2010 Codec Pack for Win9x/me

[rilef]

I use a codec pack (of directshow filters) on my Windows XP system, and used to use codec packs on Windows 98se. But newer codec packs are incompatible with win9x/me. And older codec packs are increasingly obsolete and may have had "issues" even when they were new. So after much trial and error, I assembled and installed my own list of 98se directshow filters.

APPLICATIONS

The following programs were installed, prior to installing any of the directshow filters below:

Name and Version: Media Player Classic (mplayerc_20081005_win9x)

Downloaded from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli2/files/Media%20Player%20Classic/6.4.9.1/mplayerc_20081005_win9x.zip/download'>http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli2/files/Media%20Player%20Classic/6.4.9.1/mplayerc_20081005_win9x.zip/download

Comments: This is the last version of MPC for win9x/me. Much of MPC's playback is from MPC's internal directshow filters (which internal filters can be disabled). Standalone versions of MPC's internal filters, which I chose not to download, may be downloaded from the same guliverkli2 website as MPC ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli2/files/ ). These MPC standalone filters, once installed and registered, then can be used by Windows Media Player and other directshow players.

Name and Version: RadLight Filter Manager

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/RadLight_Filter_Manager_download.htm

Comments: Use this utility, with care, to view, save, or print a list of installed, directshow filters; to change filter priorities (merit); or to register or unregister individual filters. Note that the RadLight Filter Manager list includes win9x system files, which files are installed by windows media player or by the operating system setup. These system files should not be changed.

INSTALLATION OF DIRECTSHOW FILTERS

The following directshow filter versions were installed on my Windows 98se system and were found to be very compatible. The filters may also work in other versions of win9x/me. Users, however, install these listed filters, on their own computers, at their own risk.

Prior to installing these directshow filters, users should open RadLight Filter Manager, and save the filter list by clicking "Save DirectShow List". Users should also do a pre-installation full backup of their program and Windows files, including a backup of the Windows Registry, prior to making the changes.

Note that the directshow filters, in the following list, may be more easily maintained if installed, when possible, in separate subfolders within a single Windows folder (e.g. in "C:\Program Files\DirectShow\..."). However, some filter setup programs will install filters in "C:\Windows\System", without ever prompting the user. Filters and filter folders should not be moved or renamed after installation and registration. But, if filters or filter folders are moved or renamed, the filters MUST be re-registered or re-installed for the change(s) to be recorded in the Windows Registry. Changing filter priorities (merit), and other directshow filter changes, may require a computer reboot, for the changes to become effective. Note also, the following assume a "clean" install- that is, no other user-installed directshow filters or codec packs already present.

Name and Version: ffdshow_rev1936_20080413

Downloaded from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout/files/SVN%20builds%20by%20clsid/very%20old%20builds/ffdshow_rev1936_20080413_clsid.exe/download

Name and Version: aac_parser

Downloaded from: http://inmatrix.osnn.net/aacparser.exe

Comments: Needed by ffdshow to open local AAC files. Note that local AAC_Plus files may also have the same ".aac" extension, but cannot be opened in win9x/me using directshow.

Name and Version: madFlac-1.8.zip (FLAC)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/madFLAC_download.htm

Comments: After installation of madFLAC, open ffdshow's "audio decoder configuration" program from the Windows Start Menu, select "Codecs", and disable the "FLAC" codec. Open RadLight Filter Manager, select "DirectShow Filters", then select "madFlac Decoder". Select "MERIT_PREFERRED" from the drop-down menu. Merit value should have changed to "00800000". Click the "Set Merit Value" button to apply the change. Repeat these steps for the "madFLAC Source" filter.

Name and Version: illiminable oggcodecs_0.73.1936 (Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Theora and FLAC)

Downloaded from: http://downloads.xiph.org/releases/oggdsf/oggcodecs_0.73.1936.exe

Name and Version: MP4Splitter_20070918_win9x (MP4)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/MP4_Splitter_download.htm

Comments: This MP4 Splitter has no installer. Unzip the downloaded file. Place the MP4Splitter.ax filter in a new folder (e.g. in "C:\Program Files\DirectShow\MP4 Splitter"). Open RadLight Filter Manager, and click the "Register" button. Browse to the MP4Splitter.ax file and click the "Open" button to register this MP4 Splitter.

Name and Version: 3ivx_d4_451_win.exe (M4A, MP4)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/download_soft.php?d=2772&s=44

Comments: After installation of 3ivx, open RadLight Filter Manager, select "DirectShow Filters", then select "3ivx D4 Audio Decoder". Select "MERIT_UNLIKELY" from the drop-down menu. Merit value should have changed to "00400000". Click the "Set Merit Value" button to apply the change. For each of the remaining 3ivx filters, respectively, first select "MERIT_DO_NOT_USE" from the drop-down menu. Merit value should change to "00200000". Then click the "Set Merit Value" button to apply the change.

Name and Version: matroska.1.0.2.9_win32.exe

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/Matroska_Splitter_download.htm

Name and Version: OpenSource MPEG Splitter (osmpegsplitter.1.0.0.3_win32.exe)

http://inmatrix.osnn.net/osmpegsplitter.1.0.0.3_win32.exe

Name and Version: osflvsplitter.1.0.0.4_win32.exe (FLV)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/Flash_Video_Splitter_download.htm

Name and Version: vsfilter.2.39_win32.exe (subtitles)

http://www.free-codecs.com/directvobsub_download.htm

Name and Version: CoreWavPack-1.1.1-Setup.exe (WV)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/CoreWavPack_download.htm

Name and Version: monkeysource100.exe (APE)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/Monkey_Audio_DirectShow_Filter_download.htm

Name and Version: RadLightMPC_1.0.0.3.exe (MPC)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/RadLight_MPC_DirectShow_Filter_download.htm

Name and Version: RadLightOFR_1.0.0.1.exe (OFR)

Downloaded from: http://www.free-codecs.com/RadLight_OptimFrog_DirectShow_decoder_filter_download.htm

Name and Version: TTA Lossless Audio Codec (TTA)

Downloaded from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tta/files/tta/ttads-codecs/ttads-codecs-setup.exe/download

Comments: After installation of TTA Lossless Audio Codec, open ffdshow's "audio decoder configuration" program from the Windows Start Menu, select "Codecs", and disable the "True Audio" (TTA) codec.

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

What about just extracting the files

AAC_PARSER.AX

FLVSPLITTER.AX

MADFLAC.AX

MATROSKASPLITTER.AX

MP4SPLITTER.AX

MPEGSPLITTER.AX

VSFILTER.DLL

and using a batch or reg file to install them. Thats a lot of installing if you install all those one by one.

What are the actual files, I need to extract from these 3 files, I rather not have a bunch of extra files just

the filters/codecs?

3ivx_d4_451_win.exe

ffdshow_rev1936_20080413_clsid.exe

oggcodecs_0.73.1936.exe

Also I would like to add a few more codecs I use, can I add these to my directshow folder you suggested instead of the C:\Windows\system folder/

CLVSD.AX

DIVXDEC.AX

XVID.AX

DIVX.DLL

XVIDCORE.DLL

XVIDVFW.DLL

Edited May 2, 2010 by PROBLEMCHYLD

[jds]

Is there a CODEC available for newer Real Media files, either via real.com or an independent CODEC?

(The Real Alternative CODEC doesn't handle newer files.)

Joe.

[rilef]

Is there a CODEC available for newer Real Media files, either via real.com or an independent CODEC?

(The Real Alternative CODEC doesn't handle newer files.)

Joe.

The latest Real Player for Win9x is 10.5GOLD. Real Player uses different Codecs than Real Alternative uses, and the program's author, Real Media, does download additional Codecs, if available, and as needed. So, you might want to try Real Player 10.5, to see if it plays your newer Real Media files. Note that you should uninstall Real Alternative, if present, before installing Real Player. Also, for a clean Real Player user interface, try the Banane University skin, rather than the default skin.

If Real Player 10.5 does not work, you might try a later version of Real Player, running under KernelX.

[jds]

Is there a CODEC available for newer Real Media files, either via real.com or an independent CODEC?

(The Real Alternative CODEC doesn't handle newer files.)

Joe.

The latest Real Player for Win9x is 10.5GOLD. Real Player uses different Codecs than Real Alternative uses, and the program's author, Real Media, does download additional Codecs, if available, and as needed. So, you might want to try Real Player 10.5, to see if it plays your newer Real Media files.

Thanks, I'll give that a go.

BTW, Real Player 6 tries to download an update, but then says the O/S is no longer supported, unless KernelEx is employed, in which case it says there's nothing available.

I'm not sure if it's possible to download CODEC's per se from "real.com", the impression I get is that you have to update the whole package, as you've suggested.

Pity the independent CODEC's aren't up-to-date.

Joe.

[Jolaes]

I think for the majority of us '98ers it is enough to install an older, win9x compy ffdshow, then, let's say, ffdshow rev3507 as update on top (need KernelEx w2k comp. mode at this step)

then Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 build 107 (KernelEx also needed because it is a unicode version)

and if something is still missing (like those fancy-but-utter-crap new Real codecs) add them manually...

[jds]

and if something is still missing (like those fancy-but-utter-crap new Real codecs) add them manually...

Yeah, newer versions of Real (also WM) CODEC's may give a little more compression, but at the expense of hugely more resources, and they don't degrade gracefully on older hardware!

Anyway, any particular instructions for "manually adding" the Real CODEC's? Are they available per se? ...

On a related matter, I wonder if it's possible to install the latest CODEC's from VLC into the last W9X compatible player (0.8.6i)? I can't get newer versions to work even with KernelEx, they seem extremely unstable.

Joe.

[Jolaes]

You have a point here, I was wrong, I thought that some simple "copy the .ax and .dll files and register them" method will work but it definitely will not. Real media is now a "player bundle", surgically inseparable from the codec.

As for VLC, I also tried overwriting core library files of v1.0.3 with v1.1.x but it results in crashes, clearly the older players do not recognize the new dlls

However, I had no problems with v.1.0.3, it was stable (mostly playing H264 720p videos in MKV, FLVs, high res XVID in AVI)

[rilef]

On a related matter, I wonder if it's possible to install the latest CODEC's from VLC into the last W9X compatible player (0.8.6i)? I can't get newer versions to work even with KernelEx, they seem extremely unstable.

I haven't made much use out of VLC, since VLC is no longer upgradable. But I have found other useful media player upgrades, such as

1. Upgrading Windows Media Player using

98MP10: Unofficial Windows Media Player 10.0 (WMP10)

2. Enabling Windows Media Player to play audio using the Bass codecs. See

3. Installing the AIMP audio player (version 2.51.330). Note, newer versions of AIMP may work if your computer uses a Pentium III or higher processor. See

[jds]

As for VLC, I also tried overwriting core library files of v1.0.3 with v1.1.x but it results in crashes, clearly the older players do not recognize the new dlls

However, I had no problems with v.1.0.3, it was stable (mostly playing H264 720p videos in MKV, FLVs, high res XVID in AVI)

Thanks for the tip, I'll try this version with KernelEx. The closest one to this I'd tried earlier was 1.05, and this was even worse than 1.15 (the current version).

I haven't made much use out of VLC, since VLC is no longer upgradable. But I have found other useful media player upgrades, such as

1. Upgrading Windows Media Player using

Yeah, I thought of VLC because it supports many formats, and uses its own CODEC's (whereas WMP hasn't supported Real formats since RM sued MS over patent violations, long ago).

Joe.

PS. I've since relented and installed Real Player 10.5Gold, seems OK so far, although it's too much iTunes-ish for my liking (I wish I could have somehow upgraded version 6 instead).

Edited December 18, 2010 by jds

[rilef]

I've since relented and installed Real Player 10.5Gold, seems OK so far, although it's too much iTunes-ish for my liking (I wish I could have somehow upgraded version 6 instead).

Try downloading and using the "Banane" skin for your Real Player. The "Music Store" and "Real Guide" and other merchandising go away. And you're left with a simple media player interface.

The "XMPlay" media player can be used to play real player audio(sorry, no video), including streaming audio, using its optional Real Audio plugin. The plugin uses either Real Player or Real Alternative codecs.

[jds]

Try downloading and using the "Banane" skin for your Real Player. The "Music Store" and "Real Guide" and other merchandising go away. And you're left with a simple media player interface.

Thanks! That sounds like just what I need!

Also, an update on VLC : Indeed, version 1.03 does install and run successfully with KernelEx, using either the Default or W2000 compatibility modes (however, with XP compatibility mode, it crashes). One strange problem though, it displays colours incorrectly, red and blue seem swapped. Searching the web for this problem suggests disabling the Hardware Acceleration Overlay as a work-around, but it seems to make no difference. Still, its a big step forward to have a version 1.XX stable.

Update : Versions 1.1x of VLC don't have this "swapped colour" bug, however, they do make use of P3+ instructions, so need some tricks with FineSSE to work on a P2 ...

Joe.

Edited October 26, 2011 by jds

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

The vsfilter.2.39_win32.exe has the file VSFILTER.DLL 1.0.1.5.

I got a version of VSFILTER.DLL 2.39.5.3 that registers and works correctly on Win98SE.