too many codecs!

[jongira]

When I use 'gspot' to see what codecs will play a audio/video track (AVI), 'gpot' tells me that there are four or five codecs that will play the file. Some of the codecs are listed twice with the same name. Some of the codecs appear in the control panel dialogue on audio video codecs (in control panel under sound / hardware / codecs), but some do not.

I installed the nimo pack, and then, having read the "you don't need all those codecs" post in this forum, removed it. But I think ghosts remain.

How do I clear out the codecs collection to start fresh??

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The problem reveals itself when I try to use VDub-mp3-freeze to capture a segment of a VBR file. It used to work, now it doesn't... the extracted segment has no sound at all, synched or otherwise.

Also, when i try to preview the original file in VDub or in WDub-mp3 (gspot tells me it was created by nanodub), there is an error message that flashes by too fast to read, it disappears without an "ok", then the movie previews OK in VDub despite what error there was (it's a different error than the usual VBR warning, which also appears).

I have installed DivX 5.1 and Ulead 7.x, and have added and deleted and just plain confused myself with too many codecs.

Thanks for helping me clear out the jungle.

Oh, BTW, in your general posts you say to watch out for everything-in-one codec packs; but then you recommend FFDSHOW in your sticky post... which seems to be one of those compilations you warn against.

The codec listing in the control panel is ordered (use the ones towards the top of the list first, given a choice)... which codecs are best placed on top?

Thanks for answering three questions in one, Jon

[setarip]

1) "How do I clear out the codecs collection to start fresh??"

If you're running WindowsXP, rollback to a date prior to the installation of the codecs


2) "Oh, BTW, in your general posts you say to watch out for everything-in-one codec packs; but then you recommend FFDSHOW in your sticky post... which seems to be one of those compilations you warn against."

The FFDShow filter is but ONE filter (NOT a codec) that can enhance and/or enable the playback of multiple compressed video formats...

[jongira]

Setarip, thanks for your quick response.

Rollback isn't an option... too much "water under the bridge" since the first installations. Do you know of a way to do ti manually, just removing (finding and removing) the duplicate entries?

The windows codec listing and the 'gspot' listing don't seem to match, even, comparing the filenames.

Thanks, Jon

ps> does the order matter for audio codecs, if so, which should go first?

[shiny#3]

get yourself the Tsunami filterpack 3.9.9 of the softwaresection of this site.

Install it in custom mode and let only the "codec sniper"
checked (this means uncheck everything else the filterpack offers you)

start the codecsniper from the Tsunami filterpack directory which is
now on your computer.... after a little scan it will show you all
registered codecs.... then you can delete the messy , outdated or superfluent ones.

it may be that the codecsniper is also available as a standalone setup program but I have not been looking for it so far!!

[WildmanJoe]

As what Shiny suggested, install only the codec sniper from Tsunami Codec Pack then use it to remove useless codecs (non-MS ones). Then reinstall Tsunami Codec Pack together with the required codecs + FFDShow. Hopefully this will solve your problem.

[jongira]

shiny & wildman, thanks for your help! I'll try it when i get back from work