Is it dangerous to install K-Lite codec pack?

ingvarai wrote on 9/11/2010, 7:56 PM

Will installing the K-Lite codec pack(s) mean any threats to my now perfectly working Sony Vegas environment?
The reason I woul dlike to do install it, is that I cannot play back AVCHD Lite files in Windows media player. Yes, the VLC Player can do it, but I don't like this player, I prefer the Windows media player. So I want to try this codec pack to see if it helps.

Ingvar

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 9/11/2010, 8:37 PM

"Is it dangerous to install K-Lite codec pack?"[/I]

ushere wrote on 9/11/2010, 10:00 PM

agree totally with musicvid - avoid like the plague.

in my case i thought maybe it was a bad install the first time, the second i knew for sure it wasn't!!!

thank heavens for acronis (and now win7's sys image)

musicvid10 wrote on 9/11/2010, 10:07 PM

I don't know how to say this more clearly:

Rule #1: Never, never install a codec "pack" on a professional NLE computer; that is, if you expect it to work.

rstrong wrote on 9/11/2010, 10:11 PM

Same here, nothing but trouble, and when it got fixed, it returned again and again.

ritsmer wrote on 9/12/2010, 12:31 AM

Can not say that I have bad experiences with K-lite.
Used it on all machines here during the years when I had Windows XP on them - as it seemed the only way to get nice thumbnails of my raw full HD AVCHD video clips (.mts) and several other formats too (.m2t etc.) in Explorer - or better in UltraExplorer.

I have just built a 10 inch Eee PC (Atom 450) just to transfer and backup AVCHD from my cameras SDHC cards every evening on travel.
As I can not accept the way Windows 7 sloowwwwllly shows the thumbnails I had to go the Windows XP + K-lite way again.

When you install K-lite then just say NO! to any automatic setup and NO! to all file assicoations. - After installation you can open for the fourCC's that you need from K-lite - and run them through Libavcodec or Ffdshow as you like.

:-) ritsmer

PS: So now the little Eee machine gives me wonderful thumbnails (250 x 180 pixels in Explorer and UltraExplorer) and it can -however grudgingly- kind of show the videoclips on the tiny screen.

(Oh - and why not just go for a real laptop with enough power? well the 10 inch Eee weighs 1,1 Kilo...)

ingvarai wrote on 9/12/2010, 5:00 AM

Ok ok ok :)
I will listen to musicvid, better safe than sorry. OTOH, when installing certain applications, it seems like codecs are added (or replaced?) in any case. I could not play back "regular" AVCHD files from my Panasonic HMC 151 in Winodes Media Player, but after installing Pixela ImageMixer, I could! So I am looking for a codec that will let me play AVCHD Lite. I obviously have it somewhere, since VLC Player can play them, but how to tell the Windoes MP where it is..

As for the UltraExplorer - the native one is stone age, and I always look for a replacement. I particularly miss tabs, why is there no tabs on the Vista Explorer? Besides if this, the latest build i smore than one year old (?).

And does anybody know how to TURN OFF the ability to undo in Windows Explorer. When I work in Vegas, it sometimes happens that Explorer inadverently becomes focus. I think I am in Vegas, press Ctrl+Z and suddenly I have moved some files in Explorer and have a hard time finding them again.
Ingvar

PeterDuke wrote on 9/12/2010, 5:31 AM

"I obviously have it somewhere, since VLC Player can play them"

VLC Player has its own codecs. It won't play cineform AVI files even when the codec is installed and they play on all the other players I have tried. I get an error message:

No suitable decoder module:
VLC does not support the audio or video format "CFHD". Unfortunately there is no way for you to fix this.

Jøran Toresen wrote on 9/12/2010, 5:33 AM

Ingvar, if you want the best Windows Explorer, get DOPUS (Directory Opus).

http://www.gpsoft.com.au/

Jøran

kairosmatt wrote on 9/12/2010, 8:41 AM

PeterDuke,
I don't have a computer in front of me with both a cineform file and VLC, so this may be a stupid thought but:

have you tried installing the neoplayer cineform decoder?

kairosmatt

PeterDuke wrote on 9/12/2010, 4:37 PM

kairosmatt

Yes

I thought I said as much in my post.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/12/2010, 5:06 PM

> Is it dangerous to install K-Lite codec pack?

Is it dangerous to take one of every pill in your medicine cabinet hoping that one of them will cure you? This is basically what you are asking. Both will cause more harm than good.

Codec paks are for video server PC's and consumers who don't edit video and just need playback.

There is no need for a video editor to ever install a codec pak. If you need a codec, find the codec you need and install from a reputable source. Do not install every codec in creation hoping that one of them will play your video.

~jr

musicvid10 wrote on 9/12/2010, 7:33 PM

In total agreement with JR, this quote is from a tutorial thread I started over a year ago in the VMS forum:When troubleshooting codec issues, beware of the blunderbuss approach of installing codec "packages," especially from unknown download services. Doing so may have unintended consequences for your applications from Sony or other vendors, or possible the security of your system. Uninstalling these "packages" does not restore your system to its original state. Only a system restore and / or reinstallation of the affected applications can do this. Think of codec "packages" as if a shotgun was fired into a darkened room -- it's going to hit something, but is it what was intended? Better to follow the suggestions below to find out specifically what is needed in your case. It's too bad that all the bad codec "packages" had to ruin it for the one or two good ones ;?)

ingvarai wrote on 9/13/2010, 5:39 AM

Thanks, Jøran.
I opened the web page, it looks convincing, but the presentation looks slightly aged. "Built-in ZIP and FTP Support", and "True Multitasking" are buzzwords from the past IMO. Well, it's probably worth a try. If MS would add tabs to the native explorer, I would be rather happy with the original thoug. And tags for all file types of course.

Thanks to the rest og you here for saving my butt regarding codec packs!

Ingvar