Many computer users are faced with the fact that after downloading a movie, they cannot watch it - the system claims that it lacks the necessary codecs to play. What are codecs, what are codecs, how to install codecs- All these questions will be answered by the Country of Soviets.

The peculiarity of multimedia files (audio, video) is that they are large. This complicates the exchange of such files and their distribution - you can not record a video of a large "weight" on any disk or flash drive. To make the file "weigh" less, while its quality remains almost the same, use special programs for compressing multimedia files - codecs. The codec encodes (compresses) an audio or video file, and decodes it during playback.

If an error occurs when playing a file, and the computer asks you to install codecs, this means that the system does not have codecs with which this particular file format was encoded. Codecs do not work by themselves, but in conjunction with multimedia players. The installed codec will not be able to play the file on its own. Therefore, it is not enough just to install codecs, you need to install a player for multimedia files. Some players already have a built-in set of codecs.

Audio and video files are encoded with different codecs. Most often, the codec of a particular multimedia file can be found by looking at. The most common audio codecs- MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, etc. From video codecs AVI, DivX, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV, H.261 (263, 264), etc. are popular.

Of course, these are only the most popular codecs, in fact there are many more. It's best to first install the codecs you'll most likely need to play the most popular file formats. And install codecs of a specific nature(for example, APE or FLAC codecs for playing lossless lossless audio), you will always have time.

Before installing codecs, check which ones are already installed on your system - installing codecs "on top" of already stopped versions may not be effective. To see list of installed codecs in the operating room Windows system XP, click "Start". In the menu that opens, select the item "Control Panel". In the Control Panel, we need the System item. In the window "Properties of the system" need to open tab "Equipment", there will be a button "Device Manager". In the window that opens, you will see a list of devices, you need the item "Sound Videos and gaming devices» . By clicking on the plus sign next to the item, you will expand it. Select an item from the list "Audio Codecs" / "Video Codecs". In the dialog box "Properties: Audio Codecs" / "Properties: Video Codecs" go to tab "Properties". In the window that opens, you will be able to see the list of audio or video codecs installed on your system.

What to do if the codecs you need are not in the list? You'll have to install codecs yourself. Often, if there is an error playing a multimedia file, the player offers to find, download and install codecs on the Internet. But usually attempts to follow the suggested link and download this or that codec are not crowned with success. Therefore, the easiest way to install codecs is to download codec pack.

Codec packs contain the most popular and common codecs. Installing codecs from the package is as easy as installing most programs. Before installing codecs, it is advisable to remove previously installed codecs and codec packs. Although some codec packs allow you not to do this, it's better to play it safe - different versions codecs may conflict with each other. Installing codecs from a package allows you to either install the entire package at once (if you don't know which codecs you need) or install some codecs separately.

The most popular codec packs is K-Lite codec-pack, XP Codec Pack, Codec Pack All in 1, K-Lite Mega Codec, The Codecs, Vista Codec Package, Nimo Codec Pack, Gordian Knot Codec Pack, etc. -The installer suggests rebooting the system after the codecs are installed.

Such players, like, for example, Light Alloy, KMPlayer, VLC and some others have an impressive set of built-in codecs, which are enough to play most multimedia files.

Please note that the codec is used differently than a regular program. After installing the codec, you will not see a shortcut on the desktop, it does not need to be launched separately. The media player itself will find the necessary codec in the system to play the video or audio file.

We hope that now you will not have a question, and you will be able to play files encoded with any audio or video codec without any problems.

If, when installing the codec, you found a window with a choice of profiles, and you want to configure it “for yourself” as conveniently as possible, then you will have to thoroughly understand all the extensions offered to you.

Select Profile 7: Lots of stuff from the drop down menu and at the bottom you will find great amount switches and checkboxes. Of course, you can leave everything there as it is and continue installing your codec, or you can change some settings.

Here is a description of some of them, the most important for users.

• Player - in case you use other players. Do not uncheck this sub-item, you will then be able to associate files during installation with any of your favorite players.
• flash video- FLV is a special bitstream, which is a special variant of a well-known video standard. This format is supported by most codecs. Select it to play these files.
• VP7 - but it's better not to uncheck this codec. It is used by so many websites to play videos on the internet.
• Process raw video - This option is usually disabled. This format supports raw video that is taken directly from the sensor, or video that has not yet been fully processed (usually this is done to avoid information loss). In this form, you receive video from some types of video cameras, registrars, and so on.
• In the DirectShow audio decoding filters sub-item, you will select audio filters. In almost all cases, ffdshow is the preferred choice.
• MP1, MP2, MP3 are the familiar compressed audio files. Leave it unchanged.
• AAC is a special audio format for YouTube, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Nintendo DSi, iTunes and so on.
• Other audio formats - in this column we select preferences for other audio formats.
• Process uncompressed audio (PCM) is the processing of uncompressed audio and is disabled by default.
• For avi, matroska, mp4 and flac formats use standard settings, they are by default set to the best.
• The Tools column contains all the tools. Check the boxes next to all the tools, you will figure it out along the way, many of them may be needed quite unexpectedly. A set of tools does not weigh down the program and your computer at all.

K-Lite Codec Pack is a universal set of codecs and utilities designed for playing and processing audio and video files, including only free or free (open-source software) software open source.

Features of K-Lite Codec Pack

• Optimal selection of codecs;
• Ability to detect and remove damaged filters and codecs;
• Compatibility with other software packages;
• Advanced installation wizard;
• Complete removal of the package by the uninstaller;
• Frequent updating of software components.

Supported file formats

• .avi, .divx, .flv, .mkv, .mka, .mp3, .mpg, .mpeg, .m1v, .mpe, .m2v, .mpv2, .mp2v, .m2p, .vob, .evo, .mod , .ts, .m2ts, .m2t, .mts, .pva, .tp, .tpr, .mp4, .m4v, .mp4v, .mpv4, .m4a, .3gp, .3gpp, .3g2, .3gp2, . ogg, .ogm, .ogv, .oga, .rm, .rmvb, .ra, .ram, .webm, .mov, .hdmov .qt, .flac, .wv, .ac3, .dts, .amr, . amv, .alac, .ape, .apl, .aac, .mpc, .mpp, .xm, .s3m, .it, .umx, .ofr, .ofs.

K-Lite Codec Pack Components

• DirectShow video filters - XviD, On2 VP7, MPEG-2 (Gabest), MPEG-2 (Cyberlink);
• Video codecs – XviD, x264, On2 VP7, Lagarith, huffyuv, Intel I.263, DivX, YV12 (Helix);
• DirectShow audio filters - MusePack (MONOGRAM), WavPack (CoreWavPack), FLAC (madFLAC), Monkey's Audio (DCoder), OptimFROG (RadLight), DC-Bass Source, AC3/DTS Source (AC3File), AMR (MONOGRAM);
• ACM audio codecs - MP3 (Fraunhofer), MP3 (LAME), AC3 (ffcHandler), Ogg Vorbis, DivX Audio;
• DirectShow source filters – AVI splitter (Gabest), AVI splitter (Haali Media Splitter), MP4 splitter (Haali Media Splitter), MP4 splitter (Gabest), Matroska splitter (Haali Media Splitter), Matroska splitter (Gabest), Ogg splitter (Haali Media Splitter), Ogg splitter (Gabest), MPEG PS/TS splitter (Gabest), MPEG PS/TS splitter (Haali Media Splitter), FLV splitter (Gabest), CDDA Reader (Gabest), CDXA Reader (Gabest);
• DirectShow subtitle filter - DirectVobSub (a.k.a. VSFilter);
• Utilities – Bitrate Calculator, Codec Tweak Tool, GSpot Codec Information Appliance, MediaInfo Lite, VobSubStrip, GraphStudio, Haali Muxer, FourCC Changer;
• Media player Player Classic Home Cinema (included in all package options except Basic, available in 32 and 64-bit versions).

Installing codecs

The installation process of K-Lite Codec Pack is quite simple and intuitive, it will not take much time.

For most users, the settings that will be offered by the wizard during installation are best left unchanged and not experimented with, leaving all the checkboxes in their places, this will be enough to listen to music and watch videos on the computer.

Alternative set of codecs:

Download K-Lite Codec Pack

Codecs K-Lite Codec Pack are distributed in versions: Basic, Standard, Full and Mega. Our website presents latest version the most complete package (includes more components, supports more formats, etc.) - K-Lite Mega Codec Pack.

Download K-Lite Mega Codec Pack for free, without registration.

Spoiler (Download K-Lite Mega Codec Pack for Windows XP)

New versions of K-Lite Mega Codec Pack no longer support Windows XP. If you need to download K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows XP, then use one of the links below:

What's new in version: List of changes

Regardless of the version of Windows, the problem is the same: to watch a movie, you need codecs that are not included in the operating system. Therefore, the package, on the one hand, needs no introduction: many users download it immediately after Windows installation to improve support for popular media formats in one fell swoop.

On the other hand, rarely anyone bothers to study the contents of this package (the principle “if only everything works”) works, although there are reasons for this. So, K-Lite includes utilities that can be used to diagnose and solve particular problems associated with the operation of codecs.

In addition, the K-Lite package not only adds extensive support for media formats, but also allows you to fully control the processing process. At the installation stage, you can select the necessary components, as well as specify your preferred filters and decoders. From them correct setting depends on the playback quality and processing speed.

All these points will be covered in this review.

Key Benefits of K-Lite Codec Pack

K-Lite Codec Pack has many strengths Let's just list the key points:

Internal Component Compatibility

The K-Lite distribution is always tested for compatibility by experts. At self installation codecs it is easy to come to a situation of "Codec hell" ("Hell of codecs"), since many filters do not get along with each other. To eliminate conflicts, you need to look for the cause of "evil" and use special utilities to remove one or another component.

Good compatibility with Windows

In addition to the aforementioned lack of conflicts, the package is easy to completely remove from the system without leaving a trace. During installation, K-Lite checks for other codecs in the system and suggests their use during installation, among other options. Also, at the installation stage, a search is made for faulty codecs and it is proposed to fix them.

Flexible setup

There are 5 package options available for download with different configurations, 3 installation modes and profiles are also offered.

For each multimedia format, you can choose the appropriate decoder from the available options, by default K-Lite selects the most optimal one. For Windows 7 and 8 users special utility Preferred Filter Tweaker for Windows 7 and 8 to configure preferred codecs bypassing the OS.

Regular updates

The user does not need to keep track of the update of each audio or video codec or other components: K-Lite always contains the latest versions.

K-Lite Builds

There are 6 package options available on the download page:

• Basic - provides support for the most famous media formats: AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM, FLV. The minimum set that does not include a video player. It will be optimal if you prefer to use another player, and a minimum set of codecs is enough to play.
• Standard - also includes a player media player Classic HomeCinema, DVD MPEG-2 decoder (opens up more options when playing DVDs), MediaInfo Lite utility that displays detailed information about the media file.
• Full - compared to the standard version, this includes madVR - a high-quality renderer, the GraphStudioNext diagnostic utility and additional DirectShow filters.
• Mega - contains ACM and VFW codecs, DirectShow filters, additional utilities. During installation, a video player will be offered to choose from: Media Player Classic HomeCinema or Media Player Classic Regular. You can read about the differences between them below.
• 64-bit build - recommended to install over the 32-bit version if you plan to play videos in a 64-bit environment. It is worth emphasizing that this package will be in addition to, and not in place of, the above options, since not all applications support 64-bit codecs.

There is another way to view build information, available on the K-Lite website in the form of comparison tables: and . In fact, if you are interested in a specific function or format, then you do not need to compare anything.

Installation

Three installation modes are possible - simple, normal and advanced, depending on which the number of settings for the components included in the package changes.

The next step is to select an installation profile. It affects not only the number of components, but also the preferred settings. For example, "LAV for everything" implies that video decoding will be done with LAV Video whenever possible. "Lot of stuff" - installation maximum number components.

You will not be able to install multiple codecs or filters to play the same format, as this would inevitably cause a conflict. The “Use system default” option means that the installer has already detected a codec that does not belong to K-Lite: for example, included in the OS or installed earlier.

At the last step ("Hardware Acceleration") - hardware video acceleration settings. It is highly desirable to read a small reference document describing the settings (the "Help" button at the bottom of the window).

So, according to the help, on a fast processor we set the standard settings ("Use software decoding"), on NVIDIA graphics cards- CUVID or LAV DXVA2, on AMD - LAV DXVA2, when using Media Player Classic HomeCinema - DXVA decoder.

Composition of K-Lite

The codec pack includes:

• DirectShow splitters
• DirectShow video decoding filters
• DirectShow audio decoding filters
• DirectShow audio parsers
• directshow subtitle filter
• other codecs and filters
• Media Player Classic / HomeCinema and additional utilities

In order to “decipher” this list, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of some terms (see below). The work of the splitter, filters and parsers can be more clearly displayed by the GraphStudioNext program, which is part of K-Lite. For example, the easiest way to open any media file is with the command "File - Render Media File ...". The process of processing the file will be demonstrated in the diagram.

directshow is a framework from Microsoft that runs on Windows and is an environment for playing audio and video formats and input / output to devices. Some formats are supported by DirectShow natively, the list changes with each Windows version. On the this moment DirectShow is being superseded by the Media Foundation framework, which is integrated into Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Splitters(English "source filters", literally - source filters) are separated from the container audio and video for further processing by decoders. It must be understood that a playback file is a container, which is often erroneously called a video format.

Decoding Filters DirectShow video and audio, or transform filters, add support for additional formats files that can be played by any video player.

An example of filters is the popular ffdshow decoder, which works based on open libraries. It allows you to play Xvid, DivX and H.264 - and these are probably the most cases that you have to deal with. ffdshow includes filters (not to be confused with DirectShow filters) that allow you to control playback in real time: apply filters, resize, change color, etc.

The developers of K-Lite explicitly advise choosing the LAV decoder due to its greater performance and stability, and ffdshow - only if extra functionality is needed.

Along with LAV Video, it is included in all packages, other filters are optional and can be replaced.

Similarly, audio filters decode audio formats separated from the container by a splitter. Among them is the popular AC3Filter library, which adds support for AC3 and DTS along with tools for setting up multichannel audio.

A task parser- signal output to the device after its decoding.

Media Player Classic

Of course, when installing K-Lite, almost any player (GOM Player, LightAlloy, Zoom Player, etc.) will work with the required formats. However, in the case of K-Lite, it is still preferable to use Media Player Classic, which is not included only in the Basic build. This video player is best optimized for this package, moreover, it is included in K-Lite in a modified form.

There are two players: Media Player Classic Home Cinema and Media Player Classic Regular, which is an offshoot of the Home Cinema project. Despite the fact that they are based on the same platform, there are differences.

Regarding the Classic Regular player, we can only say that, in comparison with Home Cinema, it is less functional. To get acquainted with it, you need to install the Mega assembly and during installation specify Media Player Classic Regular as your preferred player.

Among other nice additions Media Player Home Cinema: displaying images on multiple monitors, H.264 hardware decoding, support for many subtitle formats, the presence of localization, including Russian. The original Home Cinema distribution, which can be downloaded from , already provides decoders (so the player can work standalone without installing K-Lite). The description of K-Lite also states that the codecs built into the player have been replaced with more efficient ones - those that are available to choose from when installing K-Lite.

Utilities

After installing K-Lite, it becomes necessary to fine tuning codecs. You can find auxiliary utilities in the directory with the installed K-Lite package, the Tools folder.

Codec Tweak Tool

Main K-lite settings collected in the Codec Tweak Tool shell. In the settings, you can remove broken codecs and filters (that were installed incorrectly or left traces in the registry), re-register filters, reset settings to the original ones, generate a log from the contents of the package, sometimes this is required for diagnostics.

The most interesting section is “Configuration”, here are collected the settings of all installed filters (audio, video, source filters (splitters)). In principle, the same can be easily done through the parameters of the video player, but this would not be the most convenient way.

Codec and Filter Management allows you to activate and deactivate unnecessary filters and codecs, including those included in the OS. Additionally, by analogy with the K-Lite installation, you can specify your preferred splitters for each format.

Preferred Filter Tweaker for Windows 7 and 8

Windows 7 and Windows 8 users should pay attention to the Win7DSFilterTweaker utility. Its necessity is manifested in the fact that these operating systems have their own audio and video decoding system - Media Foundation. The built-in features of this framework cannot be blocked by third-party filters without making changes to the registry. For this, in fact, this utility is intended. With it, you can not only specify preferred decoders, but also disable unused ones, up to deactivating Media Foundation.

mediainfo

A utility with which you can find out detailed information about a file: bitrate, resolution, container, audio and video formats, compression. The technical data will be useful if you need to reconfigure filters or install a missing codec. This program built into Media Player Classic and available as Mediainfo tab, Properties item in the context menu.

GraphStudioNext

A very informative utility for analyzing audio and media files. Once the content has been processed, GraphStudioNext shows in diagram form the processing that a file goes through before being displayed on the screen and speakers. It all depends on the specific configuration of the codecs in the package. Therefore, GraphStudioNext will be useful for diagnosing problems with file playback. In addition, each component in the diagram is clickable and opens the codec or splitter settings.

VobSubStrip

Editing subtitles in IDX format - you can remove unnecessary streams from the list and resave.

Reading time: 36 min

If you are faced with the problem that audio / video files are not produced or played, but with problems (freezing, no image, playing only sound or ahead of it, or just a recognition error), it is very likely that you are in Right place and we will be able to deal with this incomprehensible codec name and what it does.

The first and biggest problems were codecs for Windows xp, at that time a special revelry of the lack of codecs led many users into a stupor and misunderstanding of the occurrence of an error. It is worth mentioning that the reason may also be the lack of drivers for the video card or sound card, in this case (in the presence of codecs), media files will play, but with freezes and friezes, and there will be no sound at all.

What are codecs and what are they used for?

A codec is a cipher/decoder, that is, it is a data encryption format. There are a lot of such formats, respectively, and there are a lot of codecs. For video files, the most common formats are: avi, mpeg-1-4, WMV, MP4, and these are just the popular ones. A similar situation with audio: WMA, MP3, fortunately now in this area have come to some global unwritten agreements. The codec bears its name as an abbreviation for its functional application CODer / DECODER.

Why are codecs for Windows used and why are they needed. It would be foolish to encrypt a file and then decrypt it for no good reason. After all, it is much easier to download, record and store a video file that weighs 1GB than 5GB. In fact, this is the only functional application for codecs.

Accordingly, without a decoder, it is not possible to play any file, since the code is not converted into machine code and is absolutely not clear to the computer.

Codecs are also necessary for applications that process video files, all kinds of editors.

Since each format requires a separate codec for itself, it would be difficult to apply them, because while you download and install all of them, you will lose an hour of time. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel in this matter, because there is a special K-Lite Codec Pack, which has already absorbed the main codecs.

It is also worth realizing that the codec does not replace the player and you need both. Since the Windows codec decrypts different formats, you also need an application that can process it correctly.

Now, before installing codecs, you need to find out if they are already present in your system and the problem is not with them at all. If you have just installed clean system, then most likely you still have to install codecs. To view installed codecs, you can use the CodecInstaller utility, which will indicate that you already have the decryptor version installed.

Installing K-Lite Codec Pack

In order to install codecs, you must first download the K-Lite Codec Pack. Further, directly in it, you can already select the formats you need, for an ordinary user, you can simply trust the default value. In order to install Windows 7 codecs, you should:

• Download the package from the link https://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm ;
• Run the file and click Next;

• Now you have several basic installation paths: "Simple install" or "Normal", which require a minimum of attention and install a standard codec package, and "Advanced install" a completely manual set of required codecs. Last option necessary for confident users who are faced with the need for a non-standard encoder codec. Also for a wide range of options, download the Mega Pack which contains more variety;

• Next, check the boxes to the position you want. It is worth being careful and, towards the end of personalization, uncheck the boxes next to the offer to install additional Yahoo tools.

By default, this package does not determine which codecs to install, in particular, this applies to audio. Therefore, you need to check the boxes next to the Audio File Extension during the setup process, you can selectively.

It should also be noted that often codecs for Windows 8 and above are bundled, as well as drivers, but they may not be fully working in your environment or incomplete. You may still have to install them from above or even reinstall by removing the codec pack first from Programs and Features.

Similarly, you can install video codecs for Windows using the following packages:

• CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack;
• STANDARD Codecs for Windows 10/8.1/7;
• StarCodec.

Their principle is identical and does not require any additional actions from the user, just check the boxes in the desired position during the installation process.

These packages are presented as an alternative, but it is still better to use the popular and effective K-Lite Codec Pack.

There are also codecs installed directly in the player itself, there are few such offers on the market, but you can use KMPlayer or Light Alloy. These players already include codecs, so the latter are not required externally.

Conclusion, Windows codec performs an important role in decrypting media files and, accordingly, saving computer memory and / or Internet connection traffic. This way you can save good quality video does not experience any difficulties.