[ubuntu-uk] mplayer

[Ted]

A friend has been using a computer I installed Feisty on and asked me to 
install it on his..
 I installed it but cannot get mplayer or realplayer to work..When I 
goto the bbc news and lick on a vid mplayer starts to connect and the 
tells me "stopped"  If I alter preferences to use realplayer
f/fox crashes with no error messages...If I try Konq it too crashes...I 
have tried using automatix
on a clean install to get the codecs etc but still no joy..It will play 
vids and youtube clips though..
  I have also tried using pclinuxos and Mepis but all show the same 
symptoms....
I am running out of ideas and he is thinking abt going back to win 2k
Any ideas appreciated...
Regards
  Ted Wager
    Linux user..