I jump around from old to new Windows, and Linux at my business. For all sorts of

reasons, I still use a copy of 98SE at home. KernelEx is installed, but only enabled

with a couple of apps. Frankly, I haven't had much luck with KernelEx.

I was looking at the Portable Freeware site, only because they've got several video

players listed as compatible with older versions of Windows.

Also, I read this thread at MSFN:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/153566-windows-98-as-high-quality-video-player/

The problem is, when you visit any developers website, the same app is usually not

listed as compatible with 98SE.

I've got the last version of VLC Media Player compatible with 98SE (0.8.6i). It will play an

MP4, as long as you don't touch the slider bar. Trying to move forward or backward is almost

impossible.

I've noticed some people complain about the "bloated" size of some players. If a big app

with a zillion codecs is needed, that's fine with me!

Which player (and version) listed at the above MSFN discussion should I download? I

really just want to play basic MP4s smoothly, with no problems. I'm not going to use most

of the complex features or options available with some players.

I would recommend the old CCCP Codec Pack, and the included Media Player Classic there (don't use ZoomPlayer):

http://www.cccp-project.net/stuff/Combined-Community-Codec-Pack-2007-02-22.exe

It doesn't even need KernelEx

I currently use:

 

ZoomPlayer 10 (current latest version) + LavFilter  0.65.0.47-git (current latest nighthly build)

PotPlayer 1.6.55857.0 (current latest beta)

KMPlayer  3.9.1.138 with bundled LavFilter 0.65 (current latest version)

QMPlay2 15.08.12 (current latest version), very nice for searching and playing  youtube videos without the huge flash cpu overhead.

 

All current builds of console players FFPlay and MPlayer also work here.

 

Apart from ZoomPlayer, all require at least KernelEx, some won't run without the KernelEx update by jumper and/or KexStub with appropriate definitions also by jumper.

Edited August 18, 201511 yr by loblo

Thank you loblo and MrMateczko.

MrMateczko, I was not familiar with CCCP, so I read the FAQs at www.cccp-project.net.
It looks good! I'll download Codec-Pack-2007-02-22.exe and try it.

loblo, when I first read about KernelEx years ago it seemed like a small miracle. My
admiration for the authors of this app is huge!

I must have tried two dozen apps with KernelEx. I followed all the advice and suggestions
here at MSFN and SourceForge. Most of the time these apps would fail to install. I usually
had to extract the contents manually. Changing KernelEx settings didn't help. Getting browsers
and other apps to launch or run was almost impossible.

I'm not denying that all the folks here at MSFN have used KernelEx successfully. My
experience with KernelEx was a series of failures. I managed to get two apps running
partially with KernelEx. I just don't have the time to diagnose and correct all the possible
causes for failure with KernelEx.

I consider MSFN one of the best computer forums on the web. I constantly find listings for
MSFN threads when I search Google for computer help. My problems with KernelEx are
probably related to how my copy of 98SE is setup.

 

My problems with KernelEx are probably related to how my copy of 98SE is setup.

What exactly do you mean? What's different with your setup?

Usually KernelEX 4.5.2 (14 November 2011) without Kext is easy to install and use. The only requirement is Microsoft Layer for Unicode MSLU (unicows.dll version 1.1.3790.0 (07 December 2004)). Don't copy an older version of unicows.dll in your system folder. 

I use Media Player Classic with only these codecs. I have disabled all internal filters because most are outdated and have replaced them with the external ones. Hopefully this gives you an idea of the things you might need as far as playing certain media.

AC3FILTER.AX 1.3.1.0 [AC3/DTS]CLAUDIOCD.AX 5.0.0.603 [Play Audio CDs]CLVSD.AX 8.4.5180.4111 [Play DVDs]DIVX.DLL 6.9.2.26 [AVI Video Decoder]DIVXDEC.AX 6.7.0.1 [AVI Video Decoder]DIVXDECH264.AX 8.2.0.26 [H.264/MP4 Decoder]FFDSHOW.AX 1.0.5.2285 [MPEG-4 Video Decoder]L3CODECA.ACM 1.9.0.0306 [MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec for MSACM]L3CODECP.ACM 3.3.2.44 [MPEG Audio Layer-3 Codec for MSACM]L3CODECX.AX 1.6.0.52 [MPEG Layer-3 Audio Decoder]LIBAVCODEC.DLL [Needed for FFDSHOW.AX]LIBMPLAYER.DLL [Needed for FFDSHOW.AX]WVC1DMOD.DLL 10.0.0.1218 [SMPTE VC-1]

Let me put in a vote for the media player that i've set up as the default (left-click) for my system -- MPlayerWW:

  http://www.mplayer-ww.com/eng/

Why i like it:

- Works right out of the box for me (requires KernelEx of course).  

- Based on MPlayer, which has the reputation of playing almost anything thrown at it (which has been my experience as well).  MP4s play flawlessly for me.  

- A single binary -- the MPlayer code is integrated right into the GUI executable, so it's not just a separate frontend that runs an MPlayer.exe file.  

- Being MPlayer-based, the codecs are also self contained -- don't have to mess around with newer DS-codec packs that only partially work on 9x, or older 9x DS-codecs with limited functionality.  

- There is an extended codec pack available at the site for less-common formats ("MPlayer Extra Package").  

- You can still use DirectShow if you want to as an option ("Codecs for DirectShow").  

- It loads fast.  

- It has a neat "auto play next filename in series" feature (for example, when File-1.mp4 is finished playing, it will automatically play File-2.mp4, then File-3.mp4, etc).  

- Nice bunch o' skins and Explorer icons downloadable at the site.  

Good luck....  

- Doug B.

Let me put in a vote for the media player that i've set up as the default (left-click) for my system -- MPlayerWW:

  http://www.mplayer-ww.com/eng/

Why i like it:

...

- It has a neat "auto play next filename in series" feature (for example, when File-1.mp4 is finished playing, it will automatically play File-2.mp4, then File-3.mp4, etc).  

 

...

- Doug B.

That feature would come in handy playing video recorded by cheap DVRs like the iView, Homeworx, eMatic, etc. On FAT32 HDDs those boxes break recordings at 4GB boundaries and number them sequentially like that.

Thanks for all your replies. You guys are the best!

Media Player Classic and Zoom Player from the CCCP didn't work.

Sound only with Zoom Player.

MPC wanted to "search for codecs." When you see that message in 98SE don't waste
your time. There are no additional codecs.

Since I already had the last compatible version of VLC Media Player installed, I knew it
would play MP4s. As I already mentioned, the big problem was the slider bar. I couldn't
go forward or backward.

I went to the KernelEx Wiki for VLC:

http://kernelex.sourceforge.net/wiki/VLC_Media_Player

The compatibility rating for VLC_v2.0.5 with KernelEx_v4.5.2 was four out of five stars.

I've had many installer failures with KernelEx, so to be safe I downloaded the exe package
and the zip file.

IT WORKED!! YIPPIE!!

Version 2.0.5 plays MP4s flawlessly, and the slider bar also works smoothly.

Most of you probably know about this app already, but if you're having trouble playing
older RealMedia (.rm file extension) videos there is a very useful version of MPC called
"Real Alternative." It plays any RealMedia video in 98SE with no problems.

I don't have the link for "Real Alternative - Media Player Classic" anymore, but I'm sure
a quick Google search will provide the URL.
 

 

I haven't had much luck with KernelEx

I've had many installer failures with KernelEx...

This is certainly no bug of KernelEX. Probably something is missing. What error message you have?

Did you install the WindowsInstaller 2.0 ?  The msiexec.exe should be in your systemfolder. 

To play MP4 videos in Windows ME with only 384 MB RAM, I use QuickView Pro 2.60 for DOS, or else VLC 0.8.6.f

http://www.multimediaware.com

www.oldapps.com

STEP NUMBER 1:

Download KernelEx from here:

http://kernelex.sourceforge.net/

Then download MPlayer from here:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/mplayer-ww/files/MPlayer_Release/Revision%2035250/

STEP NUMBER 2

Install KernelEx

then

unzip MPlayer to a folder. Then right click on Mplayer program file and selection "properties". Under KernelEx tab, select "use specific compatibility mode" and choose WinXP from the selection list. That's it. Now run MPlayer.

I tried the video player with mx player pro and found it awesome.