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Guides and News on Codecs and Multimedia

550 guides and news articles on codecs, media players and the tools around them, newest first.

22 new in the last 7 days

GuideJun 15, 20262 comments65,784 views7 min read

AV1 vs H.265 in 2026: Which Codec Actually Wins on Your Devices?

AV1 vs H.265 in 2026: which codec wins on your actual hardware, and how to play either one.

NewsJun 13, 20264,487 views8 min read

Is Brave Browser Still Worth It? The Tech, the Drama, and the Man Behind It

An even-handed look at Brave Browser's privacy strengths, founder Brendan Eich's polarizing political views, and the company's real controversies.

GuideJun 12, 20264,141 views5 min read

Codecs for Windows 11: The Free 5-Minute Setup That Plays Anything

A clear, no-nonsense guide to exactly which codecs Windows 11 is missing - HEVC, AV1 and Dolby audio - and the fastest free way to fix playback.

GuideJun 11, 202619,048 views3 min read

How to Play MP4 Files (When They Refuse to Open)

A frustration-first guide to playing any MP4 file - online with no install, or with the right free desktop player and codecs when your browser gives up.

NewsJun 10, 20262,872 views2 min read

The Open-Source Browser That Wants Your Attention, Not Your Data

Zen Browser joins our downloads: a free Firefox fork that trades Chrome's clutter and tracking for Workspaces, Split View and real privacy.

GuideJun 7, 202665,003 views5 min read

How to Configure MPC Video Renderer for High-Quality Video Playback

Set up MPC Video Renderer with MPC-BE for sharp, HDR-ready, low-CPU playback - the free, open-source alternative to madVR.

GuideJun 6, 20262,927 views4 min read

How to Check What Codec & Filters a Video Uses on Windows

Three free ways to see what codec is inside a video file and which filters your player is using to play it on Windows.

NewsJun 4, 20261 comment4,867 views4 min read

Meet Qwant: The Private, EU-Built Alternative to Google

The European Parliament just made French privacy engine Qwant its default search over Google - here is what Qwant is and how to switch your own browser to it.

NewsMay 30, 20262,818 views5 min read

Browser Privacy in 2026: Who's Spying and Who's Protecting You

Your browser knows more about you than your best friend does. The question is who it tells - and most of the popular ones are chatty.

GuideMay 30, 20265,918 views5 min read

Browser Saved Your Image as AVIF? Convert It to JPG or PNG in 60 Seconds (Free)

Three free ways to convert AVIF to JPG, PNG, or WebP - desktop batch, online, or power-user. No upload, no watermark, batch-ready.

GuideMay 27, 202615,793 views7 min read

Best Places to Listen to Music for Free in 2026

Find the best free music streaming platforms that work instantly in your browser - no apps, downloads, or subscriptions required.

NewsMay 20, 20262,730 views5 min read

The Real Story of MP3: How a German Lab Built Audio's Universal Standard

The 30-year story of how a German research project, a Suzanne Vega song, and a free Windows player turned MP3 into the audio format running 95% of the world's podcasts.

GuideMay 18, 202642,874 views6 min read

Best Video Codec for YouTube in 2026

H.264 is still the best YouTube upload codec in 2026 - here are the two exceptions.

GuideMay 11, 20264,703 views8 min read

Black Screen, No Audio, Codec Errors? How to Fix Every Xvid Playback Problem in 2026

Fixes for the seven most common Xvid playback problems in 2026 - black screen, no audio, codec errors, green frames, stuttering, and more.

NewsApr 23, 20264,863 views2 min read

x265 4.2 Lands With Threaded Motion Estimation and 8K-Ready Levels

x265 4.2 is the April 2026 update to the leading open-source H.265/HEVC video encoder - the engine behind most free HEVC tools on Windows - bringing a new parallel encoding mode and support for the HEVC spec's highest tiers.

NewsApr 10, 20265,158 views3 min read

After 20 Years of Nothing, PNG Now Updates Every Year

The PNG format is moving faster than ever - here's what the 4th and 5th Edition specifications are adding, and why compression is finally on the table.

NewsApr 3, 20266,324 views4 min read

Dolby Sues Snapchat Over AV1 and HEVC Patents

Dolby sued Snap on March 23, 2026, alleging Snapchat uses AV1 and HEVC codecs without proper patent licenses - the first such action against a streaming platform by an Access Advance licensor.

NewsMar 29, 20266,545 views4 min read

Sora Is Gone - OpenAI Spent $15M a Day on an App That Made $2.1M Total

OpenAI's viral AI video app lasted just 6 months as a standalone product. Here's the full story - brutal economics, a dead $1B Disney deal, and a big strategic pivot.