CODECS.COM guides

Guides for Codecs and Media Players

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

12 new in the last 7 days

Oct 6, 20263,218 views7 min read

Windows 7 in 2026: Where to Get It Legally and How to Run It Safely

Where to get Windows 7 legally now that Microsoft has pulled the download, and how to run it safely in a virtual machine or on an offline PC.

Oct 6, 20262,293 views5 min read

Realtek Audio Console Missing? How to Download and Install It on Windows 11 and 10

Where to get Realtek Audio Console for free, why it only appears with the UAD driver, and what to do when the Microsoft Store refuses to install it.

Oct 5, 20261,909 views4 min read

How to Install TiviMate on a Fire TV Stick (and When You Cannot)

Get TiviMate onto a Fire TV Stick in a few minutes, and learn to spot the new models that will never run it.

Oct 5, 20261,003 views6 min read

See What Every App on Your PC Is Really Doing With Windows 11's Free Sysmon

Windows 11 now includes Microsoft's Sysmon activity logger - switch it on in two minutes and see exactly what programs start and connect to.

Oct 4, 20262,028 views8 min read

How to Install an XAPK File on Android

What an XAPK bundle contains, why Android refuses to open one, and the two ways to install it on a phone or from a computer.

Updated Oct 3, 20269,531 views5 min read

Best Modern Codecs: H.264, HEVC, VP9, AV1 and Opus Explained

The five codecs behind almost every video and song online - H.264, HEVC, VP9, AV1 and Opus - and which one to use for playback or your own files.

Updated Oct 3, 20263,603 views6 min read

Xvid Won't Play on Your Phone or TV? Convert It to MP4 Free (4 Ways)

Four free ways to turn old Xvid AVI files into MP4 that plays everywhere, from one-click HandBrake to a single FFmpeg command for a whole folder.

Oct 2, 2026839 views5 min read

AI Agent Swarms Explained: What They Are and How to Keep Your PC Safe

A plain-English guide to AI agent swarms, prompt injection and the simple steps that keep a Windows PC safe from them.

Updated Oct 2, 202622,686 views7 min read

StaxRip HEVC Encoding: How to Cut Video File Sizes in Half for Free

Free 10-step StaxRip workflow to encode any source video into half-size HEVC files with the x265 encoder.

Updated Oct 2, 202617,867 views4 min read

Best Video Codec Tutorials: 6 Free Videos That Make Codecs Click

Six free videos that explain codecs, containers and compression in the order to watch them, with a hands-on next step after each one.

Updated Oct 2, 20265,363 views6 min read

HDR Video Has No Sound at the Start? 5 Fixes for LAV Filters Users

Why HDR films start silent on a Windows PC running LAV Filters, and five fixes - from switching HDR on first to one audio setting that stops the gap.

Updated Oct 2, 202622,583 views6 min read

How to Install FFmpeg on Windows 11 (and Actually Use It)

Get FFmpeg working on Windows in minutes - one-command or manual install, the PATH fix, ten everyday commands and free GUIs if you prefer buttons.

Updated Oct 1, 20265,006 views6 min read

How to Run Chrome Portable From a USB Drive - No Install, No Admin

Put Google Chrome on a USB stick and use it on locked-down work, school or public Windows PCs, with the privacy settings and update routine that keep it safe.

Updated Oct 1, 202623,560 views6 min read

Play H.265 Videos Free on Windows Using LAV Filters

How to get H.265 video playing in MPC-HC, PotPlayer and other DirectShow players with LAV Filters, GPU decoding switched on and the usual black-screen fixes.

Updated Oct 1, 20261 comment8,712 views5 min read

Convert WAV to MP3 Without Losing Quality: The Right LAME Settings

The exact LAME setting and commands to turn WAV into MP3 with no audible loss, plus no-typing options and the one case where sample rate matters.

Updated Sep 30, 20266,412 views5 min read

Chromium vs Chrome: What Google Adds - and Which One You Should Use

What Chrome adds on top of Chromium - codecs, Netflix DRM, auto-updates and Google tracking - and which of the two, or Brave, fits the way you browse.

Sep 30, 20261,269 views7 min read

BitLocker Is Probably Already On: Find Your Recovery Key Before You Need It

Windows 11 can encrypt your drive during setup without saying a word - check if it did, save the recovery key and stay out of the lockout screen.

Updated Sep 30, 202645,805 views3 min read

Official User Guides and Manuals for Free Media Software

Where to find the official manual for VLC, HandBrake, Audacity, DaVinci Resolve, OBS Studio and more - online guides and free PDF downloads in one list.