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Guides for Codecs and Media Players

249 guides on codecs, media players and the tools around them.

21 new in the last 7 days

Sep 29, 20264,122 views5 min read

Free Spotify Alternative: Build Your Own Music and Radio Playlist With M3U

Swap a streaming subscription for a free M3U playlist of radio, YouTube and IPTV links, built and checked with five free tools, plus the player to open it.

Sep 28, 202617,811 views4 min read

Convert Video and Audio Files With VLC - No Extra Software

VLC's built-in converter, step by step - how to change format, extract audio, and what to do when the output file will not play.

Sep 28, 202639,912 views5 min read

Best GPU for Video Encoding in 2026: NVIDIA vs AMD vs Intel

Which graphics card encodes video best in 2026 - NVIDIA, AMD or Intel - with encoder counts, AV1 and 4:2:2 support, and when your current card is enough.

Sep 28, 202610,839 views6 min read

FLV vs MP4: How to Rescue Your Old Flash Videos

Why FLV stopped working, how to play those files today, and the quickest way to convert them to MP4 without losing quality.

Sep 28, 202620,587 views5 min read

How to Create a Bootable USB Recovery Drive for Windows 10 and 11

Build a Windows recovery USB with the built-in tool or with Rufus, and learn which one can reinstall Windows on any PC rather than just yours.

Sep 28, 202613,268 views4 min read

Samsung TV Won't Play XviD or DivX? Change One Code, Not the Whole File

Why a Samsung QLED refuses an AVI that plays fine on your PC, and the four-letter tag change that fixes it in seconds without re-encoding.

Sep 27, 202645,502 views5 min read

YouTube Music Sounds Thin? Change This One Setting

The 128kbps default, the 256kbps High setting and where to find it - plus the part most guides skip, which is that High needs Premium.

Sep 27, 202615,978 views6 min read

Best Free Video Players for Mac That Play Any Format (2026)

Five free Mac players that open MKV and HEVC without paid extensions - VLC, IINA, mpv, Kodi and Elmedia, and what each one is actually for.

Sep 27, 20264,935 views3 min read

iPhone HEIC Photos Won't Open on Windows? The 2-Minute Fix

Why iPhone HEIC photos show blank thumbnails on a PC, the two free extensions that fix it, and the iPhone settings that send JPEGs instead.

Sep 25, 202611,523 views3 min read

How to Update HEVC Video Extensions on Windows 11 and 10

Check your HEVC extension version, update it by hand in the Microsoft Store and switch on automatic updates, with the Windows 10 version limit explained.

Sep 22, 202684,406 views7 min read

MakeMKV Beta Key September 2026

The current MakeMKV beta key, how long it lasts, and what to do on the day it stops working.

Sep 22, 202623,900 views5 min read

iMazing Converter: How to Convert HEIC and HEVC Files for Free

A free converter for iPhone files - HEIC to JPG or PNG, HEVC video to MP4, in batches, with a choice about keeping the location data.

Sep 21, 20269,723 views8 min read

Best AVIF Viewers for Windows - and Which One to Install

Six AVIF viewers and three converters compared for Windows - which handles batch jobs, which opens fastest, and which needs a codec first.

Sep 21, 2026575 views11 min read

How to Update PC Drivers Safely - and Which Ones to Leave Alone

Which drivers actually need updating, which to leave alone, and the two-minute safety net that turns a bad driver into a five-minute fix.

Sep 20, 2026908 views8 min read

Windows Version History: Every Release From 1.0 to 11 Explained

Every Windows release from 1.0 to 11 with dates and what each one changed, plus which versions still get security updates and which are now unsafe.

Sep 20, 20268,128 views10 min read

What Is an M3U File? How to Open, Fix and Convert It

What an M3U playlist actually contains, why M3U8 is the same file, how to open one on any device - and the one time converting it is worth doing.

Sep 19, 20261,576 views5 min read

Best IPTV Services in 2026: Free and Paid Picks That Are Actually Legal

A legal shortlist of free and paid IPTV services, from Pluto TV and Freely to YouTube TV, with picks for the UK, India and the UAE.

Sep 19, 20265,510 views8 min read

How to Run Android on a PC From a Portable SSD

Turn a portable SSD into a pocket Android PC with Bliss OS - which build to pick, how to install it so your apps stay, and fixes for boot and Wi-Fi snags.

Sep 19, 202614,930 views4 min read

Photopea for Android: No Official App - Here's How to Use It on Your Phone

No official Photopea APK exists - how to spot the lookalike apps, add the real editor to your Android home screen, and which native apps to try instead.