wtf is a codec?

[KNG P1N]

i bootleged a movie. and when i open it in media player is comes up with sending request for codec, unable to connect and it only plays the sound.......how do i rectify the current situation?
m@

[noss]

a codec is a 'coder/decoder' for audio & movie files

there are 2 codecs that this video will most likely require, either divx or xvid. i'm pretty sure you can download both of these from www.doom9.org

divx is shareware though and if you dont pay for it it loads your pc with spyware bullshit, so to avoid this you can get the full version from file sharing programs like edonkey

[KNG P1N]

cheers big ears

[vector]

you can get like a "nemo codec pack" from file sharing places it contains pretty much everything youll ever need 

EDIT : it may be spelt "nimo"

[noss]

i wouldnt touch that codec pack or similar codec packs with a 10 foot pole.

a while back i was recommended by someone else to get that codec pack, so i did, i installed it and after i installed it i couldnt watch dvds on my pc, i couldnt rip or write dvds and i couldnt encode divx or even play mp3s anymore either.

i tried for months and months to remove the stupid thing but it left shit behind and my system still didnt work properly. a format and clean install is the only advice i could find from even the nerdiest of nerds.

the rule i stick to these days is to just install the codecs you need. some codecs will clash with each other and cause some not to work.

the codec pack might work for some but it also doesnt work for others, if you search the net you'll find that the nemo codec pack and others like 'angel potion' are the source of many computing problems. although it all depends on what software and other codecs you already have installed, i personally dont think its worth the hassle.

[BoGAn]

Ill second that noss. The nimo codec pack will fuck up your system. It really screwed over my xvid playback, which after much headbanging i was able to get to barely work. Even now after a new install of the xvid codec alone explorer will still come up with an error in xvid.dll when it tries to preview xvid files.

Only install the codecs you need. Packs bite arse.

[vector]

thats funny i never had any problems with it it worked well for me......

[cosmicr]

the rule i stick to these days is to just install the codecs you need. some codecs will clash with each other and cause some not to work.

I agree, dont get any codec packs.

divx is shareware though and if you dont pay for it it loads your pc with spyware bullshit, so to avoid this you can get the full version from file sharing programs like edonkey

I'm not 100% sure but I think that some xvid codecs can play divx files as well.

[Budgie]

The Xvid decoder can decode the 'four CC's which means it can handle Divx 3.11a (the original) Divx 4+ and DivX 5+ as well as Xvid.

The Xvid codec should be all you need to install.

[omad]

Codec packs don't work properly usually because they either install things twice (like ffdshow and divx/xvid/etc) which clash or the person installing them already has some of the codecs installed which does the same thing.

I found this out as I had some divx/xvid files that would play crappily (green bits etc etc) and I had issues with WMP playing MP3's garbled after installing Nimo. I installed and re-installed it many many times eliminating what it was installing to screw things up. Once I figured out what not to put on, all was well. I've never had the issue of it destroying everything irreversably. Uninstalling it removed everything.

I found that having ffdshow and divx/xvid was causing the stuff ups in the videos, so I took ffdshow off the list, and the AC3 codec was screwing up the audio. Removed also.

There's nothing really wrong with Nimo, you just have to know what not to install. Plus I believe that the newer releases have different install options like full/common (or something)/minimal.