Just been looking over the posts!
I'd like to throw in my two bob, I worked and helped design the Digital Cinema system some cinema's are using In Autsralia Wide so I know a fair bit about codecs and stuff.
Firstly If you dont have the codec get Klite Codec pack, We used this on all the cinema players and it was the BEST codec pack by far (oh we had fun playing with all the others!)
http://www.free-codecs.com/K_lite_codec_pack_download.htm
get any version and when you install it It'll ask if you want to use the cut down "media player" that comes with it, de-select this, all you need are the codecs not all the players and guff, thats it intall it and then try to ply the files, IF all fails get VLC player, its Freaking great and if its your "prefered" media player on your computer you can "preview" Torrent files before they have completly downloaded, which is usefull, you have to download "some" of the file before you can preview it though, but it saves loads of time when you download some movie or show to find its not it.
Then if you want to watch in on your dvd player (if your dvd player can not hendel divx,xvid)
Get VSO convert X to DVD . After using about 50 different bits of software from ****** freware ones to ones used in the mass duplication of DVD's VSO's one was
1. the eaisest to use
2. Can convert ANYTHING to DVD even Youtube files. Yep i download youtube things and watch em on DVD's
3. By far it has the best Transform encoder, which (unless you fill the discs with stuff) virtaly has no loss in quality, Most if not all others you can SEE the quality degrade.
It costs to registor it but on some of the Torrent sites there are "key's and Serials" get one of these and crack it. if you like it Buy It!!
On UKNOVA there is another series about people moving their lives around and there's an epp about a Micro Brewery, Quite good.