WMP 10 doesnt play mkv or mp4 files?

[jyeh74]

Do I need some codec? I dont like to run Divx player to play mkv. No luck running the Mp4. Ideally, I would like to use WMP 10 to run all avi, mkv, mp4 files.

I read some people use Windows Media Player Classic for some reason......not sure if it has a built in codec to run all these types of files?

[Baldrick]

Haali media splitter and ffdshow.

[jyeh74]

Baldrick, either or works?

What is VLC? I read that one works.....

[usta]

WMP 10 doesn't have extensive internal codecs to be able to play mkv or MP4 videos. You have 2 choices here:
1) Install both tools suggested by Baldrick and play them on WMP.
2) Install another player, like VLC or MPCHC. These players have internal codecs and can play such videos.

[lordsmurf]

ffdshow

[darkknight145]

KMPlayer is another good alternative, will play anything. I no longer use WMP

[jyeh74]

I installed fddshow but the mkv file and the mp4 file still does not run with my WMP 10. Do I need something else like K-Lite or is that the same thing as fddshow?

[Baldrick]

Install also haali media splitter.

[jyeh74]

Bladrick, isnt fddshow suppose to play mkv and mp4?

[Gavino]

As Baldrick has already said (twice), Haali Media Splitter is also required.
ffdshow can decode the media contents, but a splitter is required to demux the container format.

[jyeh74]

english please. Demux the container format? What does that mean?

[Gavino]

It means extract the separate video and audio streams from the mp4 file (the container). This is a separate function from actually decoding the compressed information within those streams. The splitter does the first part and ffdshow (for example) does the second.

The reason for having the splitter (demultiplexer) as a separate function is that you can then use the same decompressor for the media data no matter what kind of container it is in (eg AVI, mp4, FLV).

[jyeh74]

Gavino, I installed k-lite codec and it worked. So I am guessing that k-lite codec has something that extracts the separate video and audio streams from the mp4/mkv file and FFDSHOW decodes it?

[Gavino]

Yes, K-Lite includes the Haali Media Splitter (+ other things, including ffdshow too).