Codec analysis tools
A common problem when an end user wants to watch a video stream encoded with a specific codec is that if the exact codec
is not present and properly installed on the user's machine, the video won't play (or won't play optimally).
Windows XP SP2 itself only has a very limited number of video and audio codecs installed; other than Microsoft formats, Intel Indeo
is the only available .avi Codec that is installed per default. All other codecs, such as DivX, Xvid or Theora, must be installed manually.
|
Some video files and codec analysis tools have been made available to provide a user-friendly way to solve this common problem:
VideoInspector: Analyzes most containers (AVI, Matroska, MPEG, etc.) and gives direct download links for missing codecs.
VideoInspector is a tools designed to provide you with as much information as possible about your video files. With VideoToolbox you'll know why your video files has no sound or refuses to play correctly.
VideoInspector will help you installing the required CoDecs (coder/decoder software) for an optimal performance. VideoToolbox can also inspect your system to find which codecs are available, and it can also process multiple video files and export its result in HTML or plain text files.
GSpot: Despite missing some features present in other software.
GSpot is a video codec identification utility - identifies which video codec and audio compression method is used on .avi files, whether the matching codec is installed, and more.
MediaInfo: Open-source alternative to GSpot.
MediaInfo supplies technical and tag information about a video or audio file. MediaInfo supports
* Video: MKV, OGM, AVI, DivX, WMV, QuickTime, Real, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DVD (VOB)...
(Codecs: DivX, XviD, MSMPEG4, ASP, H.264, AVC...)
* Audio: OGG, MP3, WAV, RA, AC3, DTS, AAC, M4A, AU, AIFF...
* Subtitles: SRT, SSA, ASS, SAMI...
AVICodec: A free multimedia file analyzer.
If you have a codec problem, and are not a "power" user, first install on your computer a Codec Pack. If you want more precise information, then use AVIcodec which will tell you the codec required and where to download it.
Recognized formats:
* Natively : AVI & DIVX, ASF & WMV, Real (.rm, .rmvb), Ogg (.ogg, .ogm), Mpeg-(S)VCD-DVD (.mpg, .vob), FLV
* Others : all those handled by DirectShow (.mp3, ...).
Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility: Check if an MPEG-2 video decoder (also called a DVD decoder) is installed on your Windows XP computer.
The Windows XP Video Decoder Checkup Utility helps you determine if an MPEG-2 video decoder (also called a DVD decoder) is installed on your Windows XP computer and whether or not the decoder is compatible with Windows Media Player 10 and Windows XP Media Center Edition.
An MPEG-2 decoder is software that allows you to play DVDs and files that contain video content that was encoded in the MPEG-2 format (such as DVR-MS files, MPG files, and some AVI files).
If you encounter a problem while using Windows Media Player 10 to synchronize (copy) recorded TV shows to a Portable Media Center or other device, use this utility to verify that you have a compatible MPEG-2 decoder installed on your computer.
Note: This utility only indicates whether an MPEG-2 decoder is compatible with the synchronization feature of Windows Media Player 10 or whether an MPEG-2 decoder is compatible with the recorded TV playback feature of Windows XP Media Center Edition.
|
|
|
 Search for a Codec |
| Enter the codec into the search box (eg. mp3 codec) |
|
|
|
