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#1 Old 5th Sep 2026 at 2:51 PM
Default Custom AVI videos have a black screen in-game
I added some new AVI files to my Doc/Movies/Broadcast folder, and the channels are working fine, but the custom videos are showing up black on the TV screen. I'm having the same issue with a default replacement for SSX. The sims can still play the game, but the video is showing up black on all screens.

The AVI files work outside of the game. I can play them just fine. In-game, they're not showing up. I tried installing/reinstalling different codec packs, and it's still not working...

Any ideas?
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#2 Old 5th Sep 2026 at 2:54 PM Last edited by emmythebeth : 8th Sep 2026 at 2:37 PM.
These are the codec packs I installed that were suggested by the creators:

- K-Lite Codec Pack

- Divx

- Xvid

The audio works in-game, but the video does not.
Be like the 22nd elephant with heated value in space, bark!
retired moderator
#3 Old 6th Sep 2026 at 10:49 PM
What is the size and bitrate for the movies? I think they need to be max 128x128 pixel and 15 frames per second.
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#4 Old 8th Sep 2026 at 2:52 PM
Not sure. It's whatever size/bitrate the creators uploaded. I used a test clip with those specs, and it still didn't work.

The CC are from these mods:

Quote: Originally posted by simsample
What is the size and bitrate for the movies? I think they need to be max 128x128 pixel and 15 frames per second.
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#5 Old 8th Sep 2026 at 2:59 PM
Btw, I saw you helped out with similar threads before. I was hoping for a response from you! Thanks!

I installed all the required codecs manually, and my PC says they should be up and running. However, the videos do not display in-game. I tried every possible solution that comes up on Google and ended up here. I'm on Windows 11 via Parallels (Virtual Machine) if that helps!

Quote: Originally posted by simsample
What is the size and bitrate for the movies? I think they need to be max 128x128 pixel and 15 frames per second.
Be like the 22nd elephant with heated value in space, bark!
retired moderator
#6 Old 8th Sep 2026 at 5:23 PM
It has to be a codec issue, these work for me in my game. Does this clip work for you?
https://simfil.es/331875/

When you say you 'manually installed' the codecs, where did you install them to?
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#7 Old Yesterday at 6:03 PM
Unfortunately, no. I can hear the audio in-game, but no video.

When I first ran into this issue, I asked on reddit and was advised to check the V6 folder of my game install. The folder was there with the required codec files, but vp6install.exe would not run. IIRC, I manually added vp6.reg to the Windows Registry and placed the latest versions of vp6vfw.dll in my Windows/System folders. I also installed the codec packs from all the sites mentioned above (K-Lite, DivX, Xvid).

The Reddit thread shows the step-by-step process. Originally, an older version of vp6vfw.dll was only in my /System32 folder and not in /SysWOW64. Someone kindly shared their latest versions of vp6vfw.dll that I could use for /32 and /64.

Below is a screenshot of my installed video codecs. It has On2.com listed under /System32, but none of these AVI files seem to be working for me in-game.

Note: I did not check if it was installed before starting this whole process. I assumed it wasn't since it wasn't working in-game.

I hope that all makes sense! Appreciate you taking a look.

Quote: Originally posted by simsample
It has to be a codec issue, these work for me in my game. Does this clip work for you?
https://simfil.es/331875/

When you say you 'manually installed' the codecs, where did you install them to?
Screenshots
Be like the 22nd elephant with heated value in space, bark!
retired moderator
#8 Old Yesterday at 6:56 PM
Okay, in the reddit thread, the ON2 codec thing is a red herring here. That's the codec that the game uses to record in-game movies, and I think the Maxis movies and video game files use it. But the first files you are trying to play (the commercials) are AVI files and they are using the H264 MPEG4 AVC video codec and the MPEG AAC MP4A codec for audio (at least that's what VLC player is telling me).

As you are on Windows 11, you should have Media Player Legacy installed. Or at least, my version of Win 11 does! You can get it from the Microsoft store, anyway. You can use that to get a comprehensive indication of your installed codecs using this method:
https://modthesims.info/showthread....614#post5720614
You should be able to see something in there for Mpeg4 decoding; if you don't see it then that will indicate that the codecs aren't installed (the K-Lite pack has MPeg4 I think).
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