How Do I Play MPG Files?

>.mpg and .mpeg file formats are supported by media player in windows 8.1.

The page you linked to says mp2 files are supported -- they aren't.  Media Player only plays the audio.

Actually, according to GSpot the codecs are there but there is something that prevents them from being used as input to Microsoft DVT-DVD Video Decoder.

>DVD codecs are not included with windows 8.1.  They were included with most versions of 7.

IOW, Microsoft is now charging for what was part of the base system in prior versions of Windows.

So far I have paid $1799.00 for the Surface Pro 2, $129.99 for a Type Cover 2, $199.99 for a dockiing station, and $149.00 for Microsoft Complete plus sales taxes.  Then I had to buy a USB to Ethernet GIGA Bit connector (because the docking station's technology is so old it only supports 10/100 Ethernet) and an mini display port to VGA cable.  Even with the USB to Ethernet GIGA Bit connector the SSD is so slow data transfer is limited to around 335 Mbps -- about one third of the network speed.

Now Microsoft is asking me to pay to be able to view videos that worked in every version of Media Player from 7 to 12.  What's next -- a subscription fee for Windows Update so Microsoft can profit from its bugs?

>I rip them and save them in .AVI format.

AVI is a file format not a compression algorithim. 

I have over a thousand mpg files that play fine on all previous versions of Windows without third party tools or paying Microsoft for codecs.  They transfer seamlessly between my computers and my TiVos.

Suddenly, Microsoft has decided that it needs more revenue and therefore the customer has to pay extra for something that was always included in previous versions of Windows.

I have a base Windows 7 Ultimate x64 system that is strickly a product of a Windows 7 installation and Windows Updates -- nothing else has been installed.  Windows Media Player plays my mpg files perfectly on that system.

Windows Media Player that ships with Windows 8.1 is broken -- it cannot play the same mpg files.

Microsoft is nickle and diming its customers by charging a bit here and a bit there for things that were always part of the operating system.  Soon they will be charging for a subscription to Windows Update so they can make money off of the bugs in their systems.

They are unbundling parts of the operating system.  Soon there will be nothing left of Windows except a hardware interface.  Everything else will be sold seperately and available for IOS and Android operating systems -- for a price.

Greetings,

.mpg and .mpeg file formats are supported by media player in windows 8.1.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992

DVD codecs are not included with windows 8.1.  They were included with most versions of 7.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-media-player-plug-ins

I don't understand why a fresh install of Windows 7 can play this type of video but Windows 8.1 cannot.  Since one of the reasons for using a tablet is to be able to view videos it would appear that removing this capability from the Surface Pro 2 is counterproductive. 

The Surface line is pricey to start with.  It appears Microsoft is going to nickle and dime their customers for functionality that was free in prior versions of the operating system.

Reboot the tablet and try again. I have had the same problem once in a while. I can play a video fine with Video. Later I go back to restart the same video or a new one and I get the same message you did. Figuring its Windows and the video was playing fine a while ago, I deemed it time to do a quick reboot. After the reboot, I'm back to videos playing fine.