaver -wid 58720294 -monitorpixelaspect 1 -noass -subfont-autoscale 3 -subfont-text-scale 2.5 -subcp UTF-8 -subpos 100 -volume 50 -cache 8192 -osdlevel 0 -vf-add screenshot -noslices -channels 2 -af scaletempo -softvol -softvol-max 110 "/home/mark/dwhelper/SCTV - Cronkite does _Dialing for Dollars_.flv" '
Debug: main: remove_lock: /home/mark/.config/umplayer/umplayer_init.lock
Debug: BaseGui::loadActions
Debug: ActionsEditor::loadFromConfig
Debug: BaseGui::initializeMenus
Debug: BaseGui::updateRecents
Debug: BaseGui::updateWidgets
Debug: MplayerProcess::parseLine: '/usr/bin/mplayer: error while loading shared libraries: libvpx.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory'
Debug: MyProcess::procFinished
Debug: MyProcess::procFinished: Bytes available: 0
Debug: MplayerProcess::processFinished: exitCode: 127, status: 0
Debug: MplayerLayer::playingStopped
Debug: Core::processFinished
Debug: Core::processFinished: we_are_restarting: 0
Debug: Core::processFinished: play has finished!
Debug: Core::processFinished: exit_code: 127
Debug: BaseGui::showExitCodeFromMplayer: 127
Debug: BaseGui::hideEvent
It finds the file, identifies it as a local file, but then gives an error. The main error that I can see from above is:
Debug: MplayerProcess::parseLine: '/usr/bin/mplayer: error while loading shared libraries: libvpx.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory'
I've pointed out this error ad nauseam in a
previous post. The result is a dark blank screen from UMPlayer (see attachment). Xine was unable to play the flv video (see xine_error.png and xine_error2.png). Xine begins to play the mp4 video, but then freezes two seconds into it (see screenshot "xine_error3.png). I could not close xine. It stayed open even after I closed the terminal that was running it and simply became a black screen. The terminal, before closing it, simply read:
vector:/~/dwhelper
mark:$ xine SCTV\ -\ Cronkite\ does\ _Dialing\ for\ Dollars_.mp4
This is xine (X11 gui) - a free video player v0.99.7.
(c) 2000-2010 The xine Team.
I'll have to use xkill, and/or htop to find the process and kill it.
Dragon Player also gives no result from trying to play the mp4 file (see dragon.png):
vector:/~/dwhelper
mark:$ dragon SCTV\ -\ Cronkite\ does\ _Dialing\ for\ Dollars_.mp4
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to Phonon::VideoWidget ( no objectName ).
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to Phonon::AudioOutput ( no objectName ).
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: Phonon::createPath: Cannot connect Phonon::MediaObject ( no objectName ) to Phonon::AudioDataOutput ( no objectName ).
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
WARNING: bool Phonon::FactoryPrivate::createBackend() phonon backend plugin could not be loaded
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
QPainter::begin: Paint device returned engine == 0, type: 2
PS, I do have w32codecs installed.