K lite codec pack installation. Important items in the additional tasks window

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K-Lite Codec Pack - set free programs(codecs) that are built into the system and allow you to play video and audio on your computer. If some video or audio files do not open on your computer, then you should install this set of programs.

These are the most popular codecs. Most computer wizards install them on the computers of their clients. Thanks to this set, all popular video and audio formats, as well as some "special" ones such as FLV, WEBM, 3GP, will be played on the computer.

Also in the K-Lite Codec Pack there is a player media player Classic Home Cinema (except Basic version).

The only negative is that codecs are tightly registered in the system and no removal will completely get rid of them. But this only creates problems if the user works in professional video editing programs (Adobe Premiere and others). Other than that, it's the perfect set. Set and forget!

Principle of operation

Download one of the packages, that is, one file. Open, install - and that's it! Everything works, everything opens.

During installation, you can disable some codecs, but it's better to leave everything as it is, without changing anything. That is, when installing, press the “Next” button all the time, and then the “Install” and “Finish” buttons.

Download K-Lite Codec Pack Basic
(size 10.2 MB)

Download K-Lite Codec Pack Standard
(size 16.8 MB)

Download K-Lite Codec Pack Full
(size 25.8 MB)

Download K-Lite Codec Pack Mega
(size 30.3 MB)

Nuances

There are four K-Lite Codec Packs:

Basic - contains everything you need to play all popular audio and video formats.
Standard (recommended) - the same, but also contains Media Player Classic Home Cinema and allows you to fully watch DVDs on your computer.
Full and Mega - for advanced users. Contains additional codecs for video editing.

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 whatever 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 previously impossible, since 4K video simply would not have enough space for hard drives servers.

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 at the same time correcting brightness and contrast on some, take sound from separately connected microphones and save it all 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 in Windows times 98/2000/ME/XP. Windows 7/8/10 operating systems already contain 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. This option is for those who love small package without frills. 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 powerful tool 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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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 (necessary if the speakers are on different distance so that 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.

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.
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.
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.

MadVR- a very powerful filter, allows you to scale the picture with high quality and, what is important, make the frame change smooth.
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.

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

ACM Audio Codecs needed for audio compression.

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.
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.

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.
MediaInfo Lite- to show detailed information about codecs inside multimedia files.
GraphStudioNext- sooo 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.
Haali Muxer- a utility for packing individual audio and video files into Matroska containers (.mkv).
VobSubStrip- a tool for solving a specific task: extracting subtitles for a particular language from .idx and .sub files.
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.

Icaros ThumbnailProvider allows you to view the contents of video files in popular formats in thumbnail view.
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- in the menu right click mouse button, a new item "MediaInfo" will appear 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 manually assign programs 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

Here you can select the type of your columns.

Thumbnails section

Last step. Here you can specify which videos to display in thumbnail view.

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.

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 top players Media Player Classic is 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 lack of new version 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 thoroughly removes everything installed components, not forgetting about registry keys. If in system settings to play video and audio files, any changes were made 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 choose individual components package, but also customize 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. Home Cinema version optimized for watching videos high definition and 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 differs as high speed video decoding, 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, MP3 playback by means of ffdshow can be completely abandoned 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 plan to only 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 under-inflated or damaged AVI file, it most likely cannot be reproduced 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. And the feature of Gabest, the third of the splitters included in the package, is good support damaged 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 files and RealMedia. 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 editor is based on the Video for Windows technology. VirtualDub video- without a VFW codec, video cannot be edited using 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" from 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.

Most fast way add a post-processing filter - click on the ffdshow icon in the tray, and then select the filter name in 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 K-Lite Utilities 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 correct Windows work, 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 incorrect work codec, in the checkbox, check the box.

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 view video and listen to audio files in the Windows 7 environment. By default, when viewing 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 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 the right tool and click on 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 a soundtrack in the video it is played too quietly, you can try to use amplification of the signal amplitude. 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.

The presence of a video or audio player installed on your computer does not yet give you the opportunity to watch movies or concerts and listen to some sound files. I'll try to explain in a nutshell why the video or audio file does not open on the computer. The point is that any digital video or the audio file has been converted from analog to an algorithm specified by a certain codec. That is, each digital file is a certain code generated by a special encoder or, as they say in relation to media files, a codec. And in order to decrypt or decode this code, you need to know by what algorithm it was encrypted.

Currently, there are many different codecs with which both specialists and ordinary users, like me, compress or encode video or audio files. However, most users still do not resort to compressing media files, limiting themselves only to viewing and listening to them. And if you do not play video or audio on your computer, you just need to install it in the system. But how not to get lost in such a variety of those same codecs, you ask? This has long been taken care of for you by programmers who have developed a functional package of audio and video codecs, which is called K-Lite Codec Pack. This package of codecs is distributed on the Internet absolutely free of charge.

K-Lite Codec Pack is available for users in several trim levels: Basic (or basic, including the most basic codecs), Standart (or standard, including the basic assembly and additional codecs), Full (or full, including the standard assembly and additional filters), Mega (or full assembly with add-ons) and 64-bit (package of codecs for 64-bit applications and systems). For Windows 7 operating system with 32 bits, I would recommend installing the K-Lite package Mega Codec Pack, since it will take up a little more hard disk space compared to the basic package. But the likelihood that you will not have the right codec will be minimal. Free codecs for Windows 7 with a bit depth of 64 bits, it is better to install in a complex way, that is, first install the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, and only then install the K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit on top. And then 64-bit applications (for example, converters or players) will use 64-bit codecs, and 32-bit applications will use 32-bit ones. Here, I think, everything is clear.

The question is how to install codecs for the Windows 7 operating system, we will look at the example of installing the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack together with the K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit. Download K-Lite Codec Pack You can do it for free either from the official site or from the link that I usually placed at the end of this article. To date, the most "fresh" version of codecs is 9.8.5 with its additions of version 9.8.8. Add-ons, by the way, we will also install.

Installing K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 9.8.5 codecs

Before installation, it is strongly recommended to remove all previously installed codecs, if any. So let's start by installing K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 9.8.5. Right-click on the installation file and click on the "Run as administrator" item in the context menu.

Immediately after that, the K-Lite codecs installation wizard window should appear, in which you must click the “Next” button to continue the installation.

Next, the installation wizard will offer you a choice of installation modes: simple, normal and advanced. I recommend using the advanced codec installation mode, which implies a more detailed setting. Check the box next to "Advanced mode" and click the "Next" button.

In the next window, you will be prompted to select the folder in which Codecs for Windows 7 will be installed. The default choice suits me perfectly. You can choose another folder if needed. To continue installing codecs, click the "Next" button.

And here the most interesting begins. A window will appear in which you will need to select from the list of proposed components those that you need. You can, of course, use the already defined profiles that are available for selection from above. However, it is better to figure it out once and set the settings that are optimal for you, so that next time you do not waste time on this. Codec Pack for Windows 7 K-Lite Codec Pack also includes a video file player called Media Player Classic. In my opinion, this player is rather uncomfortable. Especially if you compare it with the video player that we talked about in the previous article. Therefore, you can uncheck the “Player” item if you have an alternative video player installed or already installed in your system.

"DirectShow video decoding filters" is a multimedia structure that Microsoft employees worked on. It allows applications to control a variety of media input/output devices such as cameras, tuners, and so on. I recommend setting the checkbox to "LAV", as this filter is more productive and stable than ffdshow. However, the ffdshow media decoder has a slightly larger functionality video processing. However, I still recommend choosing a high-performance filter "LAV ”, unless, of course, you are going to do detailed video processing. The above free codecs for windows 7 are standards for compressing video files to the maximum possible values when saving High Quality Images.

Main Codecs for Windows 7 I recommend equipping with the "VP7" video codec, which is still used on the Internet for streaming broadcasts. In addition, Skype actively uses it for video conferencing. Therefore, a tick on the item "VP7" should be. We have already talked about the advantages of the LAV filter over ffdshow, so for other video file formats (“Other video formats”), select the “Prefer LAV over ffdshow” option, that is, LAV is preferable to ffdshow. "Process raw video" - processing of "raw" video, that is, those video files that have not been processed by other codecs. Such files can be obtained from video recorders or video cameras, in which video processing and compression is not provided. Initially, this component is disabled. Enable it by checking the box next to "Use ffdshow" (enable the ffdsdow filter).

In the category "DirectShow audio decoding filters" we will configure the installed audio filters. If for video files we preferred LAV to the ffdshow filter, then for audio files I recommend choosing ffdshow in almost all cases. For multi-channel audio "AC3", "E-AC3", "TrueHD", "MLP", PCM audio "LPCM", home theater audio "DTS" and audio compression formats "MP1", "MP2", " MP3" select "ffdshow". Wideband "AAC" (or Advanced Audio Coding) audio coding algorithm used for iPhone, iPad, iTunes, YouTube works best with LAV filter. We choose him.

For other audio file formats (“Other audio formats”), you must select “Prefer ffdshow over LAV”, i.e., ffdshow is preferred over LAV. For audio files that have not been compressed (or compressed), I recommend using the ffdshow codec. Therefore, in the "Process uncompressed audio (PCM)" item, check the "Use ffdshow" box.

In the "DirectShow source filters" category for "AVI", "Matroska" and "MP-4" I recommend choosing the "Haali" filter. It works a little more stable than LAV. I can't talk about the functionality of these filters. There are advantages and disadvantages to each other in both of these filters.

For "MPEG-TS" transport-streaming video, select the "LAV" filter. Monkey's Audio (APE) is a lossless encoding format for audio files. For it, as well as for other formats sound files, the "LAV" filter will do. In the item " Other file formats" Check the boxes on absolutely all codecs - they can come in handy at any time.

For the "DirectShow Subtitle filter" filter, the "DirectVobSub" checkbox must be checked if you want it to overlay subtitles on the video if necessary. In the paragraph of other filters “Other filters”, check the boxes for all available ones. For "VFW video codecs", as well as for "ACM audio codecs", check all that are. Perhaps someday they will come in handy for you. They definitely won't be redundant. I usually turn off the various Tools, but you can leave them all on if you need them.

In the "Explorer Shell Extensions" category for "Video Thumbnails" (or thumbnails of video files), it's best to choose "Icaros ThumbnailProvider". He is able to show a thumbnail for a video file of any format, and he takes a frame for it not at the beginning, but a little further. This is done so that you can quickly find the video clip you need by looking at the picture. In the "Miscellaneous" (or various) category, check both the boxes "Detect broken codecs" (or detect damaged codecs) and "Detect broken DirectShow filters" (or detect damaged filters). To continue installing codecs for Windows 7, click the "Next" button.

In the next window, the installation system will prompt you to select a folder in the Start menu in which to display Codecs for Windows 7. I'm happy with the default values, but you can make changes if needed. To continue, "click" the "Next" button.

In the next window, the installation wizard will prompt you to change additional settings and tasks. To set your own settings, you must uncheck the box "Reset all settings to their defaults" (that is, reset all settings to their defaults). I never create codec shortcuts in the Start menu, because I simply don’t need them. Therefore, I always uncheck the "Additional shortcuts" category from the "Create start menu shortcuts for codec configuration" item. In the "ffdshow configuration" category, ffdshow is configured. If you turn on the normalization of the sound level by checking the box "Enable volume normalization", during playback, the sound will have one reference level that you can set yourself. That is, if you open, for example, a movie with a sound level that exceeds the reference level, then the level will automatically be reduced to the reference level. To work with applications from the whitelist or blacklist, there is an option "Restrict usage to whitelist applications". But I don't see much need for it. You can check the box if you wish. I don't enable "Force RGB32 output" either, because I don't control the output of the color space in the ffdshow codec. In the "System tray icons" category, I usually check the boxes to see which codec the video file is playing with. These icons are displayed in the tray - in the lower right corner of the panel, near the watch. To prevent the official website from opening after installing codecs for Windows 7, uncheck the "Visit a website with codec news" checkbox. Click the "Next" button to continue the installation.

In the Hardware Acceleration or Hardware Acceleration settings window, you can connect to the CPU and GPU when encoding or decoding video files. However, for most cases this is simply not necessary. We leave everything by default. Click "Next" to continue.

In the next window, players are configured with which video and audio files will be associated. However, I will use other players to play audio and video files. Therefore, without choosing anything, we move on. Click "Next".

After that, you need to choose for which files the thumbnail will be generated. I choose everything. Click next.

Now you need to select the number of sound channels of your sound system. For example, I have a stereo system installed. I choose her. You may have another, of course. We move on by clicking "Next".

After that, a window will appear prompting you to install all sorts of unnecessary, in my opinion, add-ons. Opt out of installing them by checking the box "No thanks" (or not, thanks).

Another window will appear, which displays all the changes made to the installation setup up to this step. If after verification you did not find any errors, click the "Install" button. If you find it, return to the desired position using the "Back" button, and set it up as you need.

The installation of K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 9.8.5 codecs will start.

And at the end, a window with a message about successful installation will appear. Click "Finish" to complete.

Congratulations, the installation of codecs for Windows 7 with 32 bits is completed. If you have a 64-bit operating system, you need to install the following package, which is called K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit.

Installing K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit 9.8.5

Run the installation file as an administrator, as we did with the first codec pack.

The K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit 9.8.5 installation wizard window will open, in which click "Next".

In the next window, select the advanced installation mode "Advanced Mode" and click "Next".

Here we indicate in which folder codecs for Windows 7 will be installed. Usually, I don't change anything here. Go to the next step by clicking "Next".

In the next window, you need to select the same components for installation that we selected when installing the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 9.8.5 codecs. There is no point in describing the same thing twice. Click the "Next" button to continue.

After that, a window with folder settings in the Start menu will appear. We do not change anything here and move on by clicking "Next".

We configure additional settings and tasks in the same way as we did with the previous codec pack. We press "Next".

In the "Thumbnails" (or thumbnails) window, select everything and click "Next".

Then select the number of channels for your sound system and click Next.

In the next window, check the correctness of the information you entered and, if everything is in order, click the "Install" button.

The installation process of the K-Lite Codec Pack 64-bit 9.8.5 codec pack will begin.

After a few seconds, the installation will end with the appearance of a window with a message about successful installation. Click "Finish" to complete the installation.

Congratulations, 64-bit codecs and filters have been successfully installed. Now let's install the K-Lite Codec Pack 9.8.8 codec updates. Usually these are some minor improvements to codecs. To do this, run the setup file as an administrator.

The KLCP Update 9.8.8 installation wizard window opens with the date of the updates. Click the "Next" button.

In the next window, check the boxes for all codecs and click the "Next" button.

The process of installing codec updates will begin.

After that, a window with a message about successful installation will appear, in which you must click "Finish" to complete the installation.

Having understood the installation of codecs once, you will never ask questions, Why is the video not opening on my computer?? If you have any questions about the installation, feel free to ask them in the comments - I will be happy to answer them.