I am trying to use Totem to play back a variety of media files but I am finding that the number of file types supported is very few - in fact the only files I have eve got to play are a couple of .avi movies from a camera of mine. Nothing else, from any source, plays (not .mov, not .mpg, not .wmv, etc.)

There is no difference in which files I can play from either Totem via the desktop or playbin from the terminal.

gst-inspect gives the list of plugins shown below, which seems pretty comprehensive (and includes the specific examples given above) - so why won't they play?
Is my installation broken, or are a lot of files indeed actually unplayable other than on proprietary players such as Windows Media Player, Quicktime, etc. etc.?


video4linux:  v4lsrc: Video (video4linux/raw) Source
gdkpixbuf:  gdkpixbufscale: GdkPixbuf image scaler
gdkpixbuf:  gdkpixbufdec: GdkPixbuf image decoder
videorate:  videorate: Video rate adjuster
cdparanoia:  cdparanoiasrc: CD Audio (cdda) Source, Paranoia IV
rtsp:  rtpdec: RTP Decoder
rtsp:  rtspsrc: RTSP packet receiver
navigationtest:  navigationtest: Video navigation test
ximagesrc:  ximagesrc: Ximage video source
coreelements:  multiqueue: MultiQueue
coreelements:  typefind: TypeFind
coreelements:  tee: Tee pipe fitting
coreelements:  filesink: File Sink
coreelements:  queue: Queue
coreelements:  identity: Identity
coreelements:  filesrc: File Source
coreelements:  fdsink: Filedescriptor Sink
coreelements:  fdsrc: Disk Source
coreelements:  fakesink: Fake Sink
coreelements:  fakesrc: Fake Source
coreelements:  capsfilter: CapsFilter
debug:  testsink: Test plugin
debug:  progressreport: Progress report
debug:  navseek: Seek based on left-right arrows
debug:  breakmydata: Break my data
gnomevfs:  gnomevfssink: GnomeVFS Sink
gnomevfs:  gnomevfssrc: GnomeVFS Source
1394:  dv1394src: Firewire (1394) DV video source
videoscale:  videoscale: Video scaler
annodex:  cmmldec: CMML stream decoder
annodex:  cmmlenc: CMML streams encoder
ossaudio:  osssink: Audio Sink (OSS)
ossaudio:  osssrc: Audio Source (OSS)
ossaudio:  ossmixer: OSS Mixer
efence:  efence: Electric Fence
smpte:  smpte: SMPTE transitions
id3demux:  id3demux: ID3 tag demuxer
audiorate:  audiorate: Audio rate adjuster
videomixer:  videomixer: Video mixer
playbin:  playbin: Player Bin
mulaw:  mulawdec: Mu Law audio decoder
mulaw:  mulawenc: Mu Law audio encoder
typefindfunctions: video/vivo: viv
typefindfunctions: application/x-mmsh: no extensions
typefindfunctions: multipart/x-mixed-replace: no extensions
typefindfunctions: video/x-dirac: no extensions
typefindfunctions: application/x-ms-dos-executable: dll, exe, ocx, sys, scr, msstyles, cpl
typefindfunctions: application/x-ar: a
typefindfunctions: application/x-tar: tar
typefindfunctions: application/x-rar: rar
typefindfunctions: audio/x-wavpack-correction: wvc
typefindfunctions: audio/x-wavpack: wv, wvp
typefindfunctions: audio/x-spc: spc
typefindfunctions: adts_mpeg_stream: aac
typefindfunctions: application/x-executable: no extensions
typefindfunctions: text/x-cmml: no extensions
typefindfunctions: application/x-ogg-skeleton: no extensions
typefindfunctions: audio/x-speex: no extensions
typefindfunctions: application/x-ogm-text: no extensions
typefindfunctions: application/x-ogm-audio: no extensions
typefindfunctions: application/x-ogm-video: no extensions
typefindfunctions: video/x-theora: no extensions
typefindfunctions: audio/x-vorbis: no extensions
typefindfunctions: audio/x-flac: flac
typefindfunctions: application/x-compress: Z
typefindfunctions: application/zip: zip
typefindfunctions: application/x-gzip: gz
typefindfunctions: application/x-bzip: bz2
typefindfunctions: image/x-sun-raster: ras
typefindfunctions: image/x-xpixmap: xpm
typefindfunctions: image/x-jng: jng
typefindfunctions: video/x-mng: mng
typefindfunctions: image/x-xcf: xcf
typefindfunctions: audio/x-sid: sid
typefindfunctions: audio/iLBC-sh: ilbc
typefindfunctions: audio/x-amr-wb-sh: amr
typefindfunctions: audio/x-amr-nb-sh: amr
typefindfunctions: video/x-dv: dv, dif
typefindfunctions: video/x-mve: mve
typefindfunctions: video/x-matroska: mkv, mka
typefindfunctions: image/tiff: tif, tiff
typefindfunctions: image/bmp: bmp
typefindfunctions: image/png: png
typefindfunctions: image/gif: gif
typefindfunctions: image/jpeg: jpg, jpe, jpeg
typefindfunctions: application/x-ape: ape
typefindfunctions: audio/x-shorten: shn
typefindfunctions: audio/x-w64: w64
typefindfunctions: audio/x-ircam: sf
typefindfunctions: audio/x-sds: sds
typefindfunctions: audio/x-voc: voc
typefindfunctions: audio/x-nist: nist
typefindfunctions: audio/x-paris: paf
typefindfunctions: audio/x-svx: iff, svx
typefindfunctions: audio/x-aiff: aiff, aif, aifc
typefindfunctions: audio/x-wav: wav
typefindfunctions: application/xml: xml
typefindfunctions: application/smil: smil
typefindfunctions: text/uri-list: ram
typefindfunctions: text/plain: txt
typefindfunctions: video/x-flv: flv
typefindfunctions: application/x-shockwave-flash: swf, swfl
typefindfunctions: application/x-pn-realaudio: ra, ram, rm, rmvb
typefindfunctions: application/vnd.rn-realmedia: ra, ram, rm, rmvb
typefindfunctions: text/html: htm, html
typefindfunctions: image/x-quicktime: qif, qtif, qti
typefindfunctions: video/quicktime: mov
typefindfunctions: application/x-3gp: 3gp
typefindfunctions: audio/x-m4a: m4a
typefindfunctions: video/x-nuv: nuv
typefindfunctions: video/mpeg4: m4v
typefindfunctions: video/mpeg-stream: mpv, mpeg, mpg
typefindfunctions: video/mpeg: mpv, mpeg, mpg
typefindfunctions: application/ogg: anx, ogg, ogm
typefindfunctions: video/mpegts: ts
typefindfunctions: video/mpeg2: mpe, mpeg, mpg
typefindfunctions: video/mpeg1: mpe, mpeg, mpg
typefindfunctions: audio/x-ac3: ac3
typefindfunctions: audio/mpeg: mp3, mp2, mp1, mpga
typefindfunctions: audio/x-mod: 669, amf, dsm, gdm, far, imf, it, med, mod, mtm, okt, sam, s3m, stm, stx, ult, xm
typefindfunctions: audio/x-ttafile: tta
typefindfunctions: application/x-apetag: ape, mpc, wv
typefindfunctions: application/x-id3v1: mp3, mp2, mp1, mpga, ogg, flac, tta
typefindfunctions: application/x-id3v2: mp3, mp2, mp1, mpga, ogg, flac, tta
typefindfunctions: video/x-fli: flc, fli
typefindfunctions: video/x-vcd: dat
typefindfunctions: video/x-cdxa: dat
typefindfunctions: video/x-msvideo: avi
typefindfunctions: audio/x-au: au, snd
typefindfunctions: audio/x-musepack: mpc
typefindfunctions: video/x-ms-asf: asf, wm, wma, wmv
alsa:  alsasink: Audio sink (ALSA)
alsa:  alsasrc: Audio source (ALSA)
alsa:  alsamixer: Alsa mixer
decodebin:  decodebin: Decoder Bin
icydemux:  icydemux: ICY tag demuxer
videobox:  videobox: Video box filter
apetag:  apedemux: APE tag demuxer
dv:  dvdec: DV video decoder
dv:  dvdemux: DV system stream demuxer
udp:  udpsrc: UDP packet receiver
udp:  dynudpsink: UDP packet sender
udp:  multiudpsink: UDP packet sender
udp:  udpsink: UDP packet sender
coreindexers:  fileindex: A index that stores entries in file
coreindexers:  memindex: A index that stores entries in memory
jpeg:  smokedec: Smoke video decoder
jpeg:  smokeenc: Smoke video encoder
jpeg:  jpegdec: JPEG image decoder
jpeg:  jpegenc: JPEG image encoder
ffmpegcolorspace:  ffmpegcolorspace: FFMPEG Colorspace converter
volume:  volume: Volume
png:  pngenc: PNG image encoder
png:  pngdec: PNG image decoder
decodebin2:  decodebin2: Decoder Bin
esdsink:  esdsink: Esound audio sink
videoflip:  videoflip: Video flipper
rtp:  rtpvorbispay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpvorbisdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtptheorapay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtptheoradepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpsv3vdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpspeexdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpspeexpay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpmp4gpay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpmp4gdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpmp4vdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpmp4vpay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpmp2tdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  asteriskh263: RTP packet parser
rtp:  rtph264depay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtph263pay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtph263pdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtph263ppay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpmpapay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpmpadepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtppcmapay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtppcmupay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtppcmudepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtppcmadepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpamrpay: RTP packet payloader
rtp:  rtpamrdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpgsmpay: RTP GSM audio payloader
rtp:  rtpgsmdepay: RTP packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpilbcdepay: RTP iLBC packet depayloader
rtp:  rtpilbcpay: RTP Payloader for iLBC Audio
rtp:  rtpdepay: RTP payloader
shout2send:  shout2send: Icecast network sink
audiofx:  audiopanorama: AudioPanorama
ximagesink:  ximagesink: Video sink
pango:  textrender: Text renderer
pango:  clockoverlay: Clock overlay
pango:  timeoverlay: Time overlay
pango:  textoverlay: Text overlay
level:  level: Level
cdio:  cdiocddasrc: CD audio source (CDDA)
theora:  theoraparse: TheoraParse
theora:  theoraenc: Theora video encoder
theora:  theoradec: Theora video decoder
multipart:  multipartmux: Multipart muxer
multipart:  multipartdemux: Multipart demuxer
wavparse:  wavparse: WAV audio demuxer
cutter:  cutter: Audio cutter
ogg:  oggaviparse: Ogg AVI parser
ogg:  oggparse: Ogg parser
ogg:  ogmtextparse: OGM text stream parser
ogg:  ogmvideoparse: OGM video stream parser
ogg:  ogmaudioparse: OGM audio stream parser
ogg:  oggmux: Ogg muxer
ogg:  oggdemux: Ogg demuxer
videobalance:  videobalance: Video balance
flxdec:  flxdec: FLX audio decoder
flac:  flacdec: FLAC audio decoder
flac:  flacenc: FLAC audio encoder
avi:  avimux: Avi muxer
avi:  avidemux: Avi demuxer
auparse:  auparse: AU audio demuxer
alaw:  alawdec: A Law audio decoder
alaw:  alawenc: A Law audio encoder
alphacolor:  alphacolor: Alpha color filter
gconfelements:  gconfaudiosrc: GConf audio source
gconfelements:  gconfaudiosink: GConf audio sink
gconfelements:  gconfvideosrc: GConf video source
gconfelements:  gconfvideosink: GConf video sink
alpha:  alpha: Alpha filter
xvimagesink:  xvimagesink: Video sink
autodetect:  autoaudiosink: Auto audio sink
autodetect:  autovideosink: Auto video sink
tcp:  multifdsink: Multi filedescriptor sink
tcp:  tcpserversrc: TCP server source
tcp:  tcpserversink: TCP server sink
tcp:  tcpclientsrc: TCP client source
tcp:  tcpclientsink: TCP client sink
vorbis:  vorbistag: VorbisTag
vorbis:  vorbisparse: VorbisParse
vorbis:  vorbisdec: Vorbis audio decoder
vorbis:  vorbisenc: Vorbis audio encoder
gdp:  gdppay: GDP Payloader
gdp:  gdpdepay: GDP Depayloader
speex:  speexdec: Speex audio decoder
speex:  speexenc: Speex audio encoder
matroska:  matroskamux: Matroska muxer
matroska:  matroskademux: Matroska demuxer
goom:  goom: GOOM: what a GOOM!
audiotestsrc:  audiotestsrc: Audio test source
audioresample:  audioresample: Audio scaler
cairo:  cairotimeoverlay: Time overlay
cairo:  cairotextoverlay: Text overlay
effectv:  quarktv: QuarkTV effect
effectv:  revtv: RevTV effect
effectv:  vertigotv: VertigoTV effect
effectv:  shagadelictv: ShagadelicTV
effectv:  warptv: WarpTV effect
effectv:  dicetv: DiceTV effect
effectv:  agingtv: AgingTV effect
effectv:  edgetv: EdgeTV effect
videotestsrc:  videotestsrc: Video test source
audioconvert:  audioconvert: Audio converter
subparse:  ssaparse: SSA Subtitle Parser
subparse:  subparse: Subtitle parser
subparse: subparse_typefind: srt, sub, mpsub, mdvd, smi, txt
taglib:  apev2mux: TagLib-based APEv2 Muxer
taglib:  id3v2mux: TagLib-based ID3v2 Muxer
halelements:  halaudiosrc: HAL audio source
halelements:  halaudiosink: HAL audio sink
adder:  adder: Adder
wavenc:  wavenc: WAV audio muxer
staticelements:  bin: Generic bin
staticelements:  pipeline: Pipeline object

Total count: 78 plugins, 269 features