How to play .rmvb files in Ubuntu

July 27th, 2007 by Ross McKillop | Print This Post Print This Post
Linux

This tutorial will take you step by step through installing all of the software necessary to play rmvb (RealMedia Variable Bitrate) files in Ubuntu Linux.

Though the steps and screenshots are specific to Ubuntu, they will likely be similar for other versions of Linux. With that said, be sure to read the MPlayer README file if you’re not using Ubuntu. Similar to some of the other tutorials on Simplehelp, this is almost certainly not the only way to play .rmvb files in Ubuntu, but it’s the easiest way I could find. If you know of a easier method, by all means please feel free to leave a comment.

  1. The first step in playing .rmvb files in Ubuntu is to use the Synaptic Package Manager to install MPlayer. When you mark MPlayer for installation, you’ll be prompted to install additional software packages (if they’re not already installed).

    2. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  2. After MPlayer has been installed, exit out of the Synaptic Package Manager and visit the MPlayer binary codec download page. Download the codec package for your platform (for example, if you’re using a 32bit Intel or AMD processor, download the Linux x86 package).

    Save the file to your desktop (or home folder). Once the download has completed, double-click that file. Select the folder to uncompress, and click the Extract button.

    3. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  3. Choose a location to extract the files (your desktop is ideal) and again click Extract.

    4. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  4. Make sure the files extracted correctly. They’ll be in a folder titled essential-date.

    5. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux

  5. Open up a Terminal by selecting Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.

    6. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux

  6. Enter the following commands (and your password when prompted):

    cd Desktop
    cd essential-date
    sudo mkdir /usr/lib/win32
    sudo cp * /usr/lib/win32

    7. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  7. Launch MPLayer by selecting Applications -> Sound & Video -> MPlayer Movie Player. Right-click in the Mplayer - Video window and select Preferences from the menu.

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  8. Select the Video tab and change the Available drivers: to x11 X11 (XImage/Shm).

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  9. Select the Codecs & demuxer tab and change the Video codec family: to RealVideo decoder and the Audio codec family: to FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders. When you’re done, click OK and close down MPlayer.

    10. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  10. Locate one of your .rmvb files, right-click it and select Properties.

    11. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux

  11. Select the Open With tab and change whatever the default is to MPlayer Movie Player. Click Close.

    12. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux
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  12. Double-click any of your .rmvb files and they should open up in MPlayer and start playing.

    13. play rmvb files in ubuntu linux

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  1. 59 Responses to “How to play .rmvb files in Ubuntu”

  2. By Robby on Aug 17, 2007 | Reply

    W0o0 got mine to work!!

    but i dont get what step 9 does…

  3. By Ross McKillop on Aug 17, 2007 | Reply

    Robby,

    It changes the default codec (audio and video) for MPlayer. Without those changes, I was unable to get rmvb files to play. I’m not sure they’re 100% required for EVERY rmvb file, but I only had two to test with (and neither worked without the changes).

    Cheers!

    Ross

  4. By Bruno on Aug 20, 2007 | Reply

    Thanks a lot. This tutorial is quit simple and yet very useful. Once again, thanks for your help.

  5. By matthew on Aug 29, 2007 | Reply

    hi i got a error message after following ur steps
    “Mplayer interrrupted by signal 11 in module:init_audio_codec”

    any suggestion to solve this will be appreciated

  6. By wanasoo on Sep 26, 2007 | Reply

    Great.. except putting the dummy fool’s picture in Mplayer.. Great thanks far apart from that!!

  7. By Eduardo on Oct 7, 2007 | Reply

    thank you very much!

  8. By Ravi on Oct 11, 2007 | Reply

    Hi
    I came across this page and successfully played all my media files using mplayer in ubuntu. today i tried reinstalling ubuntu and now when i installed mplayer as above, rmvb files dont play in mplayer. any idea what might be the problem? can you mail me any solution.
    thanks a lot
    Ravi

  9. By Ravi on Oct 12, 2007 | Reply

    Hi
    Thanks for the reply, its just that rmvb doesnt play, all others, wmv, avi, vob all play. what do you think might be the problem? i’m thinking to reinstall again.
    Ravi

  10. By Vincent FANG on Oct 19, 2007 | Reply

    If you installed Ubuntu 7.10 and your mplayer can not play rmvb.

    Try following steps,

    1. Open Synaptic Package Manager.
    2. Search libstdc++5 and install it.
    3. Download new Codec from http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html and install it.

  11. By Manny on Oct 19, 2007 | Reply

    This is great… it just works… perfectly. :)

    P.S: Im on Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn.

  12. By floe on Oct 24, 2007 | Reply

    Thanks :)

    Installing the libstdc++5 did it for me
    Now im able to watch my rmvb files :)

  13. By Kris on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply

    Thank you! I’m using Feisty, and the tutorial worked.. MPlayer is now playing all my movie files with ease. I only have one issue.. when I go to fullscreen, my movies don’t resize, just the window does. Is this normal??

  14. By Kris on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply

    Ah-ha! Changed my video codec to xv and that fixed it. Lost some video quality, but hey.. what can you do?

  15. By Spanishs Bombs.. on Oct 31, 2007 | Reply

    ;)! Thanks!

  16. By Cloud on Nov 4, 2007 | Reply

    woot thanks for the tutorial, real helpful and straightforward.

  17. By Leandro Facchinetti on Nov 5, 2007 | Reply

    Worked in Gusty Gibbon. It’s the first tutorial that I’ve followed and worked for me. Thanks a lot.

  18. By DJiNN on Nov 8, 2007 | Reply

    Just had to say “THANKS!” for this “HowTo”…. Worked 100% and really made a difference….. Now i’m gonna have to look around at the site to see what other gems reside within! :)

  19. By AirV on Nov 11, 2007 | Reply

    Thanks you for my daughter ;-)

  20. By Owen on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

    Thanks! Great instructions - worked for me

  21. By luf on Nov 17, 2007 | Reply

    why it doesn’t work? I’ve been followed the instruction(using gutsy gibon+5 repository), please help?

  22. By Sutefu on Nov 18, 2007 | Reply

    Yay, it works! Thanks so much!

  23. By Sergio on Nov 20, 2007 | Reply

    For the newest version of MPlayer the default codec directory is /usr/lib/codecs. (Working with essential-20071007 and MPlayer-1.0rc2)

  24. By Manish on Nov 22, 2007 | Reply

    Thanks. Works like a charm :)

  25. By Karasu on Nov 28, 2007 | Reply

    I still having problems with it even after installing libstdc++5 and redirect directory to “/usr/lib/codecs”. I got the error message “Cannot find codec matching selected -vo and video format 0×30345652″ and no video is played. Audio works normally though. Any ideas what went wrong? :s

  26. By Peggy on Dec 1, 2007 | Reply

    cheer, awesome instruction!

  27. By saukya on Dec 4, 2007 | Reply

    instaling libstdc++5 make it is work..thanks

  28. By Johnson on Dec 9, 2007 | Reply

    Thank you so much!
    omega super helpful.
    after following Ross and Vincent instruction…
    everything works like magic.

  29. By Gab on Dec 16, 2007 | Reply

    Gracias!

  30. By keky on Dec 21, 2007 | Reply

    I have followed what you showed up,BUT my mplayer still can not work properly….sos.

  31. By shivam on Dec 26, 2007 | Reply

    It works on my Ubuntu 7.10 The Gutsy Gibbon

  32. By na8 on Jan 3, 2008 | Reply

    thanks a lot.

  33. By TechEvidence on Jan 14, 2008 | Reply

    Thank for the guide.
    To the peopl who still have video problem but audio ok:
    just cp (copy past) the codecs u have downloaded in a new folder called codecs in usr lib.

  34. By Ashish on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply

    I have the problem mentioned above, audio but no video. And i cant cp the file as i don’t have permission. Can you please help me? thx.

  35. By Memyself on Mar 7, 2008 | Reply

    Hey man! Thanks a lot! It worked.
    By the way, here I use Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon!
    – Hey windows! I’m over you! :)

  36. By J. Lai on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply

    to Ashish on Jan 16, 2008

    Try to drag and drop your rmvb file to mplay. Read all the comments above.

    One more thing, in my case X11/Xv is all right; the X11(XImage/Shm) can play rmvb but cannot enlarge the video.

    Thanks for this post!

  37. By Andrade @ Portugal on Mar 16, 2008 | Reply

    Thank you.

  38. By Ivã on Mar 23, 2008 | Reply

    Worked for me too, im Kubuntu 7.10

    Thank you

  39. By Sam on Mar 28, 2008 | Reply

    It work on my Hardy(8.04) Beta. Thanks

  40. By Seba on Apr 15, 2008 | Reply

    Works fine, if you copy the files into “codecs”. Thanks a lot.

  41. By Jacobo SernA on Apr 17, 2008 | Reply

    thank you very much!!!!

  42. By Vini on Apr 20, 2008 | Reply

    to stretch the video use driver gl (x11/OpenGl).

  43. By freedom on Apr 22, 2008 | Reply

    Nice Tutorial.

  44. By Luxy on May 2, 2008 | Reply

    Thanks a lot!!! It works now :D

  45. By George on May 11, 2008 | Reply

    hey! thanks alot for this great tutorial.

    I’m Using Ubuntu 8.04 final, and it didnt work out in the first place.

    after installing libstdc++5 from synaptic
    and copying the codecs to /usr/lib/codecs

    everything worked fine!
    (dont know which one of them made the difference, it probably has been only be the directory change)

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