Codec Pack selection?

[therock003]

There are lots of codec packs out there like klite,ace codec pack,ffdshow etc.

Which one has the best selection and doesnt cause conflicts betwen codecs?

[redwudz]

Of the ones listed, only ffdshow is fairly safe. Codec packs like K-lite have a long history of damaging existing codecs and messing up operating systems to the point that a re-install of the OS may be the best cure. They can be especially damaging if you have good codecs already installed. Then you can end up with the new codec and the old codec both damaged.

ffdshow can handle most formats. If you need others, just install those codecs and no others. You can easily have too many codecs. Most of us recommend never using any codec packs. Just use a program like Gspot 2.70 on a unplayable file and see what codec is needed, then install only that one.

If in doubt about codec packs, do a all forum search for 'codec pack' and read quite a few problems they cause.

[guns1inger]

If you need it mainly for playback, consider a player like VLC or KMPlayer, that carry their own codecs and cover most formats.

[Midzuki]

The great advantage of ffdshow is that you can easily
choose what file formats it will be allowed to handle ---
thus avoiding conflicts. OTOH, codec packs are not
the only evils in this story; last Friday I had to uninstall
Nero 6.6.1.6 and do a manual cleaning of Windows's registry
because it was screwing up Avisynth's DirectShow audio handling
(yes, an ordinary 128kbps stereo .mp3
was being identified as 8-channel audio )

+++++++++++++++++++++

[therock003]

Ok fair anough.And if i want leats say to encode a file i need to install the specified encoder seperately?e.g the xvid/divx binaries or do i use the ones provided with the ffdshow?