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Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities

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Long Zheng has highlighted some of the decoders built in to Windows 7. He shows how Windows 7 support additional codecs over Windows Vista, which is great as in my experience every time I download a codec pack it breaks Recorded TV playback. I was testing various formats in Windows 7 and found it would more or less play any format I tried on it (Divx,mp4 etc).

What is interesting is the transcoding features, if I read the reports correctly Windows 7 will transcode formats that network devices don’t support. So even though the Xbox 360 can’t play H.264 from the Media Center UI Windows 7 would transcode the format on the fly, so Extenders don’t need to support multiple codecs, this should reduce the costs of developing a Media Center extender as OEMs would not need to licence 3rd party codecs and make adding new formats much simpler

Checkout Long’s posts for details on the formats supported.

Posted Nov 16 2008, 09:39 AM by Ian Dixon
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Comments

Athursby wrote re: Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities
on 11-16-2008 10:34 AM
..

I'm having the same experience.  Every time I install a codec pack (AC3 filter is doing it as well) it breaks recorded TV.  The extra support is great but it still doesn't cover all of the bases.

MKV support for example.  There are other Xvid files I have that won't play without 3rd party codecs as well.  Have you found a pack that will take care of this without breaking recorded TV yet?

Entertainment 2.0 wrote Entertainment 2.0
on 11-16-2008 12:48 PM
..

Pingback from  Entertainment 2.0

Ashleigh wrote re: Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities
on 11-16-2008 5:04 PM
..

Just install Halli splitter for MKV support, works a treat. Also the Microsoft codec does not like packed divx's or xvids (playback looks stuttery because of low FPS) easy to fix though, have a powershell script on my site that unpacks all files in a folder.

So far not been able to get any codecs working besides the MS one, and never had it break recorded tv?

kingtone wrote re: Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities
on 11-16-2008 5:44 PM
..

I avoid codec packs like the plague. FFDshow is the only one I install. Wrote a post about getting all kinds of file types to play in Vista: http://is.gd/5a4l

Ross Snowden wrote re: Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities
on 11-16-2008 6:13 PM
..

I'm wondering what happens when recorded TV playback (or recording) is broken.  Is is just a matter of repairing the installation, or does the offending codec package have to be uninstalled?

Ogre wrote re: Windows 7’s new “play all” decoders, encoders and transcoding capabilities
on 11-16-2008 8:28 PM
..

They still don't support the most popular HD container: Matroska. I was unable to get .mkv's working in Windows 7 without installing FFDshow, which, of course, will prolly end up breaking Recorded TV.

Ian's Digital Lifestyle wrote This weeks Post Roundup
on 11-16-2008 10:00 PM
..

This week I have been playing with the Media Center sideshow gadgets on my Windows Mobile phone and Windows...

This weeks Post Roundup | Windows Home Theater wrote This weeks Post Roundup | Windows Home Theater
on 11-17-2008 3:05 AM
..

Pingback from  This weeks Post Roundup | Windows Home Theater

More Details on Windows 7 Media Decoder | eHomeUpgrade wrote More Details on Windows 7 Media Decoder | eHomeUpgrade
on 11-17-2008 10:03 PM
..

Pingback from  More Details on Windows 7 Media Decoder   | eHomeUpgrade

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