[Windows Media Player 11 Codecs Video Download
Abdul Soumphonphakdy
With Windows Media Player 12 in Windows 7, you already have a very powerful tool for playing, managing, synchronizing and copying of video and audio files.
If you are using an earlier version of Windows such as Windows XP, we recommend that you install the current version of media player, to the benefit of all features and functionality.
Download - Windows Media Player for Windows XP
It is very easy to play a video file by using Windows Media Player. If you save a video file on your hard disk, double-click the file to launch. You can watch videos on the Internet (such as the library of ARD or ZDF) by using Windows Media Player, you might need a small browser add-on program for it. To do this, follow these steps: more in the following parts of this series.
1. Click Start.
2. Type Media Player in the seach box.
3. Click Windows Media Player in the Programs list.
4. Windows Media Player is started. In the left navigation pane, you will find your Videos library. Click it to view all the video files associated with this library.
If the video you want to play is on your hard disk, but not in this library, you should add the video to the Videos library so taht you can access it at any time via the Windows Media Player. To do this, right-click Videos.
5. Click Manage Video library.
6. In the right pane, click Add, specify the location where you put your videos, and then click Include folder.
7. Click OK. All videos that you save in this folderare automatically added to the library.
8. Tip:To play a video file immediately in the media player and also automatically add it to the videos library, click the corresponding file entry in the Windows Explorer, right-click and then click Add to the Windows Media Player playlist.
To properly play video (and even music files), Windows Media Player required an appropriate codec. Codecs are small programs that encode digital signals in a file or data and decode. Only in this way, the player can interpret the streams as a music or film and play correctly. If a codec is missing in the system, the corresponding video file cannot be played. You will receive an error message.
Because Windows Media Player is well equipped with and all major audio and video formats - including 3GP, AAC, AVCHD, MPEG-4, WMV and WMA and AVI, DivX, mov, and XviD files, this error message generally does not appear.
You can configure the Windows Media Player so that it automatically downloads and installs updates and codec enhancements from the Internet when available. This makes more sense in most cases than manually in the Internet codec packs to search for. Some of the circulating on the Internet, free codec packs are not mature or with malicious software. In the worst cases, these programs break the functionality of Windows Media Player.
1. Start Windows Media Player as described above, and then click Tools on the menu bar.
2. Click Options.
3. On the Player tab, select either Once a day or Once a weekunder Automatic updates.
4. Click OK.
A codec can consist of two parts: an encoder that compresses the media file (encoding) and a decoder that decompresses the file (decoding). Some codecs include both parts, and other codecs only include one of them.
In the About Windows Media Player dialog box, select Technical Support Information. Your web browser will open a page that includes a lot of detailed info about the related binary files, codecs, filters, plug-ins, and services installed on your PC. This info should help you troubleshoot problems.
There are hundreds of audio and video codecs in use today. Some have been created by Microsoft, but the vast majority of codecs were created by other companies, organizations, and individuals. By default, the Windows operating system and the Player include a number of the most popular codecs, such as Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video, and MP3.
However, there might be times when you want to play content that was compressed by using a codec that Windows or the Player doesn't include by default. In many cases, you can download the necessary codec from the web for free or for a fee. And, in some cases, the Player can automatically use the codecs installed by other digital media playback and creation programs on your computer.
If you know the name of the codec or its ID (known as a FourCC identifierfor video codecs or a WaveFormat identifierfor audio codecs), try searching the internet for it. You can often go to a codec manufacturer's website to download the most recent version of a codec. If you don't know the missing codec's name or ID, see How do I tell which codec was used to compress a file and what format a file is in?
Use caution when installing codecs that you find on the internet, particularly some of the free codec packs that claim to include codecs from a wide variety of companies or organizations. There are known compatibility issues with some of the components in these codec packs, and these can trigger serious playback problems in Windows Media Player and other players, cause system corruption, and make it difficult for Microsoft Support to diagnose and troubleshoot playback issues.
Therefore, we strongly discourage you from installing these codec packs and recommend that you remove them if you have installed them and are having problems with the Player. Install codecs, filters, and plug-ins only from trusted sources, such as the provider's official website. Even then, use caution: some codec providers offer minimal customer support. Before installing any digital media components, set up a system restore point. This lets you return to your original system configuration, if necessary.
To determine what codec was used with a specific file, play the file in the Player, if possible. While the file is playing, right-click the file in the library, and then select Properties. On the File tab, look at the Audio codec and Video codec sections.
You might be able to tell the format of a file by looking at the file name extension (such as .wma, .wmv, .mp3, or .avi). However, there are limits to this approach. Many programs create files with custom file extensions. And it's possible for anyone to rename a file without changing the file's format. A file with an .mpg or .dvr-ms extension, for example, is usually just an AVI file that's been compressed by using some version of an MPEG video codec.
A DVD decoder is another name for an MPEG-2 decoder. The content on DVD-Video discs is encoded in the MPEG-2 format, as is the content in DVR-MS files (Microsoft Recorded TV Shows) and some AVI files. To play these items in the Player, you need to have a compatible DVD decoder installed on your computer.
If your computer has a DVD drive, it probably already has a DVD decoder installed on it. However, if you receive an error message that indicates that you're missing a compatible DVD decoder, select the Web Help button in the error message dialog box to determine how to obtain one.
For example, if you're trying to play a DVD-Video disc or a DVR-MS file on your computer at work, and that computer doesn't have a DVD decoder installed on it, you won't be able to play that item until you install a compatible DVD decoder on your work computer.
Codecs can be written for 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems. If you're running a 64-bit version of Windows, you need to install 64-bit codecs. For example, if you install a 32-bit codec on a 64-bit operating system, the Player might not be able to play any files that require that codec.
Note that many older codecs are only available in 32-bit versions. If the codec provider does not specify whether its codec is 32-bit or 64-bit, the codec is likely 32-bit. For more information, contact the codec provider.
You might want to try the Microsoft Movies & TV app as an alternative to Windows Media Player. To get this, enter Microsoft Store in the search box on the taskbar, search for Movies & TV, and scroll down to the Apps section of the search results.
Note: the Basic version does NOT include a player
You need to use it together with an already installed DirectShow player such as Windows Media Player. For playback issues with WMP please read our F.A.Q. for solutions.
This is the recommended variant for the average user. Use this if you don't know what you need. It already contains everything that you need for playback. The extra components that are included in the larger versions provide no benefit for the majority of users.
Important note:
The K-Lite Codec Pack does not expand the import abilities of professional video editors such as Adobe Premiere or Vegas Movie Studio. Those applications often only support importing a small set of file formats, and do not support using the type of codecs that are included in the codec pack (DirectShow/VFW). Modern editors often only use their own internal codecs or only support external codecs of the Media Foundation type.
K-Lite Codec Pack (Full) is one of the most complete and up-to-date codec packages for both video and audio. Thanks to this package, you can play practically any movie or audio file you have stored locally on your computer. No matter your preferred player, with these codecs, you can access any video or audio file you want.
The installation of this package includes several video players, among them the well-known Media Player Classic and BSplayer, two of the most popular and well-established players. K-Lite Codec Pack (Full) is the easiest way to get the decoders needed to view any movie, video clip, or video fragment you've recorded and exported to your PC.
The main difference between this FULL version of K-Lite Codec Pack (Full) and the STANDARD version is that this one includes the ability to play two formats not included with STANDARD. These two formats are OptimFrog and Tracker, both of which are uncommon. With the FULL version, you'll have no problem listening to any file with the following extensions: .it, .mo3, .mtm, .s3m, .umx, .xm, .ofr, and .ofs.
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