by Charlotte
Updated on Mar 8, 2023
This article will elaborate on how to download, install and update VLC codecs so that you can smoothly play various videos on VLC.
Videos still won't play? Install this functional video & audio transcoder to easily convert your video/audio files to various formats for smooth playback on different devices:
Have you ever encountered the problem that the audio or videos downloaded from websites or shared by friends can't be successfully played on your media players? Have you got a clue? Actually, such a situation is usually caused by the lack of corresponding video and audio codecs.
VLC, as a popular free open source program, is widely acclaimed for its support of various platforms and devices. Equipped with abundant VLC codecs, it is capable of decoding and playing the majority of media formats including some uncommon formats. Next, the post will guide you through how to download, install and update VLC codecs.
In fact, VLC Media Player doesn't officially release any VLC codec pack download! The VLC codecs pack you searched and found in the search engines are disguised and uploaded by the third-parties, which may contain adware or stubborn toolbar. It is true that such codec packs are probably enriched with many codecs, but you have to pay attention that those fraudulent VLC codec download may be conflicted or incompatible with other media players and programs as well!
Personally, in order to circumvent the unknown risks, it is better not to download and install any so-called VLC codec pack. If it is your urgent need, here are some pack alternatives like K-Lite Codec Pack or CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack). But you'd better download these recommended pack from the official sites too!
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There's no doubt that the best method to download trustworthy, clean and safer VLC codecs is to officially download and install VLC Media Player directly. When you have installed VLC Media Player, all the codecs are successfully installed at the same time. And you don't need to download any code pack for VLC again! What's more, if new codecs are updated, it will be released with the new VLC version. Wanna a VLC codec update? Here are 2 methods for VLC codec update without any hassle!
Method 1 – Go to VLC Media Player official site: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html to download the latest version, then install and overwirte the old installation.
Method 2 – If you are still using an old version of VLC, click "Help" on the menu bar > "Check for Updates".
If VLC still fails to play some video files after the VLC codec pack update, a powerful yet easy-to-use video transcoder - WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is highly recommended for simple video and audio conversion with the help of abundant built-in VLC codecs alternative. With it, you can convert your various awkward video and audio files to common formats which are supported by most devices and players.
All in all, apart from downloading VLC codec pack, it's also a good alternative to use a reliable and functional video/audio transcoding program to address any format incompatibility issue. Free download Free download this all-purpose application and process video with great ease.