Codecs?!?!?!

Hi,

Please someone set me straight.

What the removed is the score with codecs?
I've read a tiny bit,they deal with the compression and decompression of video ,audio and god knows what other files.

But why are there so many different versions?Do I need them all?
Do I have to constantly upgrade my codec?Do I have to assign them to a media player?

They drive me up the removed wall!!!!

At the mo I have Real Player,InterActual,WMP,VLC,Power DVD.

For christs sake I just want one player to play my files without me having to arse around installing codec files.

Please,Please help me,I don't like this anymore,Please show mercy I'm gonna die.Please......

Edit note - babaton, please keep the language clean. The two items I removed did not add anything to the clarity or meaning of your post. - Newt

 

There's no particular need to arse around installing every possible codec - in fact, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to do so. You need only worry about installing codecs for the less well known formats (MonkeysAudio (.APE) and OptimFROG (.OFR), etc, etc) if ever you stumble across a file that has been encoded in one of those formats and are. therefore, unable to play.

 

OK so i should just install the latest one?

Also wht the hell is DIVx?

Cheers

 

Yes. DivX is a video format.

 

OK,I need to do some reading.

You know any decent sites I can go to for info?

Thanks man.

 

Mr Spoons has some useful information.

 

brett--I use media players only infrequently, and when I do it usually is Windows Media Player (v7.10). I use it mainly to see the .mpeg and other movie files on a few fun sites like http://www.pibmug.com/files/ .
Lately I often get the message that I do not have the right codec and that the attempt to find it has failed. I suppose I could/should update to WMP 9, but with my old Win98FE and the stories of WMP 9 "reporting back" I have resisted. I just don't see the pibmug files that act this way. No big loss.
Is there any codec I could download from elsewhere to bring my WMP up to date? The codecs on the Mr. Spoons site seem specific to one Player (not WMP).

 

It's possible that the version of WMP which you are using does not support the codecs for some of the newer formats. Have a gander at this page ... you might find something useful.

 

brett--Many thanks, as always. It will take a while to absorb everything on that site and links, but maybe you are right that my version of WMP is just too old. I do not believe the messages I have gotten provide the XXXX codes.
(P.S. Have you ever visited pibmug? Lots of laughs.)

 

brett--Several interesting things--
Just after posting yesterday, I read the October 2003 issue of PCWorld. Starting on page 93 is a couple of paragraphs headed "Recalcitrant Videos" concerning codecs for WMedia Player.
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,112027,pg,4,00.asp
The first hint was to be sure I had the correct version of WMedia Player for my Win OS. Per MS, WMP 7.1 is correct for Win98.
The second hint was that there is a setting in WMP to automatically permit downloading of codecs. I found that setting was not checked on my WMP, so I checked it. Don't know if that will make a difference yet.
The third hint was about a tool called GSpot that according to PCWorld would determine what codec was needed to play a video. So I went to
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/download.html
and downloaded it. I have not used it yet. In fact I am not sure I know how to use it. Firstly, it seems to apply only to .avi files (maybe I am incorrect.). I do not have any .avi files on my PC to play with (although I could get one from the pibmug site), but I am not sure how to get GSpot to diagnose one. Maybe tomorrow.
Finally PCWorld provides another page for downloading codecs
www.moviecodec.com
It will be interesting to see what happens the next time I try to play a movie.
EDIT--Disappointment #1. I cannot access moviecodec.com. Again, maybe tomorrow.

 

Indeed. Post back!

 

Like a puppy with a slipper--
Found this site
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx
(Still have not had time or urge to run a movie.)