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Guides for Codecs and Media Players

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

6 new in the last 7 days

Updated Sep 25, 202613,148 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.

Updated Sep 22, 20261 comment24,791 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.

Updated Sep 21, 202610,543 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, 20261,446 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, 20262,025 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.

Updated Sep 20, 202611,165 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, 20266,046 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.

Updated Sep 19, 20266,882 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.

Updated Sep 19, 202616,300 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.

Updated Sep 19, 20269,270 views5 min read

Best Free Video Editors Without Watermark

Seven free video editors for PC and phone that export with no watermark, plus the small print on Clipchamp, CapCut and VideoPad.

Sep 18, 20262,038 views4 min read

Can You Watch DStv on IPTV? The Legal Way to Stream DStv on Any Device

Why DStv channels can't go in an IPTV player, and how to stream them legally with DStv Stream on phones, PCs, smart TVs and certified Android boxes.

Updated Sep 18, 202624,262 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, 20261,184 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.

Updated Sep 18, 202630,250 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.

Updated Sep 17, 202632,711 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.

Updated Sep 17, 202649,999 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, 20262,269 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, 20261,102 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.

Updated Sep 17, 202612,063 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.

Updated Sep 16, 202616,225 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.