What are codecs and where to download for free - K-Lite Mega Codec Pack. What are codecs and where to download for free - K-Lite Mega Codec Pack Description of K-Lite Codec Pack
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 installing Windows in order to improve support for popular multimedia formats in one fell swoop.
On the other hand, rarely does anyone bother to study the contents of this package (the principle “if only everything works”) works, although there are reasons for this. Thus, K-Lite includes utilities that can be used to diagnose and solve specific problems related to the operation of codecs.
In addition, K-Lite not only adds broad support for media formats, but also allows complete control over the processing process. During the installation phase, you can select the components you need, as well as specify your preferred filters and decoders. The quality of playback and processing speed depend on their correct settings.
All these points will be touched upon in this review.
Key benefits of K-Lite Codec Pack
K-Lite Codec Pack has many strengths, we will limit ourselves to listing the key points:
Internal component compatibility
The K-Lite distribution is always tested for compatibility by specialists. When installing codecs yourself, it’s easy to end up in a “Codec hell” situation, since many filters don’t get along with each other. To eliminate conflicts, you need to look for the cause of the “evil” and use special utilities to remove one or another component.
Good compatibility with Windows
Apart from 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 on the system and suggests using them 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 select the appropriate decoder from the available options; by default, K-Lite selects the most optimal one. For Windows 7 and 8 users, a special utility, Preferred Filter Tweaker for Windows 7 and 8, is provided to configure preferred codecs bypassing the OS.
Regular updates
The user does not need to monitor 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 multimedia formats: AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM, FLV. 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 sufficient for playback.
- Standard - also includes Media Player Classic HomeCinema, DVD MPEG-2 decoder (opens up more options when playing DVDs), MediaInfo Lite utility, which 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, you will be offered a video player 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 for installing 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 replacement of, the above options, since not all applications support 64-bit codecs.
There is another way to view information on assemblies, available on the K-Lite package website in the form of comparison tables: and. Essentially, if you are interested in a specific function or format, then there is no 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 using LAV Video whenever possible. “Lot of stuff” - installation of the maximum number of components.
You cannot install multiple codecs or filters to play the same format, as this would inevitably cause conflict. The “Use system default” option means that the installer has already detected a codec that is not part of K-Lite: for example, included in the OS or installed previously.
The last step (“Hardware Acceleration”) is settings for hardware video acceleration. It is highly advisable to read the 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 video cards - CUVID or LAV DXVA2, on AMD - LAV DXVA2, when using the Media Player Classic HomeCinema player - the DXVA decoder.
K-Lite Composition
The codec package 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 player 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 included in K-Lite. For example, the easiest way is to open any media file using the “File - Render Media File...” command. The file processing process 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 natively by DirectShow, and the list changes with each version of Windows. At the moment, DirectShow is being replaced by the Media Foundation framework, which is integrated into Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Splitters(English “source filters”, literally - source filters) audio and video are separated from the container for further processing by decoders. You need to understand that the playback file is a container that is often mistakenly called a video format.
Decoding filters DirectShow video and audio, or conversion filters, add support for additional file formats 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 - which is probably the majority of cases 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, change sizes, colors, etc.
The developers of K-Lite directly advise choosing the LAV decoder due to its greater performance and stability, and ffdshow - only if extra functionality is needed.
Along with LAV Video, 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. These include the popular AC3Filter library, which adds support for AC3 and DTS along with tools for tuning multi-channel audio.
Task parser- output the signal to the device after it is decoded.
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 assembly. 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 it is less functional in comparison with Home Cinema. To get acquainted with it, you need to install the Mega assembly and during installation specify Media Player Classic Regular as your preferred player.
Other nice additions to Media Player Home Cinema include: image output on multiple monitors, H.264 hardware decoding, support for multiple subtitle formats, localization, including Russian. The original Home Cinema distribution, which can be downloaded from, already includes decoders (so the player can work standalone, without installing K-Lite). The description of K-Lite 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, there is a need to fine-tune codecs. You can find auxiliary utilities in the directory with the installed K-Lite package, the Tools folder.
Codec Tweak Tool
The main K-Lite settings are collected in the Codec Tweak Tool shell. In the settings, you can remove broken codecs and filters (which were installed incorrectly or left traces in the registry), re-register filters, reset settings to their original ones, generate a log from the contents of the package, sometimes this is required for diagnostics.
The most interesting section is “Configuration”; the settings of all installed filters (audio, video, source filters (splitters)) are collected here. In principle, it is not difficult to do the same thing through the video player parameters, 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, similar to installing K-Lite, 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 capabilities of this framework cannot be overridden by third-party filters without making changes to the registry. This is, in fact, what this utility is intended for. With its help, you can not only specify your preferred decoders, but also disable unused ones, even 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. Technical data will be useful if you need to reconfigure filters or install a missing codec. This program is built into Media Player Classic and is available as the “Mediainfo” tab, “Properties” item in the context menu.
GraphStudioNext
A very informative utility for analyzing audio and media files. After processing the content, GraphStudioNext diagrams the processing the file goes through before being output to the screen and dynamics. This all depends on the specific codec configuration in the package. Therefore, GraphStudioNext will be useful for diagnostics when problems arise 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.
K-Lite Codec Pack- a universal set of codecs and decoders for playing any multimedia files in a wide variety of audio and video formats. The package contains both 32-bit and 64-bit codecs, so it can be used with equal quality in versions of Windows x86 and x64 operating systems. The list of supported formats is simply huge, we will note only the most popular: AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, TS, M2TS, MP3, OGM, WMV, 3GP, WEBM, FLAC, etc.
The codec package is released in 4 main editions, distinguished by the components they include:
- K-Lite Codec Pack Basic
- K-Lite Codec Pack Standard
- K-Lite Codec Pack Full
- K-Lite Codec Pack Mega
IN K-Lite Codec Pack Basic contains all the main codecs for playing media resources on a PC. This is the lightest and simplest package with which you will be able to watch/listen to music and movies using any player convenient for you. There are DirectShow audio/video decoding filters (LAV Audio and Video), DirectShow source and subtitle filters (LAV Splitter and VSFilter), the Codec Tweak Tool utility, as well as Icaros ThumbnailProvider and Icaros PropertyHandler extensions.
K-Lite Codec Pack Standard, in addition to all the necessary codecs, as in the K-Lite Codec Pack Basic, it contains additional useful utilities: the Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC) media player specially adapted for codecs, a visualizer with advanced MadVR capabilities and a detailer of information about the selected file MediaInfo Lite .
IN K-Lite Codec Pack Full, in addition to the contents of the K-Lite Codec Pack Standard, some tools are included for processing and improving the audio/video stream: DC-Bass Source Mod, ffdshow processor and decoder, Haali Media Splitter audio/video signal splitter, as well as an audio and video analysis utility GraphStudioNext files.
The most complete and voluminous assembly K-Lite Codec Pack Mega contains, in addition to the K-Lite Codec Pack Full, such “bonuses” as ACM and VFW codecs, AC3Filter, Haali Matroska Muxer multiplexer and other tools.
Each user determines the choice of version for himself depending on the tasks: if you just want to watch movies and listen to any music, then use the basic package, and if there is a need for pre-processing and editing of the audio/video signal, then it is better to choose something with additional functionality.
Conveniently, all updates to any of the tools, codecs or additional utilities in the K-Lite Codec Packs are quickly included in the latest build, so just don’t forget to update your version of the collection to accommodate the most current components in the system.
A huge number of video and audio formats forces users to look for suitable players and codecs to watch their favorite movie or listen to their favorite song. Unfortunately, the Windows operating system does not have a complete set of such components as standard, which results in the need to install third-party codecs. But everything is not so simple with them, because there are several varieties of them, and each type also has subspecies. Today we will figure out what the K-Lite Codec Pack is, what editions of this set exist and what is included in these editions.
What is K-Lite Codec Pack and what editions does it have?
So, K-Lite Codec Pack is a set of codecs and additional tools with which you can play all popular video and audio formats. Different editions contain different sets of additional applications, such as a player and various utilities for working with audio and video. Below is a comparison table of the editions and the components that are supplied in them. You can also download any edition directly from our website.
| Basic | Standard | Full | Mega | |
| Codecs for playing the overwhelming number of popular formats (AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, TS, M2TS, RMVB, OGM, WMV, 3GP, WEBM, FLAC, Wavpack, etc.) | . | . | . | . |
| . | . | . | ||
| MPEG-2 codec for DVD playback | . | . | . | |
| – a tool for analyzing media files | . | . | . | |
| madVR - video renderer | . | . | ||
| GraphStudioNext is a tool for creating and checking DirectShow audio and video processing graphs. | . | . | ||
| Several additional DirectShow filters | . | . | ||
| ACM and VFW codecs for video encoding | . | |||
| Several additional DirectShow filters (2) | . | |||
| Several additional tools | . |
If you just watch movies and listen to music on your computer, then it is enough to use K-Lite Codec Pack Basic, as it includes a full set of codecs for playback. If you don’t like using the standard Windows Media Player to play audio and video, then you can install K-Lite Codec Pack Standard, which is also equipped with a player. When you need to encode video and do a bunch of other “hardcore” things, you will need more powerful tools that are included in Full and Mega.
Conclusion
K-Lite Codec Pack is a very popular set of codecs and has won the hearts of millions of users from beginners to professionals, because everyone finds useful features in it. I am also a user of this set of codecs and have been using it on my computers for a long time. On my computer I have always installed and still install the Standard edition, since it also includes Media Player Classic.
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You can download any edition of a set of codecs directly from our website at high speed, to do this, click on one of the buttons below.
A popular selection of codecs, filters and functional tools that are used for high-quality viewing of multimedia files in MKV, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, TS, M2TS, RMVB, OGM, WMV, 3GP, WEBM, FLAC, Wavpack formats.
Description of K-Lite Codec Pack
The software package is characterized by codec compatibility, ease of installation and management, which increases its rating among similar products. Codec Pack is offered in 4 versions:
- Basic - supports the minimum required set of options for playing multimedia formats. Codecs for playing almost all multimedia formats in any media player. And support for all the minimum required functions.
- Standard - differs from the previous edition by the presence of the MediaInfo Lite tool (viewing detailed details about video and audio files), which allows detailed playback of video and audio files; madVR renderer, which significantly improves picture quality.
- K-Lite Codec Pack Full - equipped with the GraphStudioNext utility, which performs scanning, analysis and visual display, and also offers to expand the range of DirectShow filters.
- K-Lite Mega Codec Pack is a universal edition that includes all the functions and utilities of other editions and is supplemented with ACM and VFW codecs.
Features of K-Lite Codec Pack
The package consists of 32-bit and 64-bit codecs, so it is used with the same quality in x86 and x64 versions of Windows OS. Its features:
- English language support;
- Availability of updated versions of codecs;
- simple installation, which makes it easy to select the desired codecs and tools;
- the ability to delete a complete package or its fragment;
- checking each version of the kit for the presence of possible conflict situations between codecs and other programs;
- compatibility with new and previously installed codecs on the PC.
Updates to codecs, tools or additional utilities are instantly included in the latest build. The latest version of the required edition of K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows can be downloaded for free on our website without registration.
Probably many people have encountered the problem that your video does not play and only the sound plays. It also often happens that your player does not want to run the video file at all, displaying suspicious and incomprehensible messages on your screen.
Not all users know what codecs are for, how to install them and how they work in the system.
Codec (from English codec, from coder/decoder) is a device or program capable of performing data or signal conversion. To explain it in simple terms, codecs are a set of programs that convert different signals, thereby making this signal understandable to the player. For example, you have a video file *.avi, we all know that this extension is used for video files. If the necessary codecs are not installed on your computer, then the Windows Media program (for example) will not know what signals are coming from this file. In this situation, the player usually only produces sound from the movie or refuses to open it at all, showing you a black screen in the player and giving you various errors.
Let's move on to practice how to install codecs and where to download codecs?
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack
The most popular codec is K-Lite Mega Codec Pack. You can download it from the official website here, when the page of the official website opens, find the “Download” button and click on it.
Launch the installation file by double-clicking with the left mouse button on the downloaded file K-Lite_Codec_Pack_790_Mega. Click “Next”.
Click the first checkbox “Enable internal decoder for H.264 video” and click “Next”.
