MLC for Windows 10 - Full description
MLC is a lossless video codec that uses the Video for Windows (VFW) standard. It is intended for users who need to encode video without discarding image data, particularly when working with older capture, editing or conversion software that supports VFW codecs. Because encoding is lossless, decoded frames retain the image information present in the source rather than undergoing the quality reduction associated with lossy compression.
The codec supports four pixel formats: YUY2 and YV12, which store video using different arrangements of colour information, and RGB24 and RGB32, which represent frames in RGB colour. These options let a compatible application select a format suited to its input or processing workflow. The actual format available for a given task depends on the video software and source material being used.
MLC works through the VFW interface rather than serving as a standalone video editor or player. In a VFW-compatible application, the codec can be selected as an encoding option when saving or exporting video. The same codec is needed to decode files encoded with MLC, so installing it on systems that open or process those files can make them accessible to compatible software. It does not replace the application used to capture, edit or manage video.
Typical uses include preserving intermediate footage during an editing workflow, creating lossless video files from compatible capture software, and exchanging video between VFW-based tools without introducing additional lossy encoding. As with other lossless codecs, the resulting files retain source image data, while their storage requirements depend on the content and encoding process; MLC is not a tool for editing footage or reducing its quality to achieve a particular file size.
MLC is freeware from Miro Linek. It supports Windows systems through Windows 10, including 64-bit editions where listed, as well as several earlier Windows releases. The codec is a small installation intended for Windows video applications that use VFW; it is not presented as a native codec for every modern editing or playback program. Compatibility therefore depends on whether the chosen application can use VFW codecs and the pixel formats MLC supports.