Just researching this area as all of a sudden Windows Media Player 10 and Nero Showtime have decided to refuse to play MPEG2 files (jerky playback). I'm sure something I've installed has wiped out a codec or two. Newly edited files are fine but anything previously in the system just won't play properly. I'm running XP Pro.

Is it best to have as many codecs as possible on your system or to keep them to a minimum? Is there a basic set that you need to install that will take care of most thing?

If anyone knows about these things and would like to share I'd be grateful.

Many thanks.

I always install the very minimum: the latest DivX codec (Pro version), Pegasys MPEG-2 codec (provided with my Pinnacle) and X-Vid. Also, I install the latest versions of QuickTime and Real Player, so I can work with any sort of video file.
I don't wanna hear about those praised "codec packs" which contain up to two dozens codecs loaded with adware/spyware and ruin a fresh installation of Windows.

Thanks svhs. I kind of thought less is more would be the right way to go about it as I imagine you can create loads of conflicts otherwise. I'm off to do a bit of googling to see what I can delete. At the last count I've got about 37 different video codecs loaded.

well i don't think deinstalling them would do the job perfectly. traces can still be left in the system registry or in junk files on the hard-disk. i reckon you'd better do a clean install of windows.

This works for me -
Control Panel->Multimedia->Devices->Video Compression Codecs then
select an unwanted codec, click Properties, then Remove.

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Fav quote - "Experience is whatcha don't get 'till ya don't need it no more."

System - Athlon 1.4GHz, Win98, Hauppauge PVR250 receiver and compressor.
Software -Magix Movie Edit Pro 10, Nero 6 + NeroVision Express, Moho 4.61, PSP 8.1, Bryce, Quicktime 6.52 pro, Goldwave 5, DVD-Lab.
Cameras - Panasonic GS9, Canon ES8400V, Canon EOS D20 and Canon A70

might work if you say so. it was just my opinion - there's nothing like a clean OS install