It's not codecs that are bad, but codec packs.
I also know that I can load that video into another program that uses DirectShow. I actually find it reassuring when a video plays in MPC because that proves that my filters are working for that format.
However, to get your video to playback correctly, you need to have your DirectShow Filters in order. This makes it very small and light on resources. Media Player Classic (MPC) is my favorite of the two. There is no problem with using VLC, but at some point you may want some other software to read the same video files and you will be surprised when it doesn't read them. Most people don't even know what DirectShow filters are, or that they have replaced VFW codecs as the primary means for decoding video streams in Windows XP and Vista. That means you don't have to spend time getting the DirectShow filters setup correctly on your system. I've ranted about this enough, so I'll give it a rest.įolks like VLC because it has built-in support for most video streams. Codec packs are bad! I recommend you never use them ever.
