Codec Pack for Mac

[Mooch]

Are there any decent all-in-one video and audio codec packs for Mac OS X out there? I've been googling and I haven't had much luck finding any.

I keep dowloading TV episodes and such that don't play cause I don't have the right codecs. :P

[Endymion]

Use VLC instead.

[Kuku]

Encoding or decoding? Encoding there are serveral, but are all pretty much packaged together with whatever you want to you like ffmpegx.

Decoding, no there is none. You have to find them seperate.

Reason mac users like VLC, you don't have to hunt anything down.

[geekdreams]

Most TV shows I download from BitTorrent are in either Divx or Xvid format, I'd be surprised if you needed anything else to play them with Quicktime (VLC is good, but I still prefer QT's full-screen controls).

http://www.divx.com/divx/mac/ - Divx codec
http://n.ethz.ch/student/naegelic/download/ - Xvid codec
http://www.3ivx.com/download/macos.html - 3vix codec
http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm - WMV plugin

[stupider...likeafox]

Some Windows advice from Microsoft:

"Codec Packs" are evil, don't install them!!

[revs]

Just use VLC. It plays everything.

[gregmightdothat]

Originally Posted by geekdreams

VLC is good, but I still prefer QT's full-screen controls

I also prefer the fact that QuickTime doesn't crash constantly and that scrubbing is actually responsive.

[Mr. Me]

Originally Posted by revs

Just use VLC. It plays everything.

No, it does not. Even for the formats that VLC handles, it is only a player. With QuickTime codecs, you have access to the supported media formats in most QuickTime-compatible applications. This includes virtually every MacOS X application (with exceptions). Codec packs are really nothing special. They save your having to locate and download each separately.

[Chucker]

Originally Posted by stupider...likeafox

Some Windows advice from Microsoft:

"Codec Packs" are evil, don't install them!!

That's a good article, and it applies in the same way to Mac codec packs I've seen. They're also legally dubious (read: piracy), and they also often combine multiple codecs that handle the same formats, causing conflicts.

So, yeah, agreed.

[Chucker]

Originally Posted by geekdreams

Most TV shows I download from BitTorrent are in either Divx or Xvid format, I'd be surprised if you needed anything else to play them with Quicktime (VLC is good, but I still prefer QT's full-screen controls).

http://www.divx.com/divx/mac/ - Divx codec
http://n.ethz.ch/student/naegelic/download/ - Xvid codec
http://www.3ivx.com/download/macos.html - 3vix codec
http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm - WMV plugin

And finally, Xiph QuickTime components (Ogg Vorbis and others).

[revs]

Originally Posted by Mr. Me

No, it does not. Even for the formats that VLC handles, it is only a player. With QuickTime codecs, you have access to the supported media formats in most QuickTime-compatible applications. This includes virtually every MacOS X application (with exceptions). Codec packs are really nothing special. They save your having to locate and download each separately.

for the original posters needs, vlc will work. the original poster wants to watch tv shows he has aquired - the chances of them not playin in vlc are very slim.

of course i know the benefits of quicktime codecs, and do myself have them all installed. My post was aimed at the original question, vlc (or mplayer) is best for videos aquired from the net.

as with everything, its up to personal choice. 8)

[Mooch]

Thanks for the links, everyone!

I got the VLC player and it seems pretty good. It doesn't play Windows Media or Real files though.

Although I also downloaded the Quicktime plug-ins, and they work quite nicely. I guess I'll have to stick with Real Player for OSX for Real media.

[ChrisDaMacMan]

quick time pluggins are good because then you can watch your programmes encoded in divx etc using front row with the apple remote.

I like to do this before i go to bed therefore i dont even have to get out of bed when the programme has finnished i just hold play/select and boom nighty night Mr Mac and sweet dreams Chris!

Edit: yeah I called my MacBook Mr Mac (I know original isn't it) and just to add my iPod is called Mr Pod.

[Kesh]

I just wish someone would make OS X friendly versions of some older codecs. I've got some old videos (*cough*) stored in Indeo3/4/5 that are unplayable on OS X because Intel never developed a native version of the codec.

[Endymion]

Intel hasn't owned the Indeo codec for a long time. Bug Ligos the current owner for some compatible versions. Although I doubt they care considering it's a dead codec.

[pepstar3]

Yes VLC player seems to have most codecs but I have had to install some individually into my hard drives library folder in order to get audio. It then works for quicktime and VLC but I have a file at the moment which I cannot remember where I downloaded it from and don't know what codecs it is using. When I use VlC to play this .avi file I get pic and no audio but in Quicktime I get audio and no pic. Used viddyup to convert it for itunes and no pic. Obviously I don't have the right codec but it's wierd that VLC has the picture codec and Quicktime has the audio codec any suggestions.

[teedoff087]

If you have Parallels or are running Boot Camp, you could try GSpot (for Windows). It helps quite a bit in determining what type of codec a certain file is using. It's quite accurate. I don't know of any tools for Mac that do this. If anyone does, please point me to it.

[Mr_E]

http://perian.org/

Perian works for me...

[jvb]

I'll throw in another vote for VLC. I've never had any problems with it. It plays everything.

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Originally Posted by Mr_E

http://perian.org/

Perian works for me...

Indeed, use Perian. It has lots of codecs, and is actively being worked on.

[Ireland]

Best Codec Pack ever, includes Perian etc., enjoy!

[jerideout]

I've been downloading tv shows through torrents, and some of them I get the video fine, but no sound. Any idea what codec I'd need to fix this? I can through the video on my jump drive and
watch it on my tv through my dvd recorder or even on my pc which has a codec pack on it fine

Thanks

[Mr. Me]

Originally Posted by jerideout

I've been downloading tv shows through torrents, and some of them I get the video fine, but no sound. Any idea what codec I'd need to fix this? I can through the video on my jump drive and
watch it on my tv through my dvd recorder or even on my pc which has a codec pack on it fine

Thanks

You give absolutely no information about your OS, version of QuickTime, or which codecs you have installed. In the immortal words of Tom Cruise: "Help me help you."

You should have read the recommendation to install Perian. I will also recommend that you install Flip4Mac. Also, installing DivX won't hurt. If your TV shows are Windows Media 10 or Windows Media 11, however, then nothing on the Mac will play them.

[ddamico361]

Thanks to those suggesting Perian. I had already had an older version. The newer version worked perfectly. I now have both audio and video for AVI files in Quicktime.

ddamico361