STANDARD Codecs

Missing codecs are the most common reason why certain videos can't be played on a computer. If you want to make sure you won't encounter such issues, you can take a look at STANDARD Codecs. It includes a large number of filters and decoders which should enable your machine to play media files in mostly any format, without any problems. Also, the package includes a good number of configuration options.

STANDARD Codecs is offered free of charge and you can find an Advanced version as well, which is also free. Although it is available for all modern Windows versions, you will have to look for a different setup file, if you are using Vista or XP. Installing the codecs is a straightforward procedure and it doesn't take long to complete.

Once the codecs package is installed, you have to restart your machine. You can leave everything as it is and start enjoying your movies if you want to, but you can also launch the STANDARD Codecs configurations panel and make a wide range of video and audio tweaks. The panel is composed of several tabs, on which you will find general configurations controls, as well as options for video and audio codecs and for other components.

In most cases, you only need to make a few selections, by clicking check boxes and radio buttons. It is also possible to bring up additional options, on separate windows, for LAV splitter and input formats tweaking. STANDARD Codecs comes with the Icaros Shell Extension as well, which can be used to manage thumbnails, file types and more. If you are not sure what settings you should make or what options you have clicked, you can always look at the lower region of the configurations panel, where you may tick an option for applying Shark007's recommended settings. Alternatively, you may click a button to reset all settings and start again.