Free, frequently updated codec pack enabling smooth playback of hundreds of video formats
Free, frequently updated codec pack enabling smooth playback of hundreds of video formats
Pros
- Free codec pack
- Updated frequently
- Hundreds of format types supported
- Will auto-install if you let it
Cons
- Danger in digging around with the options
- Can be very technical to use manually
Every PC user has tried to watch a video online before and ended up with their media player not being able to handle it, and this is because a program like Xvid Codec wasn't used in order to update the codecs of the players.
Overview of Xvid Codec
If you're like most PC users out there, there have been times where you downloaded a video or movie file, or some random song that took you forever to find, only to find that your media player rejects it with some error message. This is because you don't have the proper codec installed to play the specific format; but it's also an easy fix with the Xvid Codec pack. Featuring hundreds of different codecs, and a lot more tools that you may find beneficial, this software package will ensure that you can consume media of every type on any media player on your PC.
The Xvid Codec pack is a program created by Xvid and launched more than a few years ago, although it does update frequently to ensure that current users and all new downloads have all the codes up to date. The program is 100% free to download and install, and comes in at only 11mb, so there should be plenty of room to install the codecs.
How Xvid Codec Works
This program works simply by adding the codecs you need to play videos directly to your PC, which will then be used as needed by your media player when you open up a media file.
It will install some basic codecs onto your PC, but they will never be used per se until they're needed, so they're just hanging around in limbo until they're used. They're not affecting your computer in any way at all.
Xvid Codec Features
If you're installing them all manually, things can get pretty technical. Most people just install the pack as-is and allow their media players to figure out which codecs are needed, which WMV, VLC and other players do automatically. So don't go digging around and toying with the features if you don't know the impact it will have. You do get features like a StatsReader and FourCC Changer, etc, but these can be too complex to figure out for many.
The best features of this download come by way of the viewer tab when you open the program. This allows you to check for updates and to configure things, and even to uninstall the video codec (of your choice or the entire package). Again, however, don't mess with options if you don't know what they do.
Pros and Cons of Xvid Codec
Pros
- Free codec pack
- Updated frequently
- Hundreds of format types supported
- Will auto-install if you let it
Cons
- Danger in digging around with the options
- Can be very technical to use manually
Pros
- Tons of different codecs
- Unique external user tools
- Free software package
- Works with most Windows PCs
Cons
- Extra tools might be difficult to use
- Larger files may lag
- Many more codecs than most people need
Most computer users find out very quickly that you can't just download anything off the Internet and expect it to play in your computer's media players, and so there are a lot of programs out there like XviD Codec to help transform your PC into a universal media player.
An Overview of XviD Codec
We've all been downloading a movie or show before, only to find out that it won't play on our Windows player or other media player. The thing that causes this is called the codec, which is basically just the functionality of your media player as it relates to media's embedded code or file extension. For instance, an avi file won't typically play on your Windows Media Viewer because it only accepts MP3, MP4, WMV, and other similar extensions. Though with a thorough codec pack like XviD Codec, what you end up with is a player that's practically universal and no longer has those issues playing files with strange and unrecognized codecs and extensions.
XviD Codec is a free licensed codec pack that actually comes with extra tools so that you can get those codecs where they need to go. For many players you have, downloading and installing the pack will instantly update said players. With others, however, you'll have to tick some boxes manually to ensure the player will recognize all the extensions, and this is where those extra tools might come in handy. You're actually getting a lot of codecs in this pack, and the package itself is 11.27 MB, so you know you're getting a lot. It works on most Windows operating systems but was designed specifically for Win 7. You shouldn't have any trouble with anything from XP to 10, however.
What XviD Codec Is and What It Does
Not only does this program allow for players to recognize extensions, but the compression ratios within this pack are also pretty good. For instance, when you're trying to play an MKV file and the codec has to basically translate it into a readable file for your existing player, a lot of quality could be lost due to the compression with most codec packs. With XviD Codec, you're getting very little quality loss; and for larger BluRay and HD files, you may experience no quality loss at all. This might be taxing on your player, so make sure you're not running a whole lot of other stuff in the background.
Rather than having the typical sort of user interface, this program allows you to access your Start menu and to find the Encoder/Decoder specs there. By doing this, you won't have to wait around for a program to launch. If you need to get inside of the codecs and switch some things around, you can do it all from your start menu.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Tons of different codecs
- Unique external user tools
- Free software package
- Works with most Windows PCs
Cons
- Extra tools might be difficult to use
- Larger files may lag
- Many more codecs than most people need
