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.
CODECS.COM articles
Guides and News on Codecs and Multimedia
550 guides and news articles on codecs, media players and the tools around them, newest first.
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 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.
Codecs vs Containers: Why Your Video File Won't Play
A plain-English guide to the difference between codecs and containers, and how to work out which one is stopping your file from playing.
Copilot Just Took 3.3 GB of Your Windows 10 Drive Without Asking
A Copilot app that installs itself and claims over 3 GB, explained in plain terms, with the removal steps and the settings that keep it away.
ChatGPT Atlas Is Gone - Here Is What to Use Instead
OpenAI retired the ChatGPT Atlas browser on 9 August 2026, and here is what happened to your bookmarks and which browser to move to.
Best LAME MP3 Settings for Music, Podcasts and Audiobooks
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
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
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?
A 2026 comparison of MPC-BE and MPC-HC, two actively maintained free Windows players, and which one suits your files.
Is Nero Still Worth It? The Free Tools and What Beats Them
Nero hands out four free programs and sells the rest, so here is which ones are worth installing and which free rival does the same job better.
Convert Audio with foobar2000 - FLAC to MP3 and More
Both foobar2000 conversion routes - Quick Convert for a fast one-off, the full Converter for folder structure and presets, plus the encoders MP3 output needs.
Latest comments
AllInteresting development with the Fire TV Stick 4K — losing Kodi sideloading is a big deal for a lot of users. For those ...
News: The New Fire TV Stick 4K Can't Run Kodi - Here's Which Fire Stick Still Can 3 commentsThanks genius, it worked for me. v2.4.149.0 on windows 10
Guide: How to Download HEVC Video Extension for Free 181 commentsXMediaRecode gives only the option to Copy (No convert) in Audio Mode drop down. I am trying to convert/recode the EAc3 ...
Team replied Guide: How to Convert EAC3 Audio to AC3 or AAC With XMedia Recode 1 comment