K-Lite codec pack

Normally, Windows user will have Windows Media Player preinstalled.
You can use that media player to listen to musics, watch videos, etc.

One day, you got a sound clip or a video clip, that come with a strange format, that your windows media player cannot play! So what to do?
You search the net, and find several websites which offers media player that specifically plays that kind of file format. eg: real player for rm, quick time for mp4 etc.

Actually, instead of having so many different media players installed in your computer, you could've just install a codec pack, that gives your media player the power to play any different format!

Let me explain what's a codec in a simple and understandable way.
Codec means Coder-Decoder (there're several other definitions too). Every media files are coded in different ways, and your media player needs a decoder in order to play that certain media file. Understand?

Ok, another more simple way.
Imagine, that the windows media player is a mini-combo that can play audio cd, vcd, casette. Usually, you only plays CD(mp3), sometimes casette(wma), and watches VCD(wmv). One day, you bought a DVD(mp4), and your media player cannot play! So what to do? You go and buy another DVD player(quick time player) just to play that kind of dvd. After that, you got a MD from a friend(rmvb), so you go and buy a MD player(real player)...etc.

So, how to codec works?
Installing a codec, is just like installing the DVD and MD function into your media player. K-Lite codec pack included almost all codecs of media formats you could see anywhere.

Now, you can play just anything with your windows media player.
Have fun! ^^

Good:
- Enables you to play almost every media formats using Windows Media Player.
- Gives you another media player in case your Windows Media Player malfunctioned.
Bad:
- Only available for Windows OS.

Download from
www.codecguide.com
www.free-codec.com
A list of K-Lite codec pack components - here

External Link:
K-Lite codec pack from wikipedia