K-Lite Codec Pack
The K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of audio and video codecs for Microsoft Windows DirectShow that enables an operating system and its software to play various audio and video formats generally not supported by the operating system itself. The K-Lite Codec Pack also includes several related tools, including Media Player Classic Home Cinema, Media Info Lite, and Codec Tweak Tool.
K-Lite adds Video for Windows codecs and DirectShow filters to the system, so that DirectShow/VFW based players like MPC, Winamp, and Windows Media Player will use them automatically.
Editions
There are four editions of the K-Lite Codec Pack, all free of charge.- Basic: The Basic edition is the smallest version and enables a Microsoft Windows computer to play the contents of AVI, Matroska, MP4, Ogg, Flash Video and WebM files, etc. It only consists of LAV Filters, DirectVobSub, Codec Tweak Tool, Icaros ThumbnailProvider, and Icaros PropertyHandler. Basic is the only edition that includes neither MPC-HC nor MediaInfo Lite.
- Standard: The Standard edition includes all features of the Basic edition plus madVR, MediaInfo Lite, and MPC-HC. This package is recommended for normal users.
- Full: The Full edition includes all features of the Standard edition plus ffdshow, DScaler5 MPEG-2 decoder, DC-Bass Source Mod, Haali Media Splitter, Haali Video Renderer, and GraphStudioNext.
- Mega: The Mega edition includes all features of the Full edition plus ACM and VFW codecs for video encoding/editing, AC3Filter, Haali Matroska Muxer, FourCC Changer, and VobSubStrip.
After version 11.3.0, the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of LAV Filters share their settings, and an option to install only 64-bit codecs was added.
After version 13.7.5, a user can remove installed components by deselecting them while running an updater. This also makes it possible to switch to a smaller variant of the codec pack without uninstalling first.
In the past some editions of the K-Lite Codec Pack included BS.Player, until it was supplemented with an adware package.
Compatibility
K-Lite Codec Packs are compatible with Windows 2003 and later.The last version that is compatible with Windows XP SP3 is version 13.8.5.
Starting with K-Lite version 10.0.0, 64-bit codecs were integrated into the regular K-Lite Codec Pack. Previously, a separate 64-bit edition of the pack was available for x64 editions of Windows.
Supported file formats
The K-Lite Codec Pack supports the following file formats:| File format | Basic | Standard | Full | Mega |
| AVI .avi,.divx | ||||
| DVD-Video .vob,.evo | ||||
| Blu-ray video .m2ts | ||||
| Flash Video .flv | ||||
| Matroska .mkv,.mka | ||||
| MP3 .mp3 | ||||
| MPEG-1 formats .mpg,.mpeg,.m1v | ||||
| MPEG-2 formats .mpe,.m2v,.mpv2,.mp2v,.m2p,.mod,.ts,.m2t,.mts,.pva,.tp,.tpr | ||||
| MPEG-4 formats .mp4,.m4v,.mp4v,.mpv4,.m4a,.3gp,.3gpp,.3g2,.3gp2 | ||||
| Ogg .ogg,.ogm,.ogv,.oga | ||||
| RealMedia .rm,.rmvb,.ra,.ram | ||||
| WebM .webm | ||||
| QuickTime .mov,.hdmov.qt | ||||
| FLAC .flac | ||||
| WavPack .wv | ||||
| AC3/DTS .ac3,.dts | ||||
| AMR .amr | ||||
| AMV .amv | ||||
| Apple Lossless Audio Codec .alac | ||||
| Monkey's Audio .ape,.apl | ||||
| MPEG-4 AAC .aac | ||||
| Musepack .mpc,.mpp | ||||
| Trackers .xm,.s3m,.it,.umx | ||||
| OptimFROG .ofr,.ofs | ||||
| File Format | Basic | Standard | Full | Mega |
Critical reception
, CNET reported a total of 1,074,578 downloads for K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.2 since its release date of 12 October 2009. User ratings gave it an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars, but it received only 87 reviews. Meanwhile, CNET reported only 122,552 downloads for K-Lite Codec Pack Full Edition 5.2 ; however, it also received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, albeit from only seven reviewers. No CNET editors had reviewed these products up until this time.On the same date, Betanews Fileforum reported a rating of 4.7 out of 5, based on 2,346 votes for K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.2.0 and 9,416,511 downloads. Fileforum did not have an entry for K-Lite Codec Pack 5.2 Full.
In October 2009, Softpedia reported K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.2 and K-Lite Codec Pack 5.2 Update had been downloaded a combined total of 2,011,113 times after their release on 12 October 2009, and gave them a user rating of 4.4 out of 5 based on 2,281 votes. K-Lite Mega Codec Pack was chosen as a Softpedia Pick. Softpedia also reported K-Lite Codec Pack 5.2 Full, K-Lite Codec Pack Full 5.2 Update, and K-Lite Codec Pack 2.7 64-bit Edition have been downloaded a combined total of 1,452,750 times up until this date, and have received a user rating of 4.3 out of 5 from 2,082 users. K-Lite Codec Pack Full 5.2 was also a Softpedia Pick.
Also in October 2009, SnapFiles also highly praised K-Lite Codec Pack Full edition, giving it five stars.