I have more than one playback MPEG2 Codec installed and I would like to
compare the video quality using Media Player, or any player.

How do I configure XP SP Windows to use one or the other codec?

Thanks very much.
Bruce.

news:D%amk.15834$cW3.11654@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com...

  If they really come in threes, I have one more to go.

OK, Media Player  (I prefer Media Player Classic)
uses DirectShow Filters/Codecs, so:

  The easiest way I know is to use a utility that lets you set the
Merit of DirectShow filters.  This is a pretty good one:

http://www.softella.com/dsfm/index.en.htm

  Just select each MPEG2 Decode Filter in turn and
adjust the Merit slider to the top for the one you are
testing.  You should keep track of the merit it had
before you did the test so you can set it back as it
was.  You will probably need to first check for and
find any that are at the top of the slider before your
testing and lower it/them for the test.

  Note the color of the filter's listing it relates to it's
Merit setting.  You can use that to quickly find the
high Merit filters.

Luck;
    Ken

The short answer is, you don't.  Each codec has an adjustable "merit"
value, which is supposed to give priority to one codec over another.
But this merit value is ignored by most application software, even by
MS's own WMP.

news:cMGdnZaX1eri1ATVnZ2dnUVZ_qDinZ2d@comcast.com...

  That hasn't been my experience, in fact I don't see how
any program that is using DirectShow Filters or Codec
can ignore the Merit settings.  One thing that could be
throwing you off is that the Merit can be more complex
than some utilities allow for.   The hardware codec/filters
can often have default precedence over the displayed
merit in the simpler utilities.

  Of course there is also the fact that many players make
no use of the DirectShow Filters, at all.

  If you really want to get into this subject, find and
download "GraphEdit".  Try to catch a running graph
off your audio/video programs while they are running.
You will be greatly surprised at what is and isn't
covered.

Luck;
    Ken

news:ULydnXSFGfRu1QTVnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@giganews.com...

Thank you very much for the link Ken.  That's a nice program and very
helpful.

Bruce.

Gspot is also good (a bit more info on each codec).

Also:

Codec hell (a term derived from DLL hell) is when multiple DirectShow
filters conflict for performing the same task. A large number of companies
now develop codecs in the form of DirectShow filters, resulting in the
presence of several filters that can decode the same media type. This issue
is further exacerbated by DirectShow's merit system, where filter
implementations end up competing with one another by registering
themselves with increasingly elevated priority.

Microsoft's Ted Youmans explained that "[DirectShow] was based on the
merit system, with the idea being that, using a combination of the filter’s
merit and how specific the media type/sub type is, one could reasonably
pick the right codec every time. It wasn't really designed for a competing
merit nuclear arms race."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectShow