Formats, TVs and fixes.

play_circle MKV won’t play on Windows 11? How to fix it Open a supported MKV, choose available tracks and troubleshoot playback. memory How to play HEVC / H.265 on Windows 11 Why many PCs cannot decode H.265, and how to get the picture back. bolt AV1 playback on Windows, explained The newer codec, what needs it, and supported decoding paths. compare MP4 vs MKV — which should you keep? What each container actually holds, and when the difference matters. album Playing TS and M2TS Blu-ray files Disc rips open directly, chapters and surround audio included. history AVI file not playing on Windows 11? Old files from old drives, opening properly again. language WebM, VP9 and VP8 files Web-native video on the desktop, without a browser. devices_other MOV file won’t open on Windows? Phone and camera footage, opened natively. gradient What 10-bit video means for what you see Banding, colour depth, and why the number matters. error "Unsupported codec" — fixed for good A first step for files Windows cannot decode on its own.

cast Cast video to Chromecast from PC Supported formats, up to 4K HDR where supported, with subtitles on the picture. cast Cast video to Google TV from PC Cast built into the set — nothing to plug in. connected_tv Cast video to Android TV from PC Sets and boxes with Cast as standard. local_fire_department Cast video to Fire TV from Windows PC Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube and built-in Fire TV sets. stream Cast video to Roku from PC MKV, MP4 and the rest — no converting, found automatically. tv Cast video to Apple TV from Windows PC Reach an Apple TV box from Windows at the supported source and device quality. tv_gen Cast video to LG Smart TV from PC Connects straight to the television — no dongle needed. connected_tv Cast video to Samsung Smart TV from PC Connects straight to the set, with subtitles intact. connected_tv Cast video to Sony Bravia TV from PC Connect to supported Bravia sets from Windows. memory Cast video to NVIDIA Shield from PC The most capable box — often no conversion at all. router Cast video from PC to a DLNA-enabled Smart TV Reaches older televisions with no Chromecast built in. subtitles Why subtitles vanish when you cast — and how to keep them The single most common casting complaint, solved.

upload_file How to add an external SRT subtitle file Load any subtitle file without renaming it to match the video. schedule Fix subtitles that are out of sync Shift the timing while the film plays, once per file. format_size Make subtitles easier to read Size, colour, outline and backing box for any room. translate Two subtitle tracks at once for language learning Native and target language on screen together. description SRT, ASS, VTT and PGS explained Which subtitle format does what, and which to choose. visibility_off Subtitles not showing on your MKV? What to check The handful of causes, in order of likelihood.

hdr_on How to play 4K HDR video on a Windows PC What HDR adds, and how to get it looking right on your screen. contrast Why HDR looks washed out on a PC The Windows setting behind grey, flat HDR — and the fix. speed 4K video lagging or stuttering on your PC? Move the work to your graphics card and the frame drops stop. bolt Hardware acceleration: Intel, NVIDIA and AMD What each does, and why the fans stay quiet. tablet_mac Native playback on Snapdragon and Copilot+ PCs Native Arm64 builds and supported video acceleration. tune Picture adjustment worth making Brightness, contrast and aspect, without ruining the grade.

record_voice_over How to make movie dialogue louder on a PC Why modern mixes bury speech, and how to lift it. surround_sound Surround and lossless audio on a PC Keep the multi-channel mix instead of folding it to stereo. sync_problem Fix audio that is out of sync with the picture Nudge the delay until lips and words agree. equalizer Using the 10-band equaliser well Presets that suit films, and what to change by hand.

hub Play Jellyfin, Emby and Plex on WindowsBrowse your server library and choose direct or server-converted quality. lan Play videos from a NAS or network shareBrowse SMB folders on Windows and play on your PC for free. grid_view Keep a large video library organised Folders, playlists, favourites and search that keeps up. picture_in_picture_alt Watch video in picture-in-picture on Windows The floating window and the mini player, side by side. bookmark Resume, bookmarks and chapters Pick up mid-film weeks later, and mark what matters. playlist_play Build playlists that play straight through Queue an evening, in the order you want it. keyboard Keyboard shortcuts worth learning A dozen shortcuts for common playback controls.