Choosing a Codec Based on File Extension

[Pookie]

Perhaps my brain is dropping frames because the answer is obvious, but is there a way in Windows to assign a specific playback codec to a file based on the file's extension ? It's easy to assign an application to a file extension, perhaps a codec would be as well ?

Mods, please move if this topic belongs elsewhere.

[Manao]

A file extension is assigned to a container, not to a codec. For example, avi refers to the avi container, and can contain mpeg4, msmpeg, h264. Mkv can pretty much contain everything.

The only file extensions that specifically refers to a codec are raw stream extension ( m4v for mpeg4 video, .264 for h264, .aac for aac and so on ). But even with such files, a codec by itself won't allow you to show the file ( only a player will )

Finally, most players ( if not all ) already try to find the best demuxer ( to decode the container ), then the best decoders to decode video & audio. Such mechanisms are now quite robust, so they shouldn't need you to tweak them.

[Pookie]

True. I guess I can assign a player to a file extension. Reason - I like MediaPlayer Classic, but none of the Mpeg2 codecs I've used can smoothly play back 1080i material. VLC can do it, but it isn't my favorite app for other file types.

Anyway, thanks.

[diogen]

... is there a way in Windows to assign a specific playback codec to a file based on the file's extension ? ZoomPlayer can do that.

Diogen

[Pookie]

Hmm. Perhaps I'll take a look. It's been a few years since I looked at Zoom, far too full featured for me then, but maybe perfect now.

Thanks.

[diogen]

I think no player comes close to ZP paired with the latest NVidia codecs in terms of configurability and playback of hidef streams.
Also plays DRM-ed WMV (non-free version of ZP).
Some of those who like renderless prefer TheaterTek.

Diogen.