I don't know but they just play with VLC with the restricted-extras
installed. Install VLC and ubuntu-restricted-extras in the repositories
using Synaptic, apt-get or Software Centre.You can search or look for it in
the Metapackages section using Synaptic.

Another vote here for VLC. So far, it's played everything I've thrown at it.
Even streaming audio!

As you suggested in another thread, I opened a terminal and typed:
sudo apt-get install vlc

While watching the terminal window, installation seemed to proceed without
error.

However, wmv files still don't play. When I double click a wmv file, a Movie
Player window opens, then another panel opens on top of it with this message:

"Search for suitable plug-in? The required software to play this file is not
installed. You need to install suitable plug-ins to play media files. Do you
want to search for a plug-in that supports the selected file? ... "

You installed vlc, right?

So, you'll want to play the file with vlc. I'm guessing you tried to
play the file with totem.

If you want to play such files with totem or other players, install the
ubuntu-restricted extras package, as mentioned previously.

you could be right. After installing vlc, I merely double-clicked the wmv
file in an attempt to play it.

You probably need the restricted drivers and codecs package.

Try another this:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Just right click on the .wmw file and choose Vlc for playing it. Another, even
easier trick is to put a Vlc launcher icon on your desktop and when wanting to
play a movie just drag-and drop the movie icon onto the Vlc icon. The Vlc icon
is that orange tower with white horizontal stripes. So, a cone with orange and
white stripes.

I did not know that.............

Can anyone tell me, how does restricted-extras relate to Medibuntu?
Medibuntu has always solved my a-v compatibility problems, but I don't
recall ever being aware of restricted-extras previously.

Medibuntu is a separately maintained repository that includes things not
found in the main repositories of Ubuntu due to legal or licensing concerns.
It is recommended by Canonical, but it is not part of their domain. It
stands for *M*ultimedia, *E*ntertainment & *D*istractions *I*n U*buntu*. It
includes things such as GoogleEarth, Gizmo5, Hot Babe and w32 and w64 codecs
that have some extra codecs not included in the restricted-extras. The
restricted extras are enough for most people, but if you want to dabble in
unusual formats maybe you need to w32 or w64 codecs. They have official real
audio, quicktime and Windows proprietary formats, although I have never had
a problem playing these without the Medibuntu codecs.

See: http://packages.medibuntu.org/lucid/index.html

From what I understand, medibuntu is an unofficial and unsupported way
to try to accomplish the same goals as the restricted extras.

It is official in the sense that Ubuntu recommends it. So it has their
blessing otherwise they would not feature it on their website, but they have
no control over it and accept no responsibility.

Canonical is a corporation and has to act responsibly. However, the law is
uneven and this is important. What is legal in one country may not be legal
in another. Some countries do not honour software patents at all while
others such as the US are leading the push for them. Users in those
countries wonder what all the fuss is about. The irony is that it is often
American users who are the first to complain about codecs and drivers not
being easily accessible. Maybe they should complain to their government
instead of to Canonical.

Having the restricted extras is a way of leaving it up to the user to decide
what is legal and ethical for them. Medibuntu is similar, but has a somewhat
different approach. Canonical is supporting where it can free alternatives
like Fluendo and Gnash, but Medibuntu goes back to the real thing. The
codecs in the Win32 and Win64 packages are the same as you would get in
Windows. Medibuntu also includes GoogleEarth which Canonical does not.

As for support, Medibuntu does support it and you will get upgrades as long
as you have added the Medibuntu repositories. Nothing from Medibuntu passes
through Canonical servers, so you could say that they do not support it, but
it is supported by Medibuntu itself which offers upgrades.

The goals of Medibuntu are theirs and the goals of Canonical are their own.
I am not sure how much intersection there is with separate projects. From a
users point of view they can install both or neither depending on their own
position on such matters.

Maverick offers for the first time the opportunity to install the restricted
extras at the time of installation. You just need to check a box. You can
also check a box to go the opposite direction and only get free and open
software. Many Linux advocates will choose this option as they believe that
all software should be without restriction. It takes all kinds you see.

I have never been a fan of the Mint approach and I am not sure that the
approach in Maverick is a step forward for Linux. But many users will
welcome the convenience, but convenience is not always in our best interest.
The easy road has been a path to destruction for many people over the years.

[As I write this Microsoft is working with US legislators and ACTA to push
software patents on the rest of the world, but at the same time trying to
get courts to quash software patents that have worked against them, as is
the case with XML patent infringement in Word. They also are suing Motorola
and Google over Android's use of syncing with Microsoft file systems. It is
the old case of if I do it then it is okay, but if someone else does it then
it is wrong. The whole notion of patents is so fraught with difficulty that
it makes a mockery of itself. If you understand this issue then you know
more than I do.]

With any linux distros, I've played wmv files with whatever comes as
the standard multimedia player, whether that be totem, mplayer, vlc or
other. I think you'll find that installing the so-called "ubuntu
restricted extras" package is your key to multimedia success, as has
often been pointed out here.

VLC player. However, go to Synaptic and install "restricted codecs". That whole
MS stuff and copy right mumbo jumbo.

There is XBMC, for Ubuntu, also. I found it under Sabayon Linux, rebooted and
installed XBMC to have it under Ubuntu, as well. It is a very good media center
application. Very good quality images.