Uke
Jul 2007
Gay Member
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Media Codecs
If you want to watch a wide variety of A/V on your computer, then you'll need a variety of codecs for your media.
There are several flawed options for doing this, which include:
- Getting an all-in-one media player such as VLC and sacrificing visual quality
- Downloading a complete but often mismatched codec pack
- Downloading all the codecs separately but risk missing some
In this subject, I have some recommendations to make:
It's good to have an all-in-one player for the odd times when you want to play obscure media and don't want to bother finding the codec. I would recommend VLC on Windows and MPlayer on Linux or Mac OS X. Install this first, and associate it with all formats, so it will play any media that isn't covered by codecs you install afterward.
Next, it is a good idea to download an all-in-one codec pack. When looking for a codec pack, pick one with not just a wide selection of playable formats but as few individual components as possible. The CCCP is successful, as it uses FFDShow as a base, and adds just the other essential codecs. It also bundles Haali's Media Splitter, which is good for playing files in the popular .mkv format.
Arguably the best player to use in combination with any codec pack (and bundled with CCCP) is Media Player Classic. When used with CCCP, it allows you to enable Haali's Video Renderer in the options, which gives an extremely faithful representation of the video, making it a must for HD content. It also solves the problem of washed out blacks that you get when using overlay rendering with nvidia graphics cards.
You should install these packs second, so it registers the appropriate file extensions for each type of file.
Then, you should install any specific codecs or proprietary players, such as HD-DVD or Blu-Ray decoders, or the DivX Player. It is recommended to only register these extra apps with the bare minimum of file types, so they do not interfere with your current codec configuration. For example, in the DivX bundle setup, untick the 'Generic MPEG-4 Playback' button. It is also a good idea to install the lightweight Quicktime and Real alternatives.
Finally, install any additional players to your preference, such as Winamp or Foobar, registering them only with the file types you would like to use them for.
If you follow this guide, you are ensured a wide coverage of formats and good looking video throughout your A/V experience.
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09-03-2007 03:53 AM
