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As you probably remember, the word “codec” was contained in the definition of a media player. Indeed, codec is a very important piece of software. The word comes from the combination 'Compression/Decompression’. A codec is software that is used to compress or decompress a digital media file, such as a song or video. Historically, video was stored as an analog signal on magnetic tape. Around the time when the compact disc entered the market as a digital-format replacement for analog audio, it became feasible to also begin storing and using video in digital form, and a variety of such technologies began to emerge. That is how mathematicians and computer programmers came up with the ‘codec’ concept. A codec is a complex encoding and decoding algorithm used to create and then read a given audio or video file. Currently, there is a huge number of different types of codecs available. The different media players contain different codecs. Of course, you can download and install some of the codecs packages available on the Internet, but instead of spending more money, you can use the media players described here (because they come with built-in codecs). A common problem is when an end user wants to watch a video stream encoded with a specific codec that is not present and properly installed on the his machine. In such case, the video won't play (or won't play optimally). That is something that has happened to all of use, at one point or another. Therefore, to prevent it, you must use the best media player around, with the most through list of codecs included.
BSplayer
BSplayer is windows player for playing back a wide range of media files, including mp3, avi, asf, wmv, wav and mpeg video files or any other file for which you have a codec. If you want to playback a file format that is not installed by default, BSPlayer would require you to install the necessary codec. A good thing about the BSPlayer is the way it handles subtitles. It allows you to change the subtitles position, color, font, transparency, just about anything related with the subs. Supported subtitle formats are: MicroDVD, SubViewer, SubRip. The official website of the program is https://www.bsplayer.com. Another nice thing about it is the Drag and Drop feature allowing you to play a given file just by dropping into the icon of the application or its window. Also, the BSPlayer does not use much of the processing power, so it is suitable for all those who use slightly less capable computers. Its latest version allows you to create your own media compilation in a very easy manner. You can sort the content in playlists, which enable you to work with files faster and more easily. If you are missing a given codec, you will most likely find it here: http://www.bsplayer.com/en/bs.player/product/frequent_questions/?faq=29#question27.
VLC
VLC is known as the cross-platform media player and streaming server. It is available for Windows, MAC OS X and almost all Linux distributions. This media player can read various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg and many others) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network. One feature that makes it standout is the Flash Video, allowing you to playback Flash files that you have downloaded from one of the many video sharing websites. The source code of this application can also be downloaded at the official website - http://www.videolan.org/. For the full list of codecs that it supports, check out here http://www.videolan.org/vlc/features.html.
GOM
The GOM is a highly underestimated media player, but has more functions then the majority of its competitors and on top of that it’s FREE. You can download it at http://www.gomplayer.com/main.html. This is a really great application, an absolute must have. GOM Player supports most popular codecs (AVI, DAT, MPEG, DivX plus many more) with its own embedded codec system so that you won't have to look for appropriate codecs every time you can't play a certain video format. For those codecs that require a license that cannot be distributed, GOM will automatically lead you to an open-source codec web-site. It also allows you to watch video files while you are downloading them! This is because of GOM's registered patent for playing broken AVI files and files that are still being downloaded. It also supports subtitles, you can create your own skins for it, set shortcut keys, VMR modes and detailed resolution.
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player (WMP) is a digital media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is included in the new Windows vista, scheduled for official release on January 30th 2007, but users of Windows XP can also use it by downloading the XP version from microsoft.com. An interesting new feature is the Windows Media High Definition Video (WMV HD) allowing to experience high-definition video on your computer. Finding a missing codec is easy with WMP. You can search for it at WMPlugins.com or at Microsoft.com. It is always a good idea to set a system restore point before installing a new codec, because many codec suppliers offer minimal customer support if something goes wrong. Additionally, you can set WMP to download the needed codec automatically, by going to the Tools menu, then click on Options. On the Player tab, select the Download codecs automatically check box.
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ALShow
Some call ALShow the easiest movie player on the Internet. It has codecs already built in, its the only download you'll ever need, according to experts. With this software, you can download automatically a required codec from the online codecs center, therefore it is highly unlikely that you will ever have a missing codec problem while using it. ALShow has very modest system requirements and runs without a problem on older computers, while on newer and faster machines it is highly responsive and fast.
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The latest version of the DivX player - 6.4 is enhanced for high definition (HD) playback and developers claim it's capable of playing every DivX file ever created. the DivX Player provides a great way to enjoy DivX videos. It requires less CPU and memory than most other players, including Windows Media Player. The DivX Codec takes the power of advanced digital video compression to the next level, allowing you to encode video at resolutions up to high-definition 1920 x 1080, which is to 10 times more than MPEG-2/DVD format and hundreds of times over raw digital video. This DivX 6.4 codec also features automated noise reduction. For free download, click here http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/download/.
Gspot
To finish the topic on the different media players and codecs, lets take a look at Gspot. Gspot is a utility designed to find out which codec you need to install so that you can play your video and audio files. The software is free for personal use and the whole kit (.exe file, ExportFormat.txt, license.txt and the .dat file) will take almost one megabyte of your hard disk space. It doesn’t require installation, just run the executable to find out the codec you need to watch a given video file.
To download the latest version, go to http://www.headbands.com/gspot/.
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