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Play Any Video Type with CodecInstaller
Posted by Adam Pash at 2:00 PM on December 7, 2007
Windows only: Ever download a video file but can't for the life of you get the thing to play back for you? Freeware application CodecInstaller detects the audio and video codecs already installed on your system, analyzes video files to determine what codecs they need, and helps you download and install them if you don't already have them so those unplaying files start playing again. Not everyone needs this sort of granular codec support (especially if you're using a player like VLC), but if you have run into this sort of situation, CodecInstaller should come in very handy. CodecInstaller is freeware, Windows only (just avoid the toolbar installation when you install it).
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
d
Posted December 7, 2007 11:58 PM
this program needs the great ole .net framework 2.0 to be installed!
and i use k-lite as well
bojoe
Posted 1:42 AM 7/12/07
Anything new in CodecInstaller since the last time it was mentioned here in July this year?
bojoe
Chad Cloman
Posted 12:03 AM 7/12/07
I use the K-Lite Codec Pack, which installs pretty much every codec there is.
Chad Cloman
edythemighty
Posted 11:58 PM 6/12/07
VLC still coughs up during some .mkv's :C
edythemighty
skilled1
Posted 10:39 PM 6/12/07
good info, but VLC is still where it's at
skilled1
Insomnic
Posted 11:15 AM 7/12/07
@neuralien and @gdlr: I would also like to weigh in on the side of CCCP. Definitely the best way to go if you are going to install a pack of codecs.
For video editing though, sometimes you need the specific codecs as ffdshow doesn't always work to allow decoding for editing.
Insomnic
neuralien
Posted 10:21 AM 7/12/07
@gdlr: I second MPC player with CCCP. It plays pretty much all of the files I've ever encountered. And for those that don't work, there's a tool called G-Spot that'll analyze the video file and tell you what video and audio codecs were used, so you can go and get them.
neuralien
2kreative
Posted 9:16 AM 7/12/07
@da5id_nz: Second GOM player.
2kreative
gdlr
Posted 7:40 AM 7/12/07
Or you could just use Combined Community Codec Pack and Media Player Classic that's bundled with it.
gdlr
Cidinho
Posted 5:50 AM 7/12/07
@Chad Cloman: Me too. Best thing I ever installed for media.
Cidinho
da5id_nz
Posted 4:01 AM 7/12/07
I use the free GOM Video Player at work. It has the most popular codecs built right into the program. If it can't play the file it will direct you to where to download the codec. It can also play broken AVI's or AVI's that haven't completely downloaded yet because it doesn't need the index at the end of the file.
Try it! Yo might like it :)
da5id_nz
DanPinto
Posted 12:23 PM 7/12/07
I use both VLX and MPC and I have yet to meet a video file I could not play.
DanPinto
JoeKerr
Posted 2:21 AM 7/12/07
I've been using gomplayer for quite some time and am extremely happy with it. It has a lot of nice and nifty features in it. Like VLC it's not the best tool for MKV files, but it keeps getting better after every update.
JoeKerr
m4dm4n
Posted 8:05 PM 7/12/07
@gldr I I third that suggestion. Ever since I found it I've had no issues with conflicting codecs or needing to get missing codecs or anything like that. I wacked it on my Media Centre PC and its been running like a dream. Plus, it comes with a nice little app which lets you configure specifically which codecs are active and their settings in case you have problems or alternatives you want to use.
m4dm4n
sanjsrik
Posted 5:35 PM 7/12/07
Is it just me or is this program crashing every single time I click on "update codecs"? I'm Win XP Pro and every single time I click update codecs, the application just crashes.
sanjsrik