ffdshow Installation and Configuration

VfW Decoder Configuration


Although little work is being done on codecs for the older VfW (Video for Windows) framework, that doesn't mean its not still important for playback. While MKV, MP4, MPG, and TS files may be the current standard, there are probably billions of AVI files on computers, CDs, and even DVDs around the world. Although you may be happier in the long run by (losslessly) copying from the AVI container to something newer like Matroska (MKV), if you prefer to keep them in AVI format you can use the ffvfw dialog to configure codec support.

FourCC1

In AVI files, the video is assigned a special code called a FourCC. The FourCC tells Windows what VfW decoder the video should be sent to for decoding. Different formats, and sometimes different decoders for the same format, have different FourCC codes. These codes are generally taken from the codec's name, such as DIVX and XVID. In most cases it's almost an abbreviation of the name, such as HFYU for HuffYUV. Although the VfW codec listing is essentially the same as the DirectShow list, the FourCCs for each are listed in the description.


VfW Decoding


MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)2

Since almost all AVC in Windows is created and played by DirectShow based tools its unlikely you'll ever need to decode it with ffvfw.



MPEG-4 ASP3

MPEG-4 ASP codecs like DivX and Xvid were once extremely popular among hobbyists and casual encoders alike. These are the files your most likely to require ffvfw to play for you. Since MPEG-4 ASP is a standard, rather than a particular codec, any decoder (including ffvfw) should be able to read any MPEG-4 ASP video. XviD, DivX, ffvfw, and a host of other decoders are all more or less equal in terms of features. The biggest advantage to ffvfw is in keeping the number of individual codecs you must maintain on your computer to a minimum.





Lossless Compression4

The open source lossless HuffYUV codec became popular for analog video capture, but due to relatively large file sizes didn't catch on among the general public. However, with several hundred Gigabyte hard drives being commonplace it's found a new niche as an intermediary format for CPU intensive editing using AviSynth. In addition to reducing the number of separate codecs on your computer by one, ffvfw's HuffYUV encoding (a subject for a future guide) is more advanced than the standalone codec.






MJPEG

Motion JPEG is similar to DV, although with less compression. At one time it was commonly for TV captures due to smaller file sizes than the lossless alternatives. Unless you're editing AVI files you probably won't need MJPEG support.




DV5

DV is the primary format used to encode standard definition digital camcorder footage. Many DV camcorders include a DV decoder. DV is somewhat unusual since there are several FourCCs for a single format. Each FourCC corresponds to one or more specific decoders, which give slightly different output. Unless you have a DV (standard definition) camcorder or analog capture device you shouldn't have any need for this decoder.








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1More FourCC Information

You can find detailed information about a number of common and uncommon FourCCs at the FourCC.org website.
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2AVC in AVI

Although there was some work early in the development of x.264 (an open source AVC codec) for using the AVI container and VfW framework, the switch to AVC has been accompanied by a move to the MP4 and MKV containers, both of which are better suited to modern video encoding. As a result most work with AVC video (in Windows) involves DirectShow, and not VfW.
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3MPEG-4 ASP in AVI

MPEG-4 ASP files encoded with the DivX and XviD codecs are probably the most common use of the AVI container. In recent years this has been replaced by encoding with DirectShow tools and using the MP4 or MKV container which have become standard for MPEG-4 AVC.
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4Using Lossless Compression

At one time lossless compression was highly prized for video capturing and editing, but not feasible for many people due to low compression (high file sizes). More recently hard drive space has become abundant, but analog capture is disappearing. However, there's still one area where lossless compression is still a viable solution. When using AviSynth to filter video you may end up with very slow running scripts. When encoded in 2 passes there may be many CPU intensive operations being performed twice (once for each pass), competing with the video encoder for precious CPU cycles. By saving the output of an AVS script to a lossless AVI you can apply all the filters first, giving the video encoder full access to your CPU.
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5Decoding DV Correctly

Despite the standardization of DV technology, different DV decoders will produce different picture quality from the same file. In addition to ffvfw, you can also use the free Codecida DV codec for advanced decoding options.
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Where to go from here


Introduction to Haali Media Splitter

  • Just a few years ago the only multimedia containers most Windows users had to worry about were AVI and MPEG-2 Program Streams. Although a number of other proprietary, and even open source containers have been used, for MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 (ASP) video AVI and MPEG-2 PS (.MPEG / .MPG) files have traditionally been the standard. With the development of MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video the MP4 and MKV containers have been slowly replacing both for a variety of applications.... (Read More)

Using AviSynth 2.5

  • Over the last several years many people have tried AviSynth for video editing and given up because it appears to be too difficult. It has a scripting, rather than visual, interface. This tends to make people uncomfortable using it. This is really a shame since nearly anyone is qualified to use it for basic editing.... (Read More)

How to play MP4 files

  • MP4 files (MPEG-4 Part 14) are multimedia files. MP4 is a container format that can store video, audio and subtitle data (as well as more depending on content). Since stores like iTunes uses this container format, and it is used with iPod and PlayStation Portable (PSP), MP4 files have become more common. This guide aims to show you how to play MP4 files on your computer on several different players using a variety of methods. To understand MP4 and other video file formats, please read and follow the entire article.... (Read More)

How to play MKV files

  • An MKV file is a Matroska file. Matroska is an open source container format. It is an alternative to the popular AVI and MP4 formats and it also surpasses them in many areas.... (Read More)

Version History
v1.0 2008.03.20 Original version by Rich "vurbal" FiscusTable of Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Installation
  3. Video Decoder Configuration
  4. Audio Decoder Configuration
  5. VfW Decoder Configuration
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