Sunday, September 26, 2010

How to Play FLV files anywhere on your computer

This is funny.
When I was using winXP, I'd installed this amazing codec pack called CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack). At under 10mb, it supported all the video formats including FLV without any problems. And I mean I could play ANY video file in ANY software - windows media player, winamp... you name it, this baby would play it.
When I switched to Win7, the OS itself natively supported playing all sorts of .avi and .mp4 files that I threw at it. But not .flv 's. I installed CCCP there, but even then it wouldn't. I re-installed it, tried some other some codecs too. No avail. To make matters worse, VLC would play only the video and no audio for some reason.

But just now when I clicked over to the CCCP settings in the Start Menu and did God knows what, but suddenly I can play all FLV files anywhere in my win7 laptop.
So.. why is this funny?
Because I've spent half a year playing all my .flv's in a shoddy 3rd-rate flv-player that can't track most files properly, doesn't have volume boosting/normalization, lets the screensaver come on while I'm sitting back and watching, doesn't have any decent hotkeys and makes the videos look pathetic with jagged corners in fullscreen, that's why!
#%@&$*&%#$%#!

So, guys, if you wanna play .flv files in your system, make sure the CCCP settings (2 consecutive windows) look exactly like the screenshots here. Expand this post to see them





Question : Why not just use FLV Player?
Answer : Damn, having to contain my sarcasm. Ok. Here goes:
1. FLVPlayer Cannot render in full screen so well - everything gets choppy.
2. It does not have the keyboard shortcuts I'm so used to using when watching stuff
3. It does not prevent the screen saver from activating itself. Imagine having to shake the mouse every few minutes while watching something!
4. It does not keep itself on top of other apps when playing (hey, I like to multitask!)
5. If I just stick with FLVPlayer, I would never be able to use any .flv video file in presentations, or to create any videos in Movie Maker and the like. Converting each and every .flv to another format is frustrating and tiresome! If a video file can play, we should be able to use it however we want to without having to worry about format. We should have format independence!

PS: About Sugar in the Milk part-2.. I'd typed half the thing and it was saved in draft, but I'd left the tab open. After a close and start again of the browser, it was all gone :(. The tab staying open caused a problem! So am having to start over.

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