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Guides for Codecs and Media Players

248 guides on codecs, media players and the tools around them. 25 new in the last 7 days

Sep 18, 202622,639 views5 min read

How to Enable AV1 Hardware Decoding on Windows

When AV1 plays but stutters and the fan spins up, the GPU is not doing the decoding - here is the 30-second check and the fix in each player.

Sep 18, 2026406 views3 min read

Can Your Phone Record Video in AV1?

Your phone plays AV1 but almost certainly cannot record it - here is the one exception, and what to do with everything else.

Sep 18, 202628,446 views4 min read

Best Codec Packs for Windows 11 and 10 - Which One to Install

K-Lite, X Codec Pack, Shark007, LAV Filters and Microsoft's own extensions compared, with the abandoned packs to skip and a safe install checklist.

Sep 17, 202631,488 views6 min read

How to Open HEIC and HEIF Photos on Windows - 4 Free Fixes

Why iPhone HEIC photos open as grey squares on Windows, and four free ways to fix it - including the free HEVC decoder most guides never mention.

Sep 17, 202649,301 views3 min read

Xvid vs H.264, H.265 and AV1: Should You Keep or Convert Your Old AVI Files?

A plain side-by-side of Xvid against H.264, H.265 and AV1, with a simple keep, play or convert table for anyone sitting on a folder of old AVI files.

Sep 17, 2026534 views4 min read

Is IPTV Legal? How to Tell a Real Service From a Pirate One

Seven warning signs that separate a licensed IPTV service from a pirate reseller, plus what viewers risk now that fines reach users too.

Sep 17, 2026389 views7 min read

How to Install Windows 11 in VMware Workstation Without the TPM Error

Windows 11 refuses to install in a new virtual machine until VMware supplies a TPM chip, and here is exactly where that setting hides.

Sep 17, 202610,493 views8 min read

How to Dual Boot Windows and Linux on the Same SSD

A full dual-boot walkthrough for one SSD, including the BitLocker check, the Fast Startup switch and the GRUB line that makes Windows reappear.

Sep 16, 202615,135 views5 min read

PotPlayer for Android - Is It Available? And What to Install Instead

PotPlayer is Windows-only and the store is full of apps borrowing its name - here is who really makes them, and the five Android players worth installing.

Sep 16, 20264,942 views5 min read

How to Use FlyOOBE to Debloat Windows 11 After Installation

The five-minute FlyOOBE pass that removes the preinstalled apps, Copilot and Recall that Windows 11 setup gives you no way to decline.

Sep 16, 20269,404 views4 min read

How to Copy Multiple ISOs to One USB Drive and Boot Any OS with Ventoy

Set up one USB stick that boots any ISO you drop onto it - the Ventoy install, the step that erases the drive, and the Secure Boot screen.

Sep 16, 202610,948 views3 min read

Xvid Codec Download for Android? Why There Isn't One

There is no Xvid codec download for Android, and Xvid APKs are often fake. Install VLC for Android instead and your Xvid AVI files play right away, free.

Sep 15, 20269,876 views6 min read

How to Run ChromeOS Flex from a USB Drive Without Touching Windows

Boot ChromeOS Flex from a stick to test an old laptop without touching Windows - the Rufus steps, the BIN file trap, and what is not saved.

Sep 15, 202614,385 views3 min read

How to Play Xvid Files on Android - No Codec Needed

Which free Android players open Xvid AVI files without any codec, how they compare, and why no Xvid codec APK exists for Android.

Sep 15, 2026307 views5 min read

How to Open ProRes and ProRes RAW Files on Windows

ProRes opens on Windows today and ProRes RAW does not - how to tell the two apart, and the three free routes that open the one that refuses.

Sep 15, 20269,123 views5 min read

How to Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB Drive - and Rescue Files from a Dead PC

Build a bootable Ubuntu stick with Rufus and use it to boot a dead PC and copy the files off - every Rufus setting, plus the drive letter error.

Sep 15, 202658,047 views5 min read

How to Open and Save AVIF Files in Photoshop - With or Without the Plugin

Current Photoshop opens AVIF with no add-on - how to check your version, save AVIF files, and install the free plugin on an older copy.

Sep 15, 202616,821 views6 min read

How to Create a System Image in Windows 11 - and Actually Restore It

The five-step walkthrough for imaging a whole Windows install, plus the restore half most guides leave out and the folder mistake that quietly breaks it.