Master AV1 Encoding: rav1e + FFmpeg Complete Guide
Copy-paste FFmpeg and rav1e commands for AV1 encoding, covering 10-bit, tiling, film grain synthesis and which quantizer to pick.
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Guides for Codecs and Media Players
254 guides on codecs, media players and the tools around them.
The Future of Video Codecs: HEVC, AV1, VVC and AI Compression
An honest look at where video codecs are going, with the marketing numbers stripped out and only the claims that survive checking left in.
Why Your Images Look Faded in Microsoft Photos (and How to Fix It)
Why the same image looks washed out in Microsoft Photos but perfectly normal in Paint, and how to fix the colour profile behind it.
How to Enable AV1 on YouTube (and Whether You Should)
How to switch YouTube to the AV1 codec, verify it is really being used, and check whether your machine can decode AV1 without stuttering.
Android Version History: Every Release from 1.0 to 17 Explained
Every Android release from 1.0 to 17 with dates and features, plus which versions still get security patches and which to avoid buying in 2026.
How to Install LAME MP3 Encoder 4.0 on Windows 11 and 10
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
What a codec actually is, why everything you watch is compressed, and whether you still need to install any.
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