totem could not play decoder needed

The following page is a good place to start:-

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

I would recommend reading the section at the top but I draw your attention to the section about W32codecs which may be what you need:-

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats#head-6c942d1939d97331f96e42b63774003fde7daed5

In addition for beginner some people find EasyUbuntu a useful tool although it isn't officially supported by us:-

http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/

Greetings, Alan;���� Wow!, a lot of material. I think I did what you said to do but I still can't view/hear certain emails.If you would, please, take my dorky fat hand(as it were)and lead me thru this, don't take anything for grantedbaby steps if you will. Heck!, it seems I don't even know how to download correctly(it seems half of what i download i can't open) and then if i am able to open something i sure in the heck won't be able to install it.Man, if you would, please, help me thru this!!!�� ThanksBest Regards;John G. Mullen --- On Mon 12/11, Alan Pope &lt; <email address hidden> &gt; wrote:From: Alan Pope [mailto: <email address hidden>]To: <email address hidden>: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:52:46 -0000Subject: [Support #2777]: Re: totem could not play decoder neededYour support request #2777 on Ubuntu changed:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777 Status: Open =&gt; AnsweredAlan Pope proposed the following answer:The following page is a good
place to start:-https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormatsI would recommend reading the section at the top but I draw yourattention to the section about W32codecs which may be what you need:-https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats#head-6c942d1939d97331f96e42b63774003fde7daed5In addition for beginner some people find EasyUbuntu a useful toolalthough it isn't officially supported by us:-http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/_______________________________________________________________________If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let usknow that it is solved:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777/+confirm?answer_id=0If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to thefollowing page to enter your feedback:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777

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What version of Ubuntu are you running? Also, what is the file formats of the files that you are trying to watch/play?

Greetings,Williamts;���� I am running UBUNTU 6.06 LTSI'm trying to hear/view 2 email attachmentsfirst. � � � The_F_word.wmv (4,572 KB)second.�� seinfeld-recfut.wmv(9,381 KB)Thanks a bunch and best regards;John G. Mullen --- On Tue 12/12, williamts99 &lt; <email address hidden> &gt; wrote:From: williamts99 [mailto: <email address hidden>]To: <email address hidden>: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:04:03 -0000Subject: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: totem could not play decoder neededYour support request #2777 on Ubuntu changed:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777 Status: Open =&gt; Answeredwilliamts99 proposed the following answer:What version of Ubuntu are you running? Also, what is the file formatsof the files that you are trying to watch/play?_______________________________________________________________________If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let usknow that it is
solved:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777/+confirm?answer_id=2If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to thefollowing page to enter your feedback:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777

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Ok, so in a terminal(applications>accessories>terminal) you will paste the following commands

wget -c http://www.debian-multimedia.org/pool/main/w/w32codecs/w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deb

and then

sudo dpkg -i w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deb

the second command will ask you for your password.

The first command is all one line, as listed on the restricted formats page. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats#head-6c942d1939d97331f96e42b63774003fde7daed5

If the file is encoded with DRM(digital restrictions management) then it is locked down and will not play regardless. Which is another reason to insist on Free Formats or at least DRM free formats.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FreeFormats

Best Regards,

Williamts99

Greetings,williamts99;�� Did not work!�� It gave this message;dpkg: error processing w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deb (--install):�cannot access archive: No such file or directoryErrors were encountered while processing:�w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.debjitdog937@jitdog937:~$Thanks and best regards;John G. Mullen --- On Tue 12/12, williamts99 &lt; <email address hidden> &gt; wrote:From: williamts99 [mailto: <email address hidden>]To: <email address hidden>: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:51:44 -0000Subject: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: totem could not play decoder neededYour support request #2777 on Ubuntu changed:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777 Status: Open =&gt; Answeredwilliamts99 proposed the following answer:Ok, so in a terminal(applications&gt;accessories&gt;terminal) you will pastethe following commandswget -c http://www.debian-multimedia.org/pool/main/w/w32codecs/w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deband
thensudo dpkg -i w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.debthe second command will ask you for your password.The first command is all one line, as listed on the restricted formatspage. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats#head-6c942d1939d97331f96e42b63774003fde7daed5If the file is encoded with DRM(digital restrictions management) then it is locked down and will not play regardless. Which is another reason to insist on Free Formats or at least DRM free formats.https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FreeFormatsBest Regards,Williamts99_______________________________________________________________________If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let usknow that it is solved:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777/+confirm?answer_id=4If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to thefollowing page to enter your feedback:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777

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When you ran the first command, it should have shown that it was downloading the file. Did this happen?

Greetings, Williamts99;what happened was a bunch of letters and numbers came up,� at the end of these numbers was a &quot;blinking block&quot; so i copied and pasted the second set of commands and it asked for my password� which i typed in and hit enter but nothing good happenedthanks and best regards;John G. Mullen --- On Tue 12/12, williamts99 &lt; <email address hidden> &gt; wrote:From: williamts99 [mailto: <email address hidden>]To: <email address hidden>: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:00:17 -0000Subject: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: [Support #2777]: Re: totem could not play decoder neededYour support request #2777 on Ubuntu changed:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777 Status: Open =&gt; Needs informationwilliamts99 requested for more information:When you ran the first command, it should have shown that it wasdownloading the file. Did this
happen?_______________________________________________________________________To answer this request for more information, you can either reply tothis email or enter your reply at the following page:https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2777

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Greetings, Friends;

I downloaded and installed easyubuntu and now i am able to view and hear one of the attachments of an email

however two other emails' attachments; for one i could hear, but the video was in a jumbled mess of colors, and the other had a black screen and barely audible audio

Thanks and best regards;
John G. Mullen

You could try and play them in VLC, it is in the repositories. Sometimes I have had issues playing something and usually VLC will play it.