I would like to make a video cd and have on it mpeg, avi, quicktime, etc. When the user puts it in their computer I would like the cd to choose the correct format to play based what plugin or media player the user already has. Any ideas on where to go to find out how to do this?

-- Mark Szolo (spamfork@email.com), December 21, 1999

Answers

Actually, the last Media Player version plays any of the formats that you mention (not 100% sure about QTime). What I would suggest is:

-Include a file called "autorun.inf" in the root directory of the CD,

-This file must have the following 2 lines:

[autorun]

open = XXXXXX

Where XXXXX could be either:

1) The direct path of Media Player, usually C:\"Program Files"\"Windows Media Player"\mplayer2.exe /Play file2open.dat/mpg/etc.

2) A complex .com program that searches for a bunch of SW installed in the host computer and opens the chosen one. This isn't very difficult: There is an app out there that converts from .BAT to .COM, so all you would have to do is program this in batch and then translate it into a .COM

Hope this helps! Matias.

-- Matias (petrellm@telefonica.com.ar), December 21, 1999.