Default Video Codecs in Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 98 relied primarily on the 32-bit Video for Windows (VfW) architecture alongside the emerging DirectShow framework to handle multimedia playback out of the box. Because digital video was in a period of rapid development during the late 1990s, Windows 98 included a curated set of pre-installed compression-decompression drivers (codecs) designed for local CD-ROM video playback, basic computer animation, and early internet teleconferencing. Below is a detailed breakdown of the default video codecs included in standard installations of Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE).
Core Video for Windows (VfW) Codecs
The primary codecs installed in the standard system directory
(C:\Windows\System) were accessible by applications using
the Audio Video Interleave (AVI) container format.
1. Cinepak Codec by Radius
- FOURCC Code:
CVID - Driver File:
iccvid.dll - Purpose: Cinepak was the dominant video codec for PC CD-ROM titles and video games in the mid-to-late 1990s. Designed for low CPU usage, it allowed 386 and 486 computers to decode 24-bit color video smoothly from slow 1x and 2x CD-ROM drives.
2. Microsoft Video 1
- FOURCC Code:
MSVC,CRAM - Driver File:
msvidc32.dll - Purpose: Originally developed for early versions of Video for Windows, Microsoft Video 1 was an older, 8-bit and 16-bit vector quantization codec. Windows 98 retained it natively to ensure backward compatibility with legacy multimedia encyclopedias and educational software.
3. Microsoft Run Length Encoding (RLE)
- FOURCC Code:
MRLE,RLE - Driver File:
msrle32.dll - Purpose: A lossless codec designed specifically for compressing simple graphical elements, screen recordings, and 8-bit palette-based animations containing large fields of solid color.
4. Intel Indeo Video 3.2
- FOURCC Code:
IV32 - Driver File:
ir32_32.dll - Purpose: Developed by Intel, Indeo 3.2 was a vector-quantization codec widely used as a competitor to Cinepak for high-quality CD-ROM video playback. Windows 98 included it out of the box to support commercial software releases from that era.
(Note: Windows 98 Second Edition expanded on this by adding
updated versions of Intel Indeo, including Indeo Interactive
4.x (IV41 / ir41_32.dll) and
Indeo 5.x (IV50 /
ir50_32.dll), along with the raw Intel
YUV9 (YVU9 / iyuv_32.dll)
uncompressed driver).
Teleconferencing Codecs (Microsoft NetMeeting)
Windows 98 included Microsoft NetMeeting as a default core component, which registered specialized, low-bandwidth codecs intended for live video calling over dial-up or local networks:
1. Microsoft H.261
- FOURCC Code:
M261 - Driver File:
msh261.dll - Purpose: Designed to comply with ITU-T telecommunications standards, this codec compressed low-resolution (QCIF and CIF) video streams for transmission over early ISDN and dial-up internet connections.
2. Microsoft H.263
- FOURCC Code:
M263 - Driver File:
msh263.dll - Purpose: A more efficient successor to H.261, optimized for low-bitrate video telephony applications over standard telephone lines (V.34 modems).
Summary of Default Drivers
| Codec Name | FOURCC | System File | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinepak by Radius | CVID |
iccvid.dll |
Standard CD-ROM video playback |
| Microsoft Video 1 | MSVC |
msvidc32.dll |
Legacy 16-bit AVI playback |
| Microsoft RLE | MRLE |
msrle32.dll |
Basic 2D animation and UI graphics |
| Intel Indeo 3.2 | IV32 |
ir32_32.dll |
Multimedia games and reference software |
| Microsoft H.261 | M261 |
msh261.dll |
NetMeeting video conferencing |
| Microsoft H.263 | M263 |
msh263.dll |
Low-bandwidth video conferencing |
These pre-installed codecs allowed Windows 98 users to watch the majority of commercial video media produced between 1992 and 1998 without requiring third-party codec packs or manual driver installations.