SS2: LGVID.AX interfering with my other codec's and my most recent save doesn't work

[67510eddce102Shinobi]

First of all its great that there is a loyal community for this game. You guys are awesome!

So i found this game lying around(so its the Original) and decided to install it. I did what the Technical FAQ told me to, downloaded a bunch of mod's, ran in to a video problem that was solved after using the right solutions to the wrong problems and i got it to play. After a couple of hours of gameplay i found out two problems.

1: I know the LGVID.AX isn't a codec, but it likes to act as one, because after installing System Shock 2 i can't adjust the brightness of the videos. After uninstalling a codec pack named Combined Community Codec Pack and using a program named GSpot i found out that the LGVID.AX was to blame. Renaming it didn't work and reinstalling the CCCP and configuring the FFDShow not to use Shock2.EXE didn't help either. Anyone know how i can stop it interfering with my other programs, without uninstalling the game itself?

2: My most recent save state wont work anymore. Whenever i try to load it i just end up staring at the still loading screen. Luckily my second save still works. Anyone else had similar problems?

I've downloaded and installed the shock2_xp_2000_fix and also all the necessary files in the Technical FAQ plus im using these mods: Shmup_1, Shock2_nospidersv2, Anomalies, Disrepancies, and outright Bugs (Beta 0.2., SHTUP Beta 6, Arcaniac Pipe Wrench, PSI-Amp V2.

My computer specs:

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
          Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
             Memory: 1024MB RAM
          Page File: 358MB used, 2102MB available
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

   Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT
     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce 7600 GT
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0391&SUBSYS_06301462&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 256.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Dell P790
  Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
      Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0011.7516 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 5/2/2008 22:46:00, 6108160 bytes

[67510eddce431Kolya]

1. I don't quite get how LGVID.AX could interfere with videos outside SS2, but anyway you could manually unregister LGVID.AX:
Start->Run

Code: [Select]

REGSVR32 /u "c:\your\path\to\SS2\LGVID.AX"
2. It never happened to me outside MP games but yeah, sometimes people report broken saves in SP.

[67510eddce58aShinobi]

1. Unregistered it and i still can't adjust the brightness settings. I guess i should uninstall SS2 to check if the LGVID.AX file really is messing with my videos.

2. I'll manage any future broken saves with a lot more saves and a lot less time between those saves.

Thanks for the help!

[67510eddce857Schatten]

A few q's:
What problem exactly did GSpot report with lgvid.ax?
What player did you use (when you were trying to adjust the brightness)?
Is this problem present in other video players?
Does this only happen with Indeo encoded videos, or others too?

[67510eddce98dShinobi]

I tried to test render a media file with the GSpot(after i uninstalled CCCP), but it stopped me since it said that the LGVID.AX would have crashed it.
BSplayer.
I've only got two video players and with the other one, Media Player Classic, i can't find any settings to change the brightness.
I dont really know with what the videos i have are encoded with.

[67510eddceaeeSchatten]

In GSpot, check System -> list codecs and other filters, sort by driver file. Files with problems should appear on top of the list (I'm using GSpot 2.70a). The location of the brightness levels settings in MPC depend on how you installed it. If it uses ffdshow it's in play -> filters -> ffdshow video decoder -> levels (I'm using MPC 6.4.9.1). You could also try plain ol' Windows Media Player and see if you can adjust brightness there. This is for narrowing the problem cause down to either application or filter.

The lgvid.ax DirectShow filter should only be used by DarkEngine games (Thief/SS2) and not at all by any other application. It is possible that somehow the installation wrongly registered it for general use, or it confilcts with another filter, but GSpot should tell you that.

[67510eddcecb0Shinobi]

Checked the GSpot and the only problem files were three codec's from the Nero 7 Essentials that were missing because i had deleted them already. The brightness settings didn't work in MPC. I couldn't find the brightness setting in the Windows Media Player ...

[67510eddcee0cShinobi]

Uninstalled SS2 and it didn't help, but i managed to set the brightness this time with the MPC now that i found out how to do it. 

So i'll reinstall SS2 and start to get used to this new brightness control!