K lite codec pack installation customization. K-Lite Codec Pack explained

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The 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 using various codecs.

What are codecs

Any information in a computer, including text, photographs, video and sound, can be recorded as a sequence of zeros and ones. The text can be recorded in a very compact form (the entire text part of Wikipedia will fit on a flash drive), and graphics, sound, and even more so video take up hundreds and even tens of thousands times more.

Codecs are programs and devices for storing information in digital form (in any 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). The algorithms used are similar to those used by archivers when compressing files. Video frames encoded in this way will perfectly match the original, and take up less space on your hard disk.
• Lossy compressing audio and video ( lossy formats). The most common example is MP3 music files. Codecs that compress into lossy formats discard “unnecessary” sounds and image details. Due to the loss of some 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 encoding has one significant drawback: you can overdo it with compression, resulting in files with terrible sounding and poor picture.

Among lovers of high-quality sound, the debate continues on how best to store music - in lossless or lossy formats. On the one hand, lossless compression allows you to achieve one hundred percent match with the original, on the other hand, such an audio library will take up a lot of space. For videos and photos, the storage problem is also relevant. For example, over the years of its existence, the video site Youtube has changed several times the codecs that compress the video stored on the servers. As a result, now we can watch videos of acceptable quality in 4K resolution, which was impossible before, since 4K video simply would not have enough space on the servers' hard drives.

Types of codecs

There are several types of codecs. Different compilations include different types, K-Lite has them all.

DirectShow Filters- modern codec format and more. They are subdivided into three subspecies. There is capture filters, which are responsible for receiving data from a file with video, music, and even from physical devices such as video cameras. Conversion filters allow you to decode, recode data, apply effects, and so on. Rendering (render) filters are able to output video and sound to the screen, speakers, other devices and save to a file.

All DirectShow filters work in a chain, which allows advanced users to organize automatic video processing. For example, you can take a picture from surveillance cameras, display them on different screens, simultaneously adjusting the brightness and contrast on some ones, take sound from separately connected microphones and save all this in one file with many tracks.

VFW Codecs(Video for Windows). An older codec format that appeared in 16-bit versions of Windows before the 95th. They are simpler than DirectShow filters and are more limited in their capabilities - they cannot be chained. Most often, video editors need VFW codecs 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, etc.

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 to another format. Such programs are not included in the codec packs, tk. the task of packs is to open multimedia files in any program.

Codec packs are no longer needed to watch video

The problem of playing files is no longer as urgent as it was in the days of Windows 98/2000 / ME / XP. Operating systems Windows 7/8/10 already contain the 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 will come in handy: video editing and work with the archive of video and sound recordings where files can be of very different formats

There are less popular collections of codecs:

• CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack (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-Light 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 is discontinued, 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 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, with it you will open AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM and FLV. The variant is intended for those who like a small package with no bells and whistles. It's small, but it solves most of the problems with opening video files. The universal Lav Video codec is used for playback.

2. Standart contains several additional functions compared to the basic version. But the most important thing is that a simple and convenient Media Player Classic is built in there. There is also a built-in DirectShow filter madVR, which, in conjunction with Media Player Classic, gives a better picture quality compared to the system filter (when stretching the picture, it turns out b O greater clarity).

3. Included Full(full) Added DirectShow filters compared to standard, including the popular universal ffdshow filter. It has not 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 the GraphStudioNext program. This is a powerful tool for developers of codecs and filters, which is included in the codec pack so that the user can see what system components are used to open a particular multimedia file.

4. Mega-variant is the most complete K-Light collection. Option for working with video. It contains standards codecs VFW and ACM for encoding and editing video and sound.

What to choose when installing

At the beginning of the installation, you can select the mode: Normal or Advanced. The difference is that in Advanced mode, the “Select components” step will appear. All other sections of the installer will be identical in both modes.

Installation Preferences section

At the very beginning of the installation, the installer asks a few questions.

Preffered video / audio player- which player to prefer for opening multimedia.

Preffered video / audio decoder- which decoder to prefer (leave LAV video decoder, the description will be below).

Create file associations- open files in the selected player.

Install MPC-HC as a secondary player- if another is selected, still install Media Player Classic.

Install codecs only for MPC-HC- install codecs only for Media Player Classic (some will still be installed as system ones for everyone).

Amount of components to install- options for a set of codecs, 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 Standart, at this step, you can click the "Next" button. There are few components, there is nothing to choose from.

V Full and Mega there are much more codecs. Most likely, you know what you are doing, since you choose these versions, and for the curious I will tell you in more detail what is in them.

Right at the beginning of the installation, you can choose whether to install only codecs for playback, install the player, or select your own set (item Custom Selection).

Let's go through all the points.

MPC-HC is a Media Player Classic. A functional player with many useful options. There are two versions to choose from, the difference in bit depth. It is better to choose only the one that matches the bitness 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 are modern codecs for video playback in any players, including standard Media Player and Windows 10 Video Player. You can choose from:

1. 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 promptly eliminated and, in general, the codec decodes popular formats without any problems.
2. Filter ffdshow- decoder outdated at the moment, its development has been discontinued. Supports H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VC-1 and others. The decoder has one interesting feature: in the ffdshow settings, you can enable image processing by making it brighter, sharpening it, 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.
3. Xvid- for (de) encoding 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.
4. Microsoft- the item is needed in order for the selected format to be decoded by the codecs built into Windows as before.

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 in any case, they simply will not be used for formats where a different codec is selected.

Chapter DirectShow audio decoding filters contains codecs for sound playback.

1. 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, etc.
2. ffdshow the list is also present, 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 with video, filters can be applied to the sound.
3. 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 (it is necessary if the speakers are at different distances so that the 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.

V DirectShow source filters video source filters can be selected. They are needed not for decoding codecs, but for opening containers - files, inside which there will be video with sound. For example, file extensions AVI, MP4, MKV speak of different containers.

1. LAV Splitter- for AVI, MP4, Matroska (MKV), MPEG-TS (MTS), MPEG-PS (PS) and others. When you select LAV Splitter as a standard source filter, you can change audio tracks on the fly in any player via the LAV Splitter icon in the tray.
2. Haali media splitter- once a popular filter, it was used to turn on subtitles in unsupported players and switch audio tracks. Now it has been replaced by LAV Splitter as it is more functional.
3. DC-Bass Source Mod- needed to support OptimFROG files (extension .ofr .ofs) and open tracker music (.it .mo3 .mtm .s3m .umx .xm).

In chapter DirectShow subtitle filter there is only one point DirectVobSub... This filter will automatically enable subtitles from files of the same name. Now it is not relevant, because popular players already support subtitles stored both inside video files and external ones with the.srt extension.

Chapter Other Filters includes two DirectShow rendering filters for displaying images in players.

1. MadVR- a very powerful filter that allows you to scale the picture qualitatively and, what is important, make the frame change smooth.
2. Haali video renderer- a filter, whose development has long been discontinued, does not really work, it is not clear why it is included in the K-Lite Codec Pack.

V VFW video codecs contains the codecs of the Video for Windows standard. If you are using old video editing software or VirtualDub, then you need them.

1. ffdshow VFW interface- VFW part for ffdshow mentioned above. Allows you to save to FFV1, HuffYUV, DV and MJPEG.
2. Xvid is a free compatible alternative to the once popular DivX (MPEG-4).
3. x264VFW- for encoding video in the H.264 format, which is at the next evolutionary stage after MPEG-4.
4. huffyuv- lossless codec for encoding and decoding video files of the same format.
5. Lagarith- improved huffyuv, compresses harder, no data loss either.

ACM Audio Codecs are needed to compress audio.

1. MP3 (LAME) is a popular MP3 audio compression codec in programs such as VirtualDub. It will be installed only if there are no other MP3 codecs in the system.
2. AC3ACM- for AC3 format. The AC3 has two features: there can be many sound tracks and the technology is protected by patents. Because of this, many players on phones do not support AC3 format. There are no problems with this in Windows players.

In chapter Tools there are utilities.

1. 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.
2. MediaInfo Lite- to display detailed information about codecs inside multimedia files.
3. GraphStudioNext- a very powerful utility for developers of DirectShow filters. In the K-Lite Codec Pack, most likely, it is included because of the function of viewing which filters are used when opening a particular file.
4. Haali muxer- a utility for packing individual audio and video files into Matroska containers (.mkv).
5. VobSubStrip- a tool for solving a specific task: extracting subtitles for a particular language from files in .idx and.sub format.
6. Fourcc changer- a program that changes the label about the used codec in video files. It is useful if the required codec is not used when opening a video file.

V Explorer shell extensions are Windows Explorer extensions.

1. Icaros ThumbnailProvider allows you to see the contents of video files in popular formats in thumbnail view.
2. 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.

V Miscellaneous there are two options - Detect broken codecs and Detect broken DirectShow filters, which include checking the codecs and DS-filters already installed in the system. If something goes wrong with them (files and entries in the Windows registry are damaged or missing), you can delete them. The same function is available in the Codec Tweak Tool.

Additional Tasks and Options section

In the next step, the installer will specify a few settings.

Their number will differ depending on your choice in the previous step. Most of the settings are understandable, 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 was 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. Later they can be changed manually using the Codec Tweak Tool.

Add to Explorer context menu- a new item "MediaInfo" will appear in the right-click menu to easily open files with video and music in the MediaInfo program.

Hardware acceleration section

Hardware acceleration of video decoding is configured here. This is important for watching high definition movies.

You can select the decoding method (universal and hassle-free - DXVA2 copy-back), and enable acceleration only in Media Player Classic (item “Only use hardware acceleration in combination with MPC-HC).

MPC-HC configuration section

Appears when Media Player Classic is selected.

An important option here is the "Video renderer" selection. If you put madVR, choose it, otherwise the optimal Enhanced Video Renderer (Custom Presenter).

Preferred language (s) for audio and subtitles section

Here you can set preferences in the choice of the soundtrack. 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 assign programs manually through the Control Panel - Default Applications.

Depending on the checked boxes, additional steps will appear, where you can select in detail the program associations with file types.

Audio Configuration section

Here you can choose the type of your speakers.

Thumbnails Section

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

After installation

Restart your computer, otherwise some of the codecs will not work correctly.

If you need to change any settings of codecs and filters, in the Start menu there will be a K-Lite Codec Pack folder with shortcuts that open settings and utilities.

Related entries:

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K-Lite Codec Pack is a set of tools that allows you to play videos in the best quality. The official site contains several assemblies that differ in composition.

After downloading the K-Lite Codec Pack, many users do not know how to properly work with these tools. The interface is quite complicated, besides, the Russian language is completely absent. Therefore, in this article, we will consider setting up this software. For example, I previously downloaded the assembly from the manufacturer's website "Mega".

All codec configuration is done when installing this software. The selected parameters can be changed later using special tools from this package. So let's get started.

Run the installation file. If the program finds the already installed K-Lite Codec Pack components, it will offer to remove them and continue the installation. In case of failure, the process will be aborted.

In the first window that appears, you must select the operating mode. In order to configure all the components, select "Advanced"... Then "Next".

Profile selection

The next window will be one of the most important in configuring this package. The default is "Profile 1"... In principle, you can leave it that way, these settings are perfectly optimized. If you want to carry out a complete customization, select "Profile 7".

Some profiles may not have player installation. In this case, you will see the inscription in parentheses "Without player".

Setting up filters

In the same window, we will select a filter for decoding "DirectShow video decoding filters"... You can choose either ffdshow or LAV... There is no fundamental difference between them. I will choose the first option.

Splitter selection

In the same window, go down below and find the section "DirectShow source filters"... This is a pretty important point. A splitter is needed to select an audio track and subtitles. However, not all of them work correctly. The best option would be to choose LAV Splitter or Haali splitter.

In this window, we have marked the most significant items, leaving the rest as default. Push "Next".

Additional tasks

If you want to install additional program shortcuts, then put a check mark in the section "Additional shortcuts" next to the options you want.

To play videos only from the white list, check "Restrict usage to whitelisted applications".

To display video in RGB32 color mode, check Force RGB32 output... The color will be more saturated, but the load on the processor will increase.

You can switch between audio streams without the player menu by selecting the option "Hide systray icon"... In this case, the transition can be made from the tray.

In field "Tweaks" subtitle setting can be done.

The number of settings in this window can vary significantly. I show like mine, but it can be more or less.

Leave the rest unchanged and click "Next".

Hardware Acceleration Configuration

In this window, you can leave everything unchanged. These settings will work fine in most cases.

Renderer selection

Here we will set the renderer parameters. Let me remind you that this is a special program that allows you to get an image.

If the decoder Mpeg-2, the built-in player suits you, then we mark "Enable internal MPEG-2 decoder". If you have such a field.

In order to optimize the sound, select the option "Volume normalization".

Language selection

To install language files and the ability to switch between them, select "Install language files"... Push "Next".

We get into the language settings window. We select the primary and secondary language that suits your requirements. If necessary, you can select another one. We press "Next".

Now let's select the default player for playback. I will choose "Media Player Classic"

In the next window, mark the files that the selected player will play. I usually select all videos and all audios. You can select everything using special buttons, as in the screenshot. Let's continue.

The audio configuration can be left unchanged.

This completes the K-Lite Codec Pack setup. It remains only to press "Install" and test the product.

Codec is a program for to diving and Dec oodding (packing and unpacking) of 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 degrade the quality slightly to noticeably reduce the file size. But there are also lossless codecs - those that compress the file without loss of quality.

What is the K-Lite Codec Pack?

K-Lite Codec Pack is a set of the most popular and demanded codecs in one bottle. By installing this package, you can watch almost any video and play any audio format.

Benefits of the K-Lite Codec Pack

• The maximum set of codecs in one installer.
• Regular updates.
• The package includes one of the best Media Player Classic - convenient, lightweight and fast.
• Supplied in different configurations - Basic, Standart, Full and Mega (from the minimum set of codecs to the maximum).

Disadvantages of the 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 how to avoid this.

How to download the K-Lite Codec Pack

Now about how to download the K-Lite Codec Pack correctly, in order to download 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!

Just like here:

And here:

• Before installing on your computer, close all active applications and download the installation file for this program. You can find it on the website for free.
• Start the installation by double clicking on the installation file and click "next" in the window that appears.
• In the second dialog box, you will find ways to install the program. Here we will dwell in more detail. The quick method will install your program automatically, while skipping some installation steps that are not always clear to a novice user. And the slow method is a way in which you yourself will set all the options for the installed program. By default, you will be prompted to install the program in a slow way, and we select it.
• In the next window, you must select the path where your program will be saved on your computer. You can leave this item unchanged, and it will be saved on the C drive, or you can choose any other installation option.
• After that, you will be prompted to select the program components to install. You can set the parameters either manually or select one of the offered profiles. If you are an inexperienced user, then just select a standard profile and click the "next" button.
• You can either leave the component settings menu by default or choose it yourself. Click "next" to continue installation. In the next window you will be offered a choice of additional codecs that will be installed in the player.
• Next, you will need to select the player that will play the media files. It is better to choose classic by default.
• Next, you will be offered various file formats that will be embedded in the selected player. After you have completed the selection - at your request - press the "next" button.
• It remains only to select the file formats that will be included automatically in winExplorer. It is best to leave this menu unchanged. Click next, select the desired audio output channel (stereo for two speakers), and then view information about all installed components. If everything suits you, then click "next" and after some time the codec will be installed on your computer.

If your audio or video file does not play, most likely the problem is the lack of suitable codecs. You can learn more about codecs and how to choose them correctly from our article. Let's move from theory to practice and tell you how to install, update or remove codecs.

You can install codecs for playing sound and video either separately for each format, or in a package, which is most convenient.

One of the most popular and complete packages of audio and video codecs - K-Lite Codec Pack - is suitable for operating systems Windows XP, 7, 8 and 10. It can be downloaded for free from almost any software portal - a site for downloading programs. To download the latest version of the package with all the updates, it is better to go to the manufacturer's official website. Moreover, you will protect yourself from possible viruses.

Let's consider step by step how to install codecs

How to update, reinstall, or remove codecs

You have installed the codecs and now you can play files in any media format on your computer. But what about watching videos on mobile devices? You can find a player that supports the required codecs, but there is an easier way - convert the file using