tweet

K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of DirectShow filters and VFW/ACM codecs. They are needed to view and create audio and video files.

Softina eliminates the error that the video format is not supported, installs the player and allows you to encode video and sound with various codecs.

What are codecs

Any information in a computer, including text, photos, video and sound, can be written as a sequence of zeros and ones. The text can be written in a very compact form (the entire text part of Wikipedia will fit on a flash drive), and graphics, sound, and even more video, take up hundreds of places and even tens of thousands times more.

Codecs are programs and devices for storing information in digital form (in any format), as well as for compression all this data. All codecs can be divided into two conditional types:

• Lossless data compression (in the so-called lossless-formats). Algorithms similar to those used by archivers when compressing files are used. Video frames encoded in this way will perfectly match the original ones, and take up less space on your hard drive.
• Lossy compressing audio and video ( lossy formats). The most typical example is MP3 music files. Codecs that compress to lossy formats throw out "extra" sounds and image details. Due to the loss of some of the information that a person most likely will not notice, as well as due to lossless compression algorithms, the file size is smaller than that of lossless. Lossy coding has one significant disadvantage: you can overdo it with compression, resulting in files with terrible sound and a bad picture.

Among lovers of high-quality sound, disputes do not subside over how best to store music - in lossless or lossy formats. On the one hand, lossless compression allows you to achieve 100% compliance with the original, on the other hand, such an audio library will take up too much space. For videos and photos, the problem of storage is also relevant. For example, over the years of its existence, the Youtube video site has changed several times the codecs that compress the video stored on servers. As a result, now we can watch videos of acceptable quality in 4K resolution, which was impossible to do before, since 4K video simply would not have enough space on the server hard drives.

Types of codecs

There are several types of codecs. Different collections include different types, K-Lite has them all.

DirectShow Filters- modern codec format and more. They are divided into three subspecies. There is capture filters, which are responsible for getting data from a file with video, music, and even from physical devices like camcorders. Transform Filters allow you to decode, recode data, apply effects, and so on. Render filters (visualizations) they can output video and sound to the screen, speakers, other devices and save to a file.

All DirectShow filters work in a chain, which allows experienced users to organize automatic video processing. For example, you can take a picture from surveillance cameras, display them on different screens, while adjusting brightness and contrast on some, take sound from separately connected microphones and save all this into one file with many tracks.

VFW codecs(Video for Windows). An older codec format that appeared in 16-bit versions of Windows before the advent of 95. They are simpler than DirectShow filters and more limited in their capabilities - they cannot be used in a chain. Most often, VFW codecs are needed by video editors to open and save (compress) files.

ACM (Audio Compression Manager) codecs. Same old standard as VFW, but for audio. With these codecs, you can open and compress files in MP3, OGG, AAC, and other formats.

Codecs can be installed in the system so that all programs can use them, or they can be used in separate software. Codecs can also be a separate program. The most typical example is an encoder. You can't watch a video with it, but it's easy to convert it to another format. Codec packs do not include such programs, because the task of packs is to make multimedia files open in any program.

You don't need codec packs to watch videos

The problem of playing files is no longer as relevant as it was in the days of Windows 98/2000/ME/XP. Windows 7/8/10 operating systems already contain the necessary components, and if they are not there, there are always players with built-in codecs. Such as powerful

But there are tasks where codec packs come in handy: video editing and work with the archive of video and sound recordings, where files can be of various formats

There are less popular collections of codecs:

• CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack (development discontinued)
• Kawaii Codec Pack (development stopped in 2015)
• Codec Pack All-In-1 (the last version was released back in 2006)

K-Lite Codec Pack is the most popular collection of codecs and the most useful, because it contains not only codecs for opening video and audio, but also for compression, as well as several useful programs and a player. K-Lite is regularly updated, new versions are released, while the authors of alternative packs abandon their work.

There are also two universal DirectShow codecs that solve the same problem without installing codecs from different developers - FFDShow(development stopped, included in the "mega version" of the k-light pack) and LAVfilters(included with any version of the K-Lite Codec Pack).

K-Lite Codec Pack

Where to download K-Lite

All versions are suitable for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 of both bit depths - 32 and 64 bits.

There are four variants of the K-Lite Codec package:

1.Basic contains everything you need to play all common video file formats. Simply put, it will open AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM and FLV. The option is for those who like a small package without the bells and whistles. It is small but solves most of the problems with opening video files. The universal Lav Video codec is used for playback.

2. standard contains several additional features compared to the basic version. But most importantly, a simple and convenient Media Player Classic is built in. There is also a built-in DirectShow filter madVR, which, in conjunction with Media Player Classic, gives better picture quality compared to the system filter (when stretching the picture, it turns out to be about greater clarity).

3. Included Full(complete) DirectShow filters have been added compared to the standard version, including the popular universal ffdshow filter. It has not been developed for a long time, unlike LAV Video, but it supports more formats and is able to replace more codecs. Also included in the full version is GraphStudioNext. This is a powerful tool for developers of codecs and filters, which is included in the codec pack so that the user can see which system components are used to open a particular multimedia file.

4.Mega-variant is the most complete K-Lite compilation. Video option. It contains standards codecs VFW and ACM for encoding and editing video and sound.

What to choose during installation

At the beginning of the installation, you can select the mode: Normal or Advanced. The difference is that in Advanced mode there will be a "Select components" step. All other sections of the installer will be identical in both modes.

Installation Preferences Section

At the very beginning of the installation, the installer will ask you a few questions.

preferred video/audio player- which player to prefer to open multimedia.

Preffered video/audio decoder- which decoder to prefer (leave LAV video decoder, description will be below).

Create file associations- open files in the selected player.

Install MPC-HC as a secondary player- if another is selected, install Media Player Classic anyway.

Install codecs only for MPC-HC- install codecs only for Media Player Classic (some will still be installed as system codecs for everyone).

Amount of components to install- codec set options, the middle point is optimal. In Advanced mode, you can refine the set at the component selection step.

Install VFW codecs for video encoding- put codecs for encoding, i.e. video creation.

Install only 64-bit components- install only 64-bit codecs, 32-bit programs will not see them.

Select Components Section

If you bet Basic or Standard, at this step you can click the "Next" button. There are few components, there is nothing to choose from.

AT Full and Mega There are many more codecs. Most likely you know what you are doing, since you choose these versions, but for the curious I will tell you more about what is in them.

Immediately at the beginning of the installation, you can choose whether to install only codecs for playback, whether to install the player, or select your own set (Custom Selection item).

Let's go through all the points.

MPC-HC is the Media Player Classic. Functional player with many useful options. There are two versions to choose from, the difference is in bit depth. It is better to choose only the one that matches the bit depth of your Windows. Perhaps in the future, the authors of the pack will switch to another player, because the development of Media Player Classic seems to have stopped in July 2017.

In chapter DirectShow video decoding filters there are modern codecs for video playback in any players, including standard Media Player and Windows 10 Video Player. You can choose from:

1. Filter LAV Video- standard for Basic and Standard versions of the pack, it supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV and several other less popular formats. This is the best choice, because the project is actively developing, all found errors are quickly eliminated, and in general, the codec decodes popular formats without any problems.
2. Filter ffdshow- an obsolete decoder at the moment, its development has been discontinued. Supports H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VC-1 and more. The decoder has one interesting feature: in the ffdshow settings, you can enable image processing, making it brighter, sharpening, turning it sideways, and so on. If you don't have filters in your player, but you need them, then video decoding via ffdshow will help you.
3. Xvid- for (de)coding MPEG-4 files. You can choose if for some reason LAV and ffdshow do not suit you, while the above codecs can be left for processing other formats.
4. Microsoft- the item is needed so that the selected format is decoded by the codecs built into Windows as before.

The component selection options affect not so much the choice of what to install, but how the codecs should behave. If the package contains LAV Video and ffdshow, they will be installed anyway, they will simply not be used for formats where another codec is selected.

Chapter DirectShow audio decoding filters contains codecs for sound playback.

1. LAV Audio- the same as LAV Video, a modern universal DirectShow filter. Supports AC3, DTS, E-AC3, MLP, LPCM, TrueHD, AAC, FLAG, OGG Vorbis, MP1, MP2, MP3, WMA, and more.
2. ffdshow it is also on the list, it can play AC3, DTS, E-AC3, MLP, LPCM, TrueHD, AAC, FLAG, OGG Vorbis, MP1, MP2, MP3 and, importantly, uncompressed PCM audio (.wav files). As in the case of video, filters can be applied to the sound.
3. AC3Filter- for decoding AC3, DTS, E-AC3, TrueHD, LPCM, AAC and MPEG. This DirectShow filter holds the record for the number of sound processing settings. You can amplify the sound, compress the dynamic range, adjust the delay of individual audio tracks (it is necessary if the speakers are at different distances so that the sound waves reach the listener at the same time), mix in real time ... There are a lot of possibilities and most of them are not needed by the average user.

AT DirectShow source filters You can select video source filters. They are needed not for decoding codecs, but for opening containers - files, inside of which there will be video with sound. For example, AVI, MP4, MKV file extensions speak of different containers.

1. LAV Splitter- for AVI, MP4, Matroska (MKV), MPEG-TS (MTS), MPEG-PS (PS) and others. By selecting LAV Splitter as the default source filter, you can change audio tracks on the fly in any player via the LAV Splitter tray icon.
2. Haali Media Splitter- once a popular filter, it was used to enable subtitles in unsupported players and switch audio tracks. Now it has been replaced by LAV Splitter as more functional.
3. DC Bass Source Mod- needed to support OptimFROG files (.ofr .ofs extensions) and open tracker music (.it .mo3 .mtm .s3m .umx .xm).

In chapter DirectShow subtitle filter there is only one item DirectVobSub. This filter will allow you to automatically connect subtitles from the files of the same name with the video. Not relevant now, because popular players already support subtitles stored both inside video files and external ones with the .srt extension.

Chapter Other Filters includes two DirectShow visualization filters for displaying images in players.

1. MadVR- a very powerful filter, allows you to scale the picture with high quality and, what is important, make the frame change smooth.
2. Haali Video Renderer- a filter whose development was stopped a long time ago, not really working, it is not clear why it is included in the K-Lite Codec Pack.

AT VFW video codecs there are codecs of the Video for Windows standard. If you use old video editing software or VirtualDub, then you need them.

1. ffdshow VFW interface- VFW-part for ffdshow, which was mentioned above. Allows you to save in FFV1, HuffYUV, DV and MJPEG.
2. Xvid is a free compatible alternative to the once popular DivX (MPEG-4).
3. x264VFW- for encoding video in H.264 format, which is on the next evolutionary stage after MPEG-4.
4. huffyuv- lossless codec for encoding and decoding video files of the same format.
5. lagarith- modified huffyuv, compresses more strongly, there is no data loss either.

ACM Audio Codecs needed for audio compression.

1. MP3 (LAME) is a popular MP3 codec for audio compression in programs such as VirtualDub. It will be installed only if there are no other MP3 codecs in the system.
2. AC3ACM- for AC3 format. AC3 has two features: there can be many audio tracks and the technology is protected by patents. Because of this, many players on phones do not support the AC3 format. In Windows players, this is not a problem.

In chapter Tools utilities are located.

1. Codec Tweak Tool- a program for reconfiguring codecs, resetting their settings. In it, you can replace LAV with ffdshow without reinstalling the K-Lite Codec Pack.
2. MediaInfo Lite- to show detailed information about codecs inside multimedia files.
3. GraphStudioNext- very powerful utility for developers of DirectShow filters. In K-Lite Codec Pack, most likely, it is enabled due to the function of viewing which filters are used when opening a particular file.
4. Haali Muxer- a utility for packing individual audio and video files into Matroska containers (.mkv).
5. VobSubStrip- a tool for solving a specific task: extracting subtitles for a particular language from .idx and .sub files.
6. FourCC Changer- a program that changes the label of the codec used in video files. Useful if the desired codec is not used when opening a video file.

AT Explorer shell extensions Windows Explorer extensions are located.

1. Icaros ThumbnailProvider allows you to view the contents of video files in popular formats in thumbnail view.
2. Icaros PropertyHandler allows you to view the width, height, frame rate, duration in the properties of files with extensions .flv, .mkv, .ogm, .rmvb, .webm, .ape, .flac, .mka, .mpc, .ofr, .opus, .spx , .tak, .tta, .wv.

AT Miscellaneous there are two options - Detect broken codes and Detect broken DirectShow filters, which include checking codecs and DS filters already installed in the system. If something goes wrong with them (damaged or missing files and entries in the Windows registry), they can be deleted. The same feature is available in the Codec Tweak Tool.

Additional Tasks and Options section

In the next step, the installer will refine a few settings.

Their number will differ depending on your choice in the previous step. Most of the settings are clear, based on their names, I will only talk about the most important ones:

Reset all settings to their defaults- Reset all codec settings. Useful if you are updating a codec pack from an old version or an alternative one has been installed.

Windows Media Player: register supported file formats- Standard Windows Media Player will open formats supported by installed codecs.

Optimized preferred decoders settings: the installer will tweak the system codec settings to the optimal values, according to the authors of the K-Lite Codec Pack. You can change them later manually using the Codec Tweak Tool.

Add to Explorer context menu- A new item "MediaInfo" will appear in the right-click menu to easily open video and music files in the MediaInfo program.

Hardware acceleration section

Here you can configure the hardware acceleration of video decoding. This is important for watching movies in high definition.

You can select the decoding method (universal and hassle-free - DXVA2 copy-back), as well as enable acceleration only in the Media Player Classic (item "Only use hardware acceleration in combination with MPC-HC").

MPC-HC configuration section

Appears when Media Player Classic is selected.

The important option here is the choice of video renderer ("Video renderer"). If you bet madvr, choose it, otherwise the optimal will be Enhanced Video Renderer (Custom Presenter).

Section Preferred language(s) for audio and subtitles

Here you can set preferences for choosing an audio track. The settings in the screenshot below are the most universal for a Russian-speaking user.

If there is a Russian track in the video, it will turn on. If not, then English and Russian subtitles (if available).

File associations section

Allows you to specify which player to use to open audio and video files.

Due to the peculiarities of assigning file associations in Windows 10, this step may not affect the choice and you will have to assign programs manually through the Control Panel - Default Applications.

Depending on the checked checkboxes, additional steps will appear, where you can select in detail the associations of the program with file types.

Audio Configuration Section

After installation

Restart your computer, otherwise some codecs will not work correctly.

If you need to change some settings for codecs and filters, there will be a K-Lite Codec Pack folder in the Start menu with shortcuts that open settings and utilities.

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 have come to the right place and we will you will be able to figure out 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 a video card or sound card, in which case (if there are codecs), media files will play, but with freezes and freezes, 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 a freshly installed clean system, then most likely you will still need 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 minimal attention and install a standard codec package, and "Advanced install" a completely manual set of required codecs. The last option is 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, the Windows codec performs an important role in decrypting media files and, accordingly, saving computer memory and / or Internet connection traffic. In this way, you will be able to maintain good video quality without any difficulties.

In this article, we will tell you step by step how you can configure the parameters of the K-Lite Codec Pack as deeply and in detail as possible. There are two ways how to do it:

1. Configuring the K-Lite Codec Pack during its installation on a computer
2. Configuring the codec through the Start menu - programs - K-Lite Codec Pack - Configuration - fine-tuning its individual components, after installation on the computer.

We will analyze the first method in detail, since it is the simplest and does not require additional time.

Selecting the installation mode

We launch the K-Lite Codec Pack installation file of the required assembly package. In the very first window of the K-Lite Codec Pack installation, select the "Advanced" setting item and click the "Next" button.

Next, the preferred programs and codecs for working with video files are selected. We leave everything as it is by default. That is, the Media Player Classic video player and LAV video audio codecs and click the next button.

Choose a profile

The current window will be one of the most important in configuring this K-Lite Codec Pack. Usually the default is "Profile1". Most users leave such settings as they are perfectly optimized. But if you still want to do a full codec setup, then we definitely choose "Profile7".

How to configure K-Lite Codec Pack filters

In the current window of the K-Lite Codec Pack, we also select the video and audio filters we need "DirectShow video decoding filters". We can only choose a few filters: LAV or ffdshow? I choose the first one (I just liked it), although no one noticed a significant difference between them. Also at the very top you need to select the bit depth of your Windows - x64 or x86. Most modern computers have a 64-bit operating system installed. We press "Next".

How to set up an audio splitter K-Lite Codec Pack

In this window of the K-Lite Codec Pack, we lower the slider or mouse wheel below and see the section "DirectShow source filters" He is, by the way, also quite important! This so-called Splitter is used to select subtitles and audio tracks. But from the list offered to us, only Haali or LAV Splitter. We mark the items we need, as in the figure, we skip the others by default and click "Next".

Additional tasks and settings K-Lite Codec Pack

In the next window, we are prompted to select additional tasks and codec settings.

• If you need to install additional shortcuts to programs and utilities included in the K-Lite Codec Pack on your computer desktop, then you need to check all the checkboxes that are present in this window.
• If you want to reset all settings to the recommended ones, check the box "Reset all settings to their defaults". Note that this setting is already enabled by default.
• It is possible to enable video playback, exclusively from your white list. To do this, check the box "Restrict usage to whitelisted applications".
• If you want the video to be displayed in RGB32 color mode, check the box "Force RGB32 output". In this case, the color palette will be more saturated, but at the same time, the load on the processor will increase.

In the current window, you need to select additional settings for the K-Lite Codec Pack components. Namely, the optimization of the settings of the codec components for Windows 7/8/10 operating systems and the frequency of checking for codec updates (week, month, quarter). The settings of the current window can be left by default, click "Next".

Setting in the hardware codec Hardware Acceleration

In this window, it is preferable to leave everything unchanged. The default decoding method settings of K-Lite Codec Pack on all operating systems are perfectly optimized for playing any video and audio files. Let's move on to the next window.

Renderer selection in K-Lite Codec Pack

Let's set up the renderer, i.e. a special program that is responsible for the correct acquisition of the image in the video. Here you can leave everything by default. We only recommend ticking the box. "Enable volume normalization» - in order to optimize the sound when playing on the player.

Selecting codec program languages

To install various language files, as well as the ability to switch between them, check the box "IPstall language files". We press "Next".

Below we get into the language settings menu. You are prompted to choose a primary and secondary language that will suit your preferences. By default, two languages ​​\u200b\u200bare selected - Russian and English, but it is possible to install any third. You can also set the subtitle language here. Select and click "Next".

Selecting video and audio settings

At one of the final stages, you are offered to choose a video player (player), which we will use by default to play all video files. We choose Media Player Classic and KMPlayer, since we have it installed additionally. You can leave only Media Player Classic, which comes with the default K-Lite Codec Pack.

At the next stage of setting up the K-Lite Codec Pack, we will select the video and audio files that will be played on our player. We recommend that you check all available file types in this menu. This can be quickly done with special buttons located at the very bottom of the window - "select all video" and "select all audio". We press "Next".

In the current window, we make audio configuration settings, namely, we mark the audio output device that is used on your computer (ordinary two stereo speakers or a multi-channel output device, such as 6.1 or 7.1). Leave the rest of the settings unchanged and click Next.

At the final stage of setting up the K-Lite Codec Pack, we select all possible video file formats for the association of Windows Explorer with the video player installed on your computer, i.e. the operating system will automatically open video files of a certain extension in the player by default. We mark them all with the “select all” button and click “Next”.

At the last stage, we check all our settings, if we did something wrong, you can change it for each of the previously configured items by returning back to the desired menu with the “Back” button. If everything is correct, then press Install and install the K-Lite Codec Pack on your computer. This completes the installation, enjoy watching your favorite movies!

Codec is a program for to and dec coding (packing and unpacking) video and audio streams. The average user needs codecs to play compressed video or audio formats on a computer. The fact is that in most modern formats, such as mp3, mp4, compression is used. And when installing a clean operating system, most of the compressed formats are not supported. Therefore, in order for playback to become possible, you need to install a codec. Most codecs slightly degrade the quality in order to significantly reduce the file size. But there are also lossless codecs - those that compress a file without quality loss.

K-Lite Codec Pack - what is it?

K-Lite Codec Pack is a set of the most popular and in-demand codecs in one package. By installing this package you will be able to watch almost any video and play any audio format.

Benefits of K-Lite Codec Pack

• The maximum set of codecs in one installer.
• Regular updates.
• The package includes one of the best players Media Player Classic - convenient, lightweight and fast.
• It comes in different configurations - Basic, Standart, Full and Mega (from the minimum set of codecs to the maximum).

Disadvantages of K-Lite Codec Pack

Sponsored software may be included in the installation package. If you install a codec pack without looking, you can install something you don't need. Read below for how to avoid this.

How to download K-Lite Codec Pack

Now about how to download the K-Lite Codec Pack correctly in order to download exactly it, and not something else by mistake.

1. Go to the official website:

http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

2. Click Download Mega :

How to install K-Lite Codec Pack without extra programs

1. Run the downloaded file:

Click Yes in the User Account Control window:

2. Slowly, click Next. If you see a window with a Decline button, click Decline!

So like here:

And here:

If the software player refuses to play the video, this is usually due to the lack of the required codec. Codecs can be added to the system one at a time, or as a package - for example, such as the popular K-Lite Codec Pack.

Before there were codec packs, watching video on a computer was a real headache for an uninformed user. Almost every media file had to find and install its own codec; after a while, they clogged the system and began to conflict with each other. The emergence of specialized packages has greatly simplified our lives. These packages help you install everything you need to watch videos and listen to music in one fell swoop.

Features of K-Lite Codec Pack

Several popular codec packs can be found on the Internet: XP Codec Pack, Windows 7 Codec Pack, Win7codecs, etc. However, over the years, K-Lite Codec Pack has remained the most popular. What is the secret of such success? There are several reasons. The package comes in several editions, thanks to which everyone can choose the appropriate installation option for themselves.
K-Lite Codec Pack is regularly updated, so there is no possibility that you will not be able to watch the video due to the lack of a new version of the codec.

All editions of the package, except Basic, include a convenient media player Media Player Classic; however, K-Lite Codec Pack works great with other players, including Windows Media Player and BS.Player. The package is supplied with a convenient installer. The default settings are chosen quite well, but if you wish, you can easily change the desired installation settings. All components included in the K-Lite Codec Pack have been tested for compatibility with each other. In addition, during the installation process, the installer searches the system for previously installed codecs and filter packs (including damaged ones) and, if necessary, removes them to avoid conflicts.

The K-Lite Codec Pack, as a rule, includes only stable and well-established versions of applications. In some cases, package creators include two versions to choose from. K-Lite Codec Pack has a good uninstaller that carefully removes all installed components, not forgetting about registry keys. If, however, any changes were made to the system settings for playing video and audio files using the utilities included in the package, then during installation the program will offer to return the default settings

Versions of K-Lite Codec Pack

The K-Lite Codec Pack is available in four flavors. Thanks to this, you can not download extra megabytes of data and not install utilities that you will never need.

• Basic includes all the necessary decoders to play the most popular video formats: AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM, FLV. The size of the distribution kit is only 5.2 MB.
• standard differs in support for playback of DVD, FLAC and WavPack audio files, as well as the presence of the Media Player Classic media player. Distribution size - 10 Mb.
• Full contains all the features of the Standard version, and in addition, it allows you to play some additional audio and video formats. In particular, it supports APE audio files and some other lossless compressed ones. It includes VFW/ACM codecs that can be used for encoding, and a number of additional utilities. Distribution size - 14 Mb.
• Mega - the most complete edition, which additionally includes some DirectShow filters, as well as VFW / ACM codecs for working with Video for Windows (VFW) and Audio Compression Manager (ACM) technologies. Distribution size - 19.2 MB.

Since the sizes of K-Lite Codec Pack distributions differ slightly, there is no point in downloading and installing the Basic or Standard versions: it is too likely that you will want to view or listen to a file that these editions do not support. If a codec pack is installed in order for all multimedia files to play correctly, it is better to stop at the Full version. The Mega edition is the choice of those users who plan not only to watch videos, but also to work with video editors and DVD/BD rippers. Further, we will consider this particular edition as the most complete.

Installation and main components of K-Lite Codec Pack

The K-Lite Codec Pack includes a fairly convenient installer: during the installation process, you can not only select individual components of the package, but also configure many of them. To switch to the advanced installation mode, activate the "Advanced install" radio button in the installer window. But first, let's look at what tools are available.

• various editions of Media Player Classic;
• ffdshow decoder library, as well as alternative audio and video decoders;
• video splitters and audio parsers;
• engine for processing subtitles;
• VFW/ACM codecs.

Below we describe each of these components in detail.

Media Player Classic

Although the video and audio playback tools included in the K-Lite Codec Pack can work with any media player, the package's creators suggest installing and using Media Player Classic. The K-Lite Codec Pack includes two versions of the player: Classic and Home Cinema. Media Player Classic hasn't been updated since 2007, so it's probably not worth picking this version if you're planning on watching HD video. The Home Cinema version is optimized for high-definition video and is therefore offered by default. It supports DXVA technology, which makes it possible to use the hardware resources of the video card. As a result, HD video plays more smoothly.

Alternative audio and video decoders

Codecs (DirectShow decoding filters) are the main and most needed components of the K-Lite Codec Pack for users. Each video or audio file is compressed with a specific codec, so the appropriate decoder is required for viewing. By the way, when watching a video, sometimes you may encounter a situation where the sound is heard, but there is no image. This means that the required audio decoder is present in the system, but the video codec is missing. On Windows 7, there are far fewer problems with viewing video files than on Windows XP, since Microsoft's own codecs are integrated into the system to play the most popular video and sound formats. However, after installing the K-Lite Codec Pack, it becomes possible to use alternative decoders.

Selecting video decoders

By default, almost everywhere, where possible, K-Lite Codec Pack suggests using the ffdshow decoder library - a set of components that are tested for compatibility with each other and united by a common shell. The ffdshow library can be used to decode DivX, Xvid, H.264, MPEG-2, MP3, etc. However, in most cases, the user can choose an alternative. For example, for processing Xvid files, along with ffdshow, a "native" decoder is offered, and for playing DVDs, they are given a choice of as many as five. Which one is better is perhaps a rhetorical question; especially since the set of components of the K-Lite Codec Pack changes from version to version. By default, the codec settings in the installer are selected in such a way as to minimize the number of problems that may arise after installing the package. For example, for DVD playback, it is proposed to use not even the components of the ffdshow library, but the standard Microsoft codec.

Perhaps it is better to trust the creators of -K-Lite Codec Pack and leave everything as it is in the DirectShow Video Decoding Filters section. If you want to experiment, you can choose CyberLink among MPEG-2 decoders, which is distinguished by both high video decoding speed and acceptable quality.

Selecting audio decoders

As for audio codecs, there is a choice between ffdshow and AC3Filter for almost all supported files. By and large, you can refuse to play MP3 using ffdshow altogether by unchecking the "MP3" checkbox - because support for such files in Windows is implemented by default. As for other formats, you can give preference to ffdshow in order not to install unnecessary components (especially if you only plan to watch the video, and not encode it). This program does a good job of decoding AC3 and AAC (the audio tracks in many films are implemented in these formats), DTS (AC3's main competitor) and LPCM, which is used on most modern DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The ffdshow library can also be trusted to decode multi-channel audio in Vorbis format.

Video splitters and audio parsers

Video splitters and audio parsers are less known than their codec counterparts, but no less important for media playback. Splitter and parser - a link between the player and the codec. When a user launches a file in the player, the latter refers specifically to the splitter. It splits the media stream into components (audio, video, subtitles), which are then passed to the appropriate codecs. The term "splitter" is usually used in relation to tools that process video, and parsers do the same with audio files.

Installing audio parsers

Regarding audio parsers, K-Lite Codec Pack does not offer any options. You can only uncheck the checkboxes in front of some components during installation - however, it is hardly worth doing this, since this will automatically reduce the number of supported formats. So it's best to leave all the checkboxes in place.

Video splitter selection

With video splitters, things are not so simple. To work with AVI files, it is possible to use one of three tools: the splitter available in Windows, Haali or Gabest. By default, K-Lite Codec Pack offers to leave the Microsoft tools, because. at the same time, compatibility problems are the least likely. But if you come across an incomplete or corrupted AVI file, it most likely cannot be played using a standard tool. The second of the proposed splitters, Haali, as a rule, also refuses to read files without an index, moreover, it is noticed in poor compatibility with the BS.Player. On the other hand, this splitter offers additional settings - for example, you can switch audio tracks in a file by clicking on the icon in the system tray. A feature of Gabest, the third of the splitters included in the package, is good support for corrupted files. At the same time, Gabest's compatibility is also not always up to par.

The standard Windows splitter does not support Matroska (MKV) files, so for them you will inevitably have to choose between Gabest and Haali. In addition, you should think about which of these two splitters will extract data from OGG files. By default, Haali is offered - and if there are no personal reasons for refusal, it is better not to change anything. And to work with MP4, 3GP, MOV and MPEG containers, you can use both splitters at the same time. With default settings, K-Lite Codec Pack will also provide support for FLV and RealMedia files. But the component for reading SVCD and XCD discs will not be installed by default - these formats are outdated long ago. But if you have several SuperVideo-CDs lying around somewhere, check the "CDXA Reader" checkbox.

Subtitle Engine

Should I install a subtitle engine? If you plan to use Media Player Classic to watch the video, you can safely uncheck the corresponding checkbox. This player supports subtitles without any add-ons, so DirectVobSub is not needed. If you use another player, it makes sense to install the engine for processing subtitles. Or check on the manufacturer's website if it is integrated into the player.

Haali Video Renderer - alternative to VMR9 engine

K-Lite Codec Pack also offers to install Haali Video Renderer, an alternative video content rendering engine created by the developer of Haali Video Splitter. It is an alternative to VMR9, the standard Windows renderer included with DirectX. Compared to it, Haali Video Renderer has several differences. In particular, it uses a different image scaling method, which makes Haali Video Renderer generally faster than VMR9. Since Haali Video Renderer utilizes the capabilities of the video card, it needs to support PixelShader technology at least version 2.0. However, it is very problematic to find a video adapter that does not support it these days.

Who needs VFW/ACM codecs

VFW/ACM codecs are not required for watching videos and listening to music. They will be needed only when working with video editors and programs for ripping discs. In particular, the popular video editor VirtualDub is based on the Video for Windows technology - without a VFW codec, video cannot be edited with it.

Installation profiles

If the default options are not suitable, but you are too lazy to click on numerous checkboxes and radio buttons, you can use one of the dozen proposed installation profiles by selecting the desired item from the drop-down list. In principle, the names of the profiles are quite eloquent - for example, the Playback Only (Without Player) option will install only the components necessary for playing video and sound (Media Player Classic will not be installed in this case), and when choosing the Lots Of Stuff profile, you can expect the installation of the maximum number of components . In any case, after choosing a profile, there is always the opportunity to view what exactly is proposed for installation, and, if necessary, make adjustments.

What is what

Codec
A program for converting (encoding and decoding) multimedia files. Typically used to compress a file, ie. size reduction while maintaining acceptable quality, and its subsequent playback.
Filter
General name for applications designed to process audio and video data. In the case of video, filters are divided into two main groups: post-processing filters for captured video and special effects overlay filters.
Ripper
An application for transferring audio and video data from a physical medium (for example, DVD) or capturing a streaming broadcast and then saving the result to a more convenient media file for storage and playback.
Splitter
From English. splitter - separator. An application that separates streams of data (audio, video, subtitles) within a single media file (also sometimes called a container) during its playback and then routes them to the appropriate codecs. As a rule, this term is used in relation to video processing, for audio, the term "parser" is used.

ffdshow decoder library

To decode most audio and video files, the K-Lite Codec Pack (as well as other popular codec packs) suggests using DirectShow - the ffdshow filter. Behind this designation lies a whole set of decoders and post-processing filters. The ffdshow filter supports almost any player, as well as many other applications that need to work with sound and video.

Managing ffdshow settings
ffdshow has convenient settings windows where you can flexibly manage audio and video playback options. For convenience, K-Lite Codec Pack adds a set of icons to call ffdshow settings in the Start menu. While playing a file using ffdshow, the icon appears in the system tray. Clicking on it with the right mouse button brings up a menu from which it is easy to go to the ffdshow settings or apply one of the many post-processing filters. If desired, the tray icon can be disabled. To do this, right-click on the icon and select "ffdshow Video Decoder" in the context menu, then in the window that opens, go to the "Tray, dialog & paths" section and activate the "Tray icons: None" radio button.

Choice of codecs

One of the important features of ffdshow is that in its settings you can select a decoder for each format. In this case, it is not at all necessary to use the "native" ffdshow codecs - it is possible to use any other of those installed in the system. This will be useful if a video in some format does not want to play properly.

To select codecs, click on "ffdshow video decoder" in the start menu and in the filter settings window, go to the "Codecs" section. Now in the list of codecs, click in the Decoder column next to the desired format "ffmpeg-mt" and select one of the items in the drop-down list. Click on the "Apply" button to save your changes.

Solving the problem of incompatibility with applications

In some cases, ffdshow may conflict with some applications. If you can't view the video in a game or other program, you can blacklist it in ffdshow. To do this, in the filter settings window, go to the "DirectShow Control" section and click on the "Edit" button. A window with a list of prohibited applications will open. Now click on the "Add" button and specify the path to the program's executable file. Click on the "Ok" button to save the changes. After that, ffdshow will not be used in the specified application.

Setting up hotkeys

The ffdshow filter allows you to control playback and various video parameters using hotkeys. The convenience lies in the fact that the selected combinations will work in all applications that use ffdshow.
To enable hot keys in the filter settings, go to the "Keys & remote" section. Check the checkbox. To change the control keys, double-click on the command name in the list and press the desired key. Click on the "Apply" button to save the changes.

Applying filters

The ffdshow filter allows you to improve video quality using post-processing filters. They are applied after the video has been decoded. It should be borne in mind that if the use of a third-party codec is selected in the ffdshow settings, post-processing filters may not be available - it depends on whether the codec supports attaching filters to the output. If the "native" ffdshow decoders are used, there are no problems with adding filters.

The fastest way to add a post-processing filter is to click the ffdshow tray icon and then select the filter name from the list. It should, however, be borne in mind that the effect of most filters can only be evaluated after the default settings have been changed. Therefore, having activated the filter in the context menu, it is better to open the ffdshow settings window, go to the filter parameters and change them, watching the result in real time. The effect of filters depends on the order in which they are applied; so that in the ffdshow settings window you can drag them with the mouse, changing the position in the list

Additional Utilities K-Lite Codec Pack

In addition to the actual means for playing video and sound, the K-Lite Codec Pack includes a number of additional utilities. They are mainly available as standalone applications and can be downloaded not only as part of a package, but also individually. After installing the utilities, they can be found in the Tools subfolder of the K-Lite Codec Pack folder of the Start menu.

Codec Tweak Tool

Codec Tweak Tool 4.9.2 - a tool for managing codecs installed in the system. With it, you can get a list of all installed codecs, search for broken components, fix various problems with codecs, and disable unnecessary decoders. This is the main utility in the K-Lite Codec Pack - it even has its own folder in the Start menu.

List of installed codecs

To get a list of codecs installed on your system, run the Codec Tweak Tool by clicking on "All oprions" in the Start menu. In the program window, click on the "Generate log" button. Check the boxes next to the components you want to include in the list. By default, the list excludes filters and codecs necessary for the correct operation of Windows, Windows Media Player and DrectX. To also include them in the list, uncheck the "Exclude codecs and filters that belong to Windows, WMP and DirectX" checkbox. Click the button to create a report file.

Troubleshooting

Codec Tweak Tool can search the registry for broken links to codecs and filters that may remain after incorrect uninstallation. Click the button in the program window to open the scan settings window. With default settings, the program will search the registry for broken DirectShow filters and VFW/ACM codecs. Click the button to start scanning. With this feature, you can also sometimes fix a bug due to which sound does not work in many applications. By default, the checkbox responsible for enabling this option is inactive "Fix broken sound (Midi, Waveout) (no problem detected)". If the program sees the cause of the error in the incorrect operation of the codec, the checkbox should be checked.

Backing up codec settings

By experimenting with codecs, you can "play out" to the point that no multimedia files will be played. Therefore, it is better to take care of creating a backup copy of their settings. To do this, in the Codec Tweak Tool window, click on the "Backup settings" button, confirm in the next window the intention to create a copy and select the directory where the folder with files containing codec settings will be saved. Codec Tweak Tool saves the settings of Media Player Classic, ffdshow, Haali Media Splitter, AC3Filter, DirectVobSub, Xvid and other components. After a successful backup, an informational message will appear. To restore the settings from a backup, click the button in the program window, then select the folder with the previously saved settings.

Sketching Control

The automatic creation of thumbnails when viewing files in Explorer is a very handy feature that allows you to quickly find the file you need. However, on weak computers, as well as when working with a large number of video files, it sometimes noticeably slows down the system. At the request of the user, the Codec Tweak Tool can disable the creation of thumbnails for supported file extensions. In the program window, click on the "Thumbnail settings" button. Then, in the thumbnail settings window, check the checkboxes next to the file types for which you want to generate preview thumbnails. Click the "Select none" button to quickly uncheck all checkboxes, or the "Select Windows default" button to restore system defaults.

mediainfo

If you're having trouble playing video or audio, the first thing to do is to see what video and audio codecs were used for compression. The MediaInfo utility will help with this. The program integrates into the context menu of Explorer, so to get information about a video file, just right-click on it and select "MediaInfo". This will open the MediaInfo window with detailed information about the file.

Here you can find out in which program the video file was created, find out its bitrate, duration and resolution, audio codec settings, and many other information. To save the data as a text file, click the "Save to text file" link. By default, the text file will be saved in the same folder as the video file. You can also open a video file directly in MediaInfo. To do this, in the main window of the program, click in the " " field and select the desired option. The K-Lite Codec Pack includes a light version of MediaInfo. The full edition is distinguished by advanced export capabilities, as well as the presence of several display modes. You can download it from the official website ().

Win7DSFilterTweaker

The Win7DSFilterTweaker program allows you to change the decoders used to watch video and listen to audio files in Windows 7. By default, when watching video using Windows Media Player and Media Center, the operating system uses its own codecs, and you can change them only by performing complex manipulations with the system registry. Win7DSFilterTweaker is a great alternative.

Run the program and in the main window click on the "Preferred decoders" button to configure codecs. A list of formats and available decoders will appear. Then activate the radio button of the codec you want to apply and click on the "Apply & close" button. For example, you can force the use of ffdshow to decode H.264, Xvid, DivX, and some other video formats.

Additional features of Win7DSFilterTweaker

With Win7DSFilterTweaker, you can prevent some video and audio formats from using the Media Foundation multimedia framework, which is included with Windows 7 and is expected to completely replace DirectShow in the future. To do this, in the main window of the program, click on the "Media Foundation" button and check the boxes in front of the required formats. Click on the "Apply & close" button. The use of Media Foundation can be disabled completely. To do this, click on the "Tweaks" button and check the checkboxes. Click the "Apply & close" button. Any changes made with Win7DSFilterTweaker can be undone. To do this, open the settings window for the desired tool and click the "Reset" button.

Media Player Classic

Media Player Classic has an excellent set of features and a very modest interface, reminiscent of the oldest version of Windows Media Player, which few people remember today. The player has a huge number of functions - from taking screenshots to turning off the computer when the movie ends. No wonder some of the developers back in 2007 decided to stop further work on this program, believing that there was nowhere to improve it.

Sound level equalization

Media Player Classic integrates an Audio Switcher audio filter to control sound quality and level. If the audio track in the video is playing too quietly, you can try using signal amplitude amplification. To configure the audio filter, select "Options" from the "View" menu, then in the window that opens, go to the "Audio Switcher" section. The Audio Switcher is already enabled by default. Use the "Boost" slider to increase the volume level by 10 dB. Check the "Normalize" checkbox to have the filter amplify the signal automatically when required.

Creating previews for video files

Media Player Classic can generate a JPG, BMP or PNG image file containing thumbnails of video frames. By looking at a selection of such screenshots, you get an idea of ​​the movie without having to watch it. To create a preview file, click "Save Thumbnails" in the "File" menu. Then select the file type and the number of dots in width, and determine how many screenshots you want to take. Click on the "Save" button. Video processing will take some time, after which the file will be saved in the selected folder.