# How do I use ffdshow to playback mpg files?



## Clement Saggers (Apr 5, 2008)

I don't know if it's possible, but I have ffdshow installed on my computer, it makes any mpeg-4 file look great, but is there a way I can make it work with ordinary mpg files?


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## blah789 (Aug 25, 2008)

Yes it's possible. I'm assuming you have ffdshow-tryouts (that name is used to differentiate it from the original ffdshow, which didn't have a bazillion codecs in it).
Go to start, (all) programs, ffdshow, video decoder configuration.
On the left pane, make sure codecs is selected. On the right, scroll down to where it says MPEG1. Then click on disabled to the right of it and the drop-down menu should appear. Just pick whichever decoder you want to use (libavcodec or libmpeg2). Do the same for MPEG2 if you want. To check that Windows Media Player indeed uses ffdshow to render the MPEG-1 and/or MPEG-2 files, use gspot 2.70a (http://www.headbands.com/gspot). Open a sample MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 file with it, then go to where it says MS A/V at the bottom. Click the 1. Then click the 2. It should list ffdshow in the sequence of filters used to render it.


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## Clement Saggers (Apr 5, 2008)

I'm using the one that came with the K-Lite Codec Pack, i can't find what you're talking about.


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## blah789 (Aug 25, 2008)

I don't know what's bundled with the K-Lite Codec Pack.
If they have the old ffdshow it doesn't have the gazillion codecs in there (and probably not MPEG). Development on the original ffdshow stopped in 2006.
What you want is the current fork on it called ffdshow-tryouts. It's has a gazillion codecs in it, and the controls I'm talking about.
http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/


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## blah789 (Aug 25, 2008)

BTW what are you using to play your MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files? If you use Media Player Classic, you have to turn off its internal MPEG-2 filter if you want an external one to do the rendering.


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