Overview

Here you can select the codecs you wish to use for video playback, for example in MediaPortal's Videos section, Moving Pictures or MP TV-Series plugins.

Codecs and Renderer Settings

For general information about the codecs you may require to play all your files, see Preparing Your System > Codecs.

How it works

Select your preferred codec from the drop down list. MediaPortal will automatically detect the codecs you have installed (like MPEG2/DTS/AC3 etc.) and add them to the drop down list. You may use the screwdriver button to access the filter's configuration page of the selected decoder, splitter or renderer.
  Tip Ensure that the format you select is enabled in the codec's configuration application. Sometimes a multi decoder codec like ffdshow Audio can handle AC3, but you must enable it in ffdshow Audio decoder configuration. If a selected decoder can't handle the format, MediaPortal will query Windows Directshow to find a replacement decoder. The codec with the highest merit will be used.

Settings Decoder

MPEG-2 Video All formats like MPEG1/MOV etc. (except H264 format) H.264 Video

MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC. Often related to HD video MKV files. VC-1 Video A Microsoft SMPTE 421M video codec. VC-1i Video Interlaced VC-1 video. DivX / Xvid Video MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile (ASP).

MPEG /AC3 audio All formats like DTS/MP3 etc. (except AAC format).

AAC audio Often related to trailer and anime (MOV files).

  Source Filter The source filter is responsible of loading the media by opening and reading the file or internet stream. Splitter filter * The splitter filter demultiplexes individual streams of a media file, e.g. audio, video or subtitles and sends them to their respective decoders for decoding. This option is only accessible when Splitter Source is set to File Source (Async) or File Source (URL) . Otherwise this setting will be ignored. Audio renderer

  Tip Select MediaPortal Audio Renderer for a smooth video playback.

How audio is sent to the receiver or TV.

Automatic Decoder Settings

  Tip You can use a tool such as GraphStudioNext to change filter's merits.

When this options is checked, MediaPortal will query Windows Directshow to construct the whole filter codec chain with the highest merit (except Audio and Video Renderers). The decoders selected in the drop down lists above will be ignored.

Manually select Source and Splitter filters *

When this option is unchecked, MediaPortal will query Windows Directshow to construct the source (Splitter Source) and splitter (Splitter Filesync) part of the filter codec chain by loading the highest merit filters. The source and splitter selected in the drop down lists above will be ignored.

Use Video Codecs when playing .ts files (TV Codecs will be used if unchecked)

  Tip Enable this option to load external subtitle files when playing

.ts

files. If this option is unchecked,

.ts

files will be opened by MediaPortal's TsReader filter which isn't designed to be aware of external subtitle files.

This option is unchecked by default.When this option is enabled, the chosen video decoder and splitter will be used to play

.ts

video files.