Useful guides and tutorials related to codecs and multimedia.

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

How to Install LAME MP3 Encoder 4.0 on Windows 11 and 10

27 Aug 2026 7.264 views
A plain-English walkthrough of every way to get LAME MP3 Encoder 4.0 running on Windows, from the command line to Audacity to no install at all.

How to Blur or Remove Backgrounds with Hypic on Android

27 Aug 2026 30.962 views
A screenshot walkthrough of Hypic's Mosaic and Cutout tools, the two free ways to blur a background or remove it entirely on Android.

What Is Media Foundation? Why Your Windows Videos Will Not Play

27 Aug 2026 13.667 views
What Media Foundation is, how it differs from DirectShow, and why Windows ships without the codecs it needs to play modern video.

What Is PowerToys? Every Utility, and the Ones Worth Enabling

27 Aug 2026 9.105 views
A tour of every Microsoft PowerToys utility for Windows 10 and 11, which four to enable first, and the ones that earn their place in a media workflow.

How to View AVIF Files on Windows - 3 Fixes That Work

26 Aug 2026 153.229 views
Three free ways to open AVIF images on Windows, from a browser workaround to the AV1 Video Extension, plus a fix for the IrfanView AVIF.DLL plugin error.

Why Blackmagic Gives Away DaVinci Resolve for Free

26 Aug 2026 8.651 views
The real reason DaVinci Resolve costs nothing, what Blackmagic gets back through hardware and Studio licences, and where the free version actually stops.

How to Access Your iPhone File System on PC With 3uTools

26 Aug 2026 7.907 views
A step-by-step guide to browsing and exporting iPhone folders from a Windows PC with free 3uTools, and opening the HEIC and HEVC files that come across.

How to Convert EAC3 Audio to AC3 or AAC With XMedia Recode

26 Aug 2026 17.194 views
EAC3 track will not play on your TV or phone? Convert it to AC3 or AAC free with XMedia Recode, keeping the video untouched so it takes minutes, not hours.

How to Configure MP4 Splitter for Smooth, Stutter-Free Playback

25 Aug 2026 7.399 views
A four-step walkthrough for wiring the free MP4 Splitter DirectShow filter into MPC-BE, for MP4 files that stutter, black-screen or refuse to open.

Nikon RAW on Windows: Which Codec or App You Actually Need

25 Aug 2026 6.265 views
A plain-English guide to picking the right free Nikon tool on Windows, whether you just want RAW thumbnails or a full editor.

Encoding, Decoding, Transcoding and Remuxing Explained

24 Aug 2026 96.334 views
The five things you can do to a video file, and why four of them cost you quality that the fifth does not.

Is DTS Better Than AAC? Why That Is the Wrong Question

24 Aug 2026 16.830 views
Why DTS and AAC are not really rivals, and what to do when your TV refuses to play a DTS track.

How to Play MKV Files on Windows 11 (and Why Some Refuse)

20 Aug 2026 949 views
Windows opens MKV on its own, so when one refuses to play the fault is a track inside it - here is how to find which one and fix it.

How to Register and Unregister DLL and AX Codec Filter Files

19 Aug 2026 649.154 views
The one command that installs a DirectShow filter on Windows, plus the elevation and 64-bit rules that stop it working.

What Is a Codec? The Plain-English Guide

19 Aug 2026 267.287 views
What a codec actually is, why everything you watch is compressed, and whether you still need to install any.

Codecs vs Containers: Why Your Video File Won't Play

18 Aug 2026 15.276 views
A plain-English guide to the difference between codecs and containers, and how to work out which one is stopping your file from playing.

Best LAME MP3 Settings for Music, Podcasts and Audiobooks

18 Aug 2026 8.740 views
One table of LAME VBR settings for music, podcasts and audiobooks, and where to enter them in LameXP, winLAME, Audacity and CDex.

FLAC Explained: Play, Convert and Archive Lossless Audio

18 Aug 2026 24.409 views
The lossless format explained in plain terms, with the players that handle FLAC out of the box and the free encoders worth using to build an archive.

How to Burn an ISO to DVD With ImgBurn

18 Aug 2026 7.016 views
The five steps that burn an ISO to disc correctly in ImgBurn, plus the write speed setting that quietly causes most failed discs.

MPC-BE vs MPC-HC in 2026: Which One Should You Install?

17 Aug 2026 56.929 views
A 2026 comparison of MPC-BE and MPC-HC, two actively maintained free Windows players, and which one suits your files.