Extremely newb codec help! (Just formatted and lost everything)

[Blizzardstar]

Hello,

I recently formatted my PC and lost all my downloaded codecs and programs, after DL VirtualDub again I found that the codec I used MPEG4 something wasn't there, so I tried searching for it but there were too many variations that I don't know which one to get @_@
Could anyone reccomend me a good one?
I used to have one that had a bitrate calculator and so on. I think there even was a post in these forums about getting the best compression settings and so on. With things like I-frames P-frames and so, but I only set it once like 2 years ago and I don't remember it now.
Please help me, I love recording and editting, but I'm not very bright XD
I record video games and I have posted over 2000 videos on Youtube.

[Southstorm]

This will get you started:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120465

[Blizzardstar]

I DLed (but not installed)

Nightly builds by clsid

Is this the same as downloading a codec pack?

I watch anime and I already dowloaded the anime community pack or something won't it clash with each other?

Also sorry I'm so noob but how does this relates to the MPEG4 thing?

[Dark Shikari]

If you already installed the CCCP, you don't need any other playback packs or codecs or similar.

[Blizzardstar]

But the MPEG4 options doesn't appear in my compression option list while in VirtualDub, what should I do?
Should I just download Xvid instead of that ffdshow pack?

[Dark Shikari]

But the MPEG4 options doesn't appear in my compression option list while in VirtualDub, what should I do?
Should I just download Xvid instead of that ffdshow pack?FFDshow includes a whole bunch of MPEG-4 encoding options. Just select it in Virtualdub.

You can also install Xvid separately.

[Blizzardstar]

Thank, I installed the Xvid codec, I hope it doesn't clashes with the CCCP.
Any recommendations for the sound?
I used MPEG Layer-3 and LameMP3, are those Ok? Or should I try something else?