updated
Aug 11, 2026
971KB
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MPEG Splitter is a free DirectShow filter from the MPC-BE project, distributed with X Codec Pack, that separates the audio and video inside MPG, TS, M2TS and VOB files so any Windows media player can hand each stream to the right decoder - and despite the name it does not cut or trim video.
MPEG Splitter is a small DirectShow filter that opens MPG, TS, M2TS and VOB files and separates the audio from the video inside them.
It is free, it comes from the MPC-BE project, and at 971 KB it installs in seconds and then stays out of the way.
Download MPEG Splitter - or read the next line first if you arrived looking for a way to cut a video into pieces.
This does not cut, trim or crop video.
"Splitter" here means separating the audio and video streams inside a file so a player can decode them, not chopping a film into clips. For that, the Video Editors category has the right tools.
Which Files It Opens
The filter handles MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 containers, in both their program stream and transport stream forms. In practice that means four extensions you will actually recognise.
- MPG and MPEG - the classic MPEG program stream, common in older video collections and camera exports.
- TS - transport streams, which is what almost every off-air recording, TV capture card and IPTV recorder produces.
- M2TS - Blu-ray video, and AVCHD footage straight off a camcorder.
- VOB - the video files on a DVD.
If one of those refuses to open, opens with a black picture, or plays sound with no image, a missing or mismatched splitter is a likely cause.
Where It Sits in the Chain
Windows plays video as a sequence of small components, each passing work to the next.
- A source filter reads the file off the disk.
- A splitter opens the container and separates the audio and video streams inside it. This is where MPEG Splitter works.
- Decoders turn each compressed stream back into sound and pictures.
- A renderer puts the picture on screen and the audio through your speakers.
MPEG Splitter decodes nothing. It hands clean separated streams to whichever decoders are registered, which is why it works with any decoder you care to pair it with.
If you are unsure which stage your problem lives in, our guide to the roles of decoders and renderers sorts it out quickly.
What to Pair It With
Once the streams are separated, something has to decode them. LAV Filters is the usual answer and covers MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.264, HEVC and essentially everything else.
MPC Video Decoder is the sibling filter from the same project and handles the MPEG family well. FFDShow still works on older machines and adds post-processing, though it has not been developed in years.
For subtitles carried inside or alongside these files, DirectVobSub slots into the same chain without touching the splitter or the decoder.
The Other Splitters
Each container format needs a splitter that understands it, and this one only speaks MPEG. The same project maintains the rest.
- Matroska Splitter for MKV and WebM, the usual format for modern high-quality video.
- AVI Splitter for AVI, and it repairs broken or partially downloaded files the default Windows handler gives up on.
- DVR Splitter for DAV, DHAV and HXVS footage from CCTV and IP camera systems.
- Flash Video Splitter for FLV files, which still turn up in old downloads.
Haali Media Splitter covers several containers in one filter. It is the older approach, and it can fight with the dedicated splitters if both claim the same format.
Do You Actually Need to Install It?
Often not, and it is worth checking before you add another filter to the pile.
MPC-BE ships this filter as part of its own component set, and LAV Filters includes a splitter that covers the same containers. Either one already does the job.
The standalone download earns its place in three cases: your player brings no splitters of its own, you want to update this component without touching a whole codec pack, or you are assembling a filter graph by hand and want one clean MPEG demuxer rather than a suite.
To see which filters are actually registered and which one is claiming your files, X Codec Inspector lists every decoder, splitter and filter on the system.
Installing It
One installer covers 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. It places the filter in System32 and SysWOW64, registers it with DirectShow, and needs no reboot or configuration.
After that it is available to every DirectShow player on the machine, including Windows Media Player, MPC-HC and PotPlayer.
If you would rather not manage filters individually, K-Lite Codec Pack bundles splitters, decoders and a player in one pre-configured installer.
Quick questions
Can I use this to cut a video into shorter clips?
No. It separates audio from video inside a file so your player can read it - it never writes anything. For trimming, use a tool from the Video Editors category.
Will it open my .ts recording or DVD .vob files?
Yes. It handles MPG, MPEG, TS, M2TS and VOB, which covers off-air recordings, Blu-ray and camcorder footage as well as DVDs.
My file plays sound but shows no picture. Is this the fix?
Possibly. Audio-only or video-only playback is a classic splitter symptom, but it can equally be a missing decoder. Check which filters are loading with DSF/MFT Viewer before installing anything.
Do I need it if I already have LAV Filters or K-Lite?
No. LAV Filters includes a splitter covering the same containers, and K-Lite bundles LAV Filters.
Will installing it conflict with my other filters?
It can, if another splitter already claims the same containers - Haali Media Splitter is the usual culprit. Windows picks between them by merit, so if playback changes for the worse, uninstall one of the two.
Why is there nothing to open after installing?
Because it is a filter rather than a program, and it has no window. It only does anything while a player is opening a matching file.
Download MPEG Splitter 1.9.1.6 and see whether it opens your files, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.
The rest of the Video Codecs section covers the decoders that pair with it, and the Media Players category covers players that need no filters at all.
