Stuttering playback for WMV files

[RandoTex]

I am having trouble with stuttering video/audio while playing WMV files in VS Pro X5 SP1. Any clip which I try to view will stutter on playback (sounds like a scratched/dirty CD). These files play fine in Media Player Classic. Other file formats (e.g. mp4) play fine in VS, it is just WMV files that are doing this. I don't get any errors, it just doesn't playback correctly.

The WMV files were created within this installation of VS Pro X5 SP1. The original source varies. I've started with .MTS files from my Canon camcorder SD card (reader built into PC), or from mp4 files which I also created from this installation of VS. When I share the files, I get no errors. I've had it happpen with 3 minute files, and with 11 second files.

One example file that does this is:

file size 3,405 KB
Duration 11.064 seconds
Data rate 2481 kdps
Video: Windows Media Video 9
24 bits, 1280x720, 29.970 frames/sec
Audio: Windows Media Audio 9.2
44.100 KHz, 16 bits, Stereo
Aspect ratio 1.78:1.0
Is editable: yes

Project settings are:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
MJPEG Compressor
PCM, 44.100 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

I've also tried changing the Project settings to this, but the WMV file still comes out as 44.1 and the same issue occurs:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
MJPEG Compressor
PCM, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

Not sure if this is related or not, but when I installed the latest version of VS Pro X5, I started having trouble with windows media player. At the moment, WMP won't play DVD's or WMV files because it says it doesn't have the codec. I'm running WPM 11 on Win XP and it is the most current version.

I suspect this has something to do with codecs. I'm still coming up to speed on all the codec's and what they're used for, so I'd appreciate any suggestions as to which one(s) I should focus on.

Thanks!

[RandoTex]

I added K-Lite Mega pack and it fixed the problems with Windows Media Player.

I also figured out that if I use the "System Default" audio renderer in Media Player classic, I have the same problem that I do in VideoStudio. If I use the Explicit driver for my sound card (Echo Audio Mia), then it works without a problem. What's strange is that the default setting in windows is the MIA driver.

FWIW, I added another interface (Zoom H4n) and set the windows default to that driver. Using the H4n as an interface, VisualStudio plays the WMV files fine.

So it seems that the problem only occurs if I'm playing a WMV file, using the "default" audio drivers, and playing through the MIA audio interface. If I could set VisualStudio to use the drivers for the Mia card, I suspect that would fix the problem, but I don't see how to do that.

My other plan is to look for the audio driver which Windows is using as default and disable it.

[RandoTex]

I seem to have fixed it.

I re-installed the Mia drivers provided by Echo Audio, and everything seems to be working now. It is the same version of drivers that I had previously installed, so I have to assume that something overwrote one or more of the files or some config setting at some time.