playing video from a Server2k3 share

[Michael Haworth]

Alright, I have tried this by myself for three nights now, and I am tapped
out. I am running Ubuntu 7.04 on a machine that I am going to be hooking up
to my entertainment center (to replace the media center computer that is
full of endless blue-screens). At this point, the only thing holding this
back is that I can't get mplayer (or VLC, totem, etc.) to play the video
from the share (on a server 2k3 machine), they return an error that there is
'no input plugin to handle the location of this movie' - totally stumped.
Here are the steps that I have tried so far.

(server side)
Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Domain Controller Security
Policy, then went to Local Policies: Security Options, and changed:

* Microsoft Network Server: Digitally sign communications (always): DISABLED
* Microsoft Network Server: Digitally sign communications (if client
agrees): ENABLED
* Microsoft Network Client: Digitally sign communications (always): DISABLED
* Microsoft Network Client: Digitally sign communications (if server
agrees): ENABLED
* Domain Member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure data channel (always):
DISABLED
* Domain Member: Digitally encrypt secure data channel (when possible):
ENABLED
* Domain Member: Digitally sign secure data channel (when possible): ENABLED

I have set appropriate permissions on the shares and the ntfs folders

(client side)
* Installed the codec packs from automatix
* Installed smbfs & smbclient
* Followed (or tried to) the directions at
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=280473&highlight=mounting+smb+share
s
* Also mapped the drives through the 'Connect to Server' under Places

If I copy a file to the local drive, it plays fine, so I know that I have
the correct codecs and permissions, all I need to figure out is how to fix
this last minor issue...

Any help is appreciated
Michael