FFDShow 1.3.4534
FFDShow 1.3.4534 is the final build of the classic DirectShow and Video for Windows decoder, frozen since 2014 and kept for old editing software, while LAV Filters now handles modern playback.
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No longer developed
FFDShow is no longer updated by its developer - the last version here is from 2015. It may still run, but it gets no fixes for newer Windows versions or formats.
Maintained alternatives that may do the same job:
FFDShow was the all-in-one video and audio decoder that powered Windows playback for a decade.
Development stopped in 2014, and the build here, 1.3.4534 from August 2015, is the last one.
Today LAV Filters does its decoding job better, so most people should install that instead.
What FFDShow Actually Does
FFDShow is a DirectShow filter and a Video for Windows codec built on the FFmpeg libraries of its day. It decodes the common formats of the 2000s - DivX, Xvid, H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MP3, AAC and AC3 - inside any player or editor that uses Windows codecs.
What made it famous was the processing it added during playback: sharpening, noise reduction, deinterlacing, resizing, colour controls and subtitle display, all from one settings window.
Why It Is Frozen
The last source change, revision 4533, landed on 29 September 2014, and the 1.3.4534 build followed in 2015. Nothing has been fixed since.
Old decoders, old security holes. FFDShow's decoders date from 2014 and carry none of the security fixes FFmpeg has made since. It also knows nothing about HEVC, AV1, VP9 or modern audio formats.
It can also clash with modern decoders. If you install it next to a current codec pack, Windows may pick FFDShow for formats it handles worse.
What to Use Instead
- LAV Filters - the modern DirectShow decoder, with hardware acceleration and support for HEVC, AV1 and everything FFDShow played.
- K-Lite Codec Pack - LAV Filters plus a ready-configured player, if you want everything in one install.
- MPC-BE or MPC-HC - players with their own decoders built in.
For the picture improvements FFDShow was known for, MPC Video Renderer handles scaling, deinterlacing and HDR on the graphics card, and madVR goes further on a strong GPU.
When FFDShow Still Makes Sense
It still has two real jobs. Old editing programs that only understand Video for Windows codecs, such as classic VirtualDub, can use FFDShow to open Xvid, DivX and H.264 AVI files.
And on a Windows XP machine kept for old software, it remains a period-correct decoder. For editing on a modern PC, VirtualDub2 reads these formats itself and does not need it.
If one of those cases is yours, the final FFDShow 1.3.4534 build is kept here unchanged. During setup, enable only the formats you need, so it does not take over from your other decoders.
Removing It Cleanly
If FFDShow is installed and playback misbehaves, uninstall it from Settings, then Apps. The Codec Tweak Tool then clears any leftover entries before you install LAV Filters or K-Lite.
Quick questions
Is FFDShow still developed?
No. The last source change was in September 2014 and the final build, 1.3.4534, is from August 2015.
What replaced FFDShow?
LAV Filters, which uses current FFmpeg code, supports hardware decoding and plays modern formats such as HEVC and AV1.
Does FFDShow work on Windows 10 or 11?
It usually installs and runs, but it adds nothing a modern decoder does not do better, and its old code has known security issues. Use LAV Filters instead.
Can I still get FFDShow's sharpening and noise reduction?
Yes, through a renderer. MPC Video Renderer and madVR do scaling, sharpening and deinterlacing on the graphics card, with far better quality.
Current decoders and codecs are in our Video Codecs section.
Get LAV Filters for modern playback, or tell us what you still use FFDShow for.
Available files
- FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder 2014-09-29 (rev4533)Archive4.5 MB
- FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder 2014-09-29 (rev4533) x64x64Archive4.7 MB
- FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder 2015-08-09 (1.3.4534)Archive4.8 MB
- FFDShow MPEG-4 Video Decoder 2015-08-09 (1.3.4534) x64x64Archive4.8 MB
User reviews (161)
CV
cvekla
15 Apr 2013
2/5Poor
When streaming after few days audio is DEsyncronised.
Solution is back to codec from 2011y or 2012y.
Solution is back to codec from 2011y or 2012y.
Reviewed on FFDShow 4 Video Decoder 2013-03-12
OP
OPODER
28 Dec 2012
4/5Good
Good Codec Package, But some codecs doesn't work well... Like AAC :/
Reviewed on FFDShow 4 Video Decoder 2012-12-13
TE
teleping
27 Jul 2011
3/5Good
@Al Jung:
The encoders were removed, last version to have them seems to be around rev. 3670. Reasons were outdated, buggy and inferior encoders; you should use standalone encoders (x264vfw or x264 for h264 encodings, standalone XviD for xvids..).
More about the issue at doom9: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120465
The encoders were removed, last version to have them seems to be around rev. 3670. Reasons were outdated, buggy and inferior encoders; you should use standalone encoders (x264vfw or x264 for h264 encodings, standalone XviD for xvids..).
More about the issue at doom9: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120465
Reviewed on FFDShow 4 Video Decoder 2011-07-25
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