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A good MKV codec for Windows Media Player

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  • 17-03-2015 10:13pm
    #1
    Tony EH
    Registered Users Posts: 19,313 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm looking for a MKV codec that allows WMP to read MKV files. But, I've read some horror stories about blindly installing codecs.

    Can any of you point me in teh direction fo a decent MKV codec. Not a pack, just the MKV codec?


    Cheers.


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    #2
    maki
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭maki


    Mkv is a container format, not a media encoding format. It could contain one of a number of different types of encoded media data. So there is no single codec.

    You need a codec for the underlying data stream, which could be anything. You might also need another codec for the audio stream.

    This is why codec packs are often the answer, but it's probably a lot simpler to just use VLC or Media Player Classic.


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    #3
    Tony EH
    Registered Users Posts: 19,313 ✭✭✭✭Tony EH


    I was using VLC, but it was jittery as fook when playing large files. So much so that they were unwatchable. There are a number of "solutions" on the web, but none of them worked for me. So, I was going with the idea of using WMP to play MKVs.

    In any case, I just downloaded an old version of VLC (version 2.0.0) and that's working perfectly.

    So, it seems that somewhere between 2.0.0 and the newer versions something has changed and not for the better.


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    #4
    Skerries
    Registered Users Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Skerries


    have you tried installing a codec pack like k-lite or cccp?
    Untitled Image




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    #5
    Tony EH
    Registered Users Posts: 19,313 ✭✭✭✭Tony EH


    I tried CCCP before I installed the old version of VLC. But WMP still didn't want to bother with MKVs.

    Anyway. VLC 2.0.0 is working fine with everything I put through it, so it's all good now.


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    #6
    peckerhead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭peckerhead


    The stuttering with VLC may also have been down to your processor struggling with a large HD file. I have a small net-top Revo with a 1GB Atom processor and only 2GB of RAM and by trial and error found that Media Player Classic gave the least trouble. Windows Media Player was forever freezing, even just with audio playlists.


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    #7
    Tony EH
    Registered Users Posts: 19,313 ✭✭✭✭Tony EH


    It doesn't stutter when playing a Blu ray, or any other type of file/container. Just MKVs at 1080p (or thereabouts). But, the older version, 2.0.0, plays everything smoothly. Version 2.2.0 and the last few iterations were giving me issues.

    This problem was only on my laptop. An HP 255, which doesn't have the greatest CPU in the world, no doubt. But I don't think she's to blame here, as with the roll back to the older version of VLC, everything is OK now.

    So, it has to be something within the VLC code that is responsible.


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