Use Codec Pack when encoding x264?

[Seraphic-]

(not sure if correct forum)

Hi,

I'm going to start doing real production encodes with x264 using Megui in the next few days. I've always used K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 4.0.0 (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Mega_Codec_Pack.htm) for my media playback, but I remember seeing somewhere that codec packs can cause conflicts and what not. So wanted to know if that is true or what. If it is, I put together the below list, would these cause any conflicts with encoding?

Video decoding
FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder 2008-07-21 (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/FFDShow.htm)

Video playback player
Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Media_Player_Classic.htm)

Playback of AC3/DTS
AC3 Filter 1.51a (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/AC3_Filter.htm)

Matroska Support
Haali Matroska Splitter 29.03.2008 (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Haali_Matroska_Splitter.htm)

Does Megui install x264 playback codec or do you need a separate codec download?

Can't seem to find a single download application to support AAC.
Seems to be called AAC (MONOGRAM) in the codec pack I used to use.
Also, can't find a download for FFDShow Audio Decoder.

Anyway is this all worth it? Should I just use the codec pack I was using or does someone know of a codec pack that won't create any problems.

Thanks

[cogman]

Megui shouldn't install any codec packs on your computer. it simply installs the encryption/decryption software.

FFDShow should have an AAC decoder built in (FAAD) so you should be good there.

Most codec packs are really just repackaged FFDShow codecs with one or two extras. I have found that just using FFDShow was sufficient for almost all video playback (FFDShow Tryouts btw, not FFDShow, FFDShow is dead)

[Dark Shikari]

x264 is an encoder, not a decoder.

FFDshow is the most common decoder for H.264 video.

FFDshow isn't an "MPEG-4 decoder"--its a decoder for nearly every audio and video format on Earth, with a few exceptions. This includes AAC.

Most good "codec packs" (if there is such a thing) include little more than a player, FFDshow, and a splitter, since FFDshow already handles nearly every format under the sun.

[Seraphic-]

Megui shouldn't install any codec packs on your computer. it simply installs the encryption/decryption software.

FFDShow should have an AAC decoder built in (FAAD) so you should be good there.

Most codec packs are really just repackaged FFDShow codecs with one or two extras. I have found that just using FFDShow was sufficient for almost all video playback (FFDShow Tryouts btw, not FFDShow, FFDShow is dead)

(FFDShow Tryouts btw, not FFDShow, FFDShow is dead)
Not sure what you mean?

[rack04]

Install ffdshow tryouts, haali media splitter, and MPC-HC. You'll be all set with these three.

[Blue_MiSfit]

ffdshow tryouts is a recent fork of ffdshow that is much more up to date. I'm not entirely sure that vanilla ffdshow development is dead - but tryouts seems to be the new standard :)

Some of the codec packs I've seen are absurd... Do you really need to have Divx, Xvid, ffdshow, 3ivx, DivX 3.11, and a handfull of other codecs installed - just to watch a freaking movie?

No. You need ffdshow tryouts.

All I ever install is Media Player Classic HC, ffdshow trouts, haali splitter, and AC3Filter. I own copies of CoreAVC and Nero, so I install those too - for fast H.264 decoding and E-AC3 audio decoding respectively.

~MiSfit

[Seraphic-]

ll I ever install is Media Player Classic HC, ffdshow trouts, haali splitter, and AC3Filter. I own copies of CoreAVC and Nero, so I install those too - for fast H.264 decoding and E-AC3 audio decoding respectively.

~MiSfit

Thanks, I'll try those.

Is the CoreAVC much better then the decoder from MPC-HC?
Their website seems to be down at the moment.

Also, what nero program are you talking about for AC3?
What does E-AC3 mean?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Is the CoreAVC much better then the decoder from MPC-HC?
Quality-wise the CoreAVC Decoder is no different to "libavcodec" (as used in ffdshow-tryouts and MPC).

But speed-wise CoreAVC still is far ahead. The DivX H.264 Decoder may become an alternative to CoreAVC Decoder....

[Blue_MiSfit]

:search:!!! :)

CoreAVC is very fast. The MPC-HC DXVA decoder is hardware accelerated, but only when connected directly to EVR or VMR9. I prefer Haali renderer, and ffdshow for adding noise / dithering. So, I'm forced to use software decoding - and in that realm CoreAVC is the clear champion!

The Nero program I'm talking about is their Nero 7 suite, with the HD-DVD / BluRay audio pack. Basically, this gives you a DirectShow Filter for decoding Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3 / EC3), the new "standard" audio format on BluRay and HD-DVD. I back up all my HD movies, and I prefer to transcode the E-AC3 tracks to AC3 - for simplicity's sake. Doing so requires a decoder, which nero provides. eac3to takes care of the rest :)

~MiSfit

[clsid]

Just get the standard version of the codec pack if you are lazy. That contains the essentials: MPC, ffdshow, Haali, plus a few other small things that may come in handy like MediaInfo. Installing everything separately is fine too, but may require a tiny bit more effort to those keep up-to-date.

If your computer can't handle H.264 playback with ffdshow, then CoreAVC can be a good addition as mentioned above.

[Seraphic-]

Installed Media Player Classic HC, ffdshow tryouts, haali splitter, and AC3Filter. But when I tried to play a 5.1 DTS track I was only getting sound from my front, center and left speakers. Not the Rear Left or Right or Sub.
Everything is set to 5.1 that I can see. Odd because didn't have that problem with the codec pack.