Play a Variety of Media Formats With the CCCP

Have you ever spent the time downloading a movie just to be greeted with this message?

Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file.

In most cases, the "Web Help" button will not offer any useful information. This leaves people feeling frustrated. Do not worry, the person who gave the file to you was not trying to trick you. Your computer just does not yet know how to play the file.

The Combined Community Codec Pack is a collection of files that allow you to view a variety of media formats including Divx, Xvid, Matroska(MKV), OGM, FLV, and H.264(H264). AVI containers with multiple audio streams also work. One feature I find particularly useful is its powerful subtitle support. A full list of supported formats can be found here:
http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=FAQ#Supported_Formats

Even if you are already satisfied with the media player you are currently using, consider giving CCCP a try. It is not a media player per say, but more a set of files that decode audio and video formats. Since CCCP runs in the background you can continue to use the same media player that you are already familiar with.

CCCP is easy to install and set up. Download it from one of many free mirrors and run it:
http://www.cccp-project.net/download.php?type=cccp

Choose all the default options during the installation as they provide the greatest compatibility with what we want to play. You are finished once the installation is complete and you choose which files you want to associate with CCCP.

That's all there is to it. Grab some popcorn, relax, and enjoy the movie.