x264

To decode use a recent build of FFDShow or a player that supports H.264 internally - like MPlayer (there are few interesting frontends for Windows: MPlayerUI, MPlayer Frontend) and VLC (VideoLAN Client).

* Important:
- VFW and installer were removed from auto update, VFW is outdated. However, you may try the Leiming's x264 GUI.
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, AVISynth and DGIndex are required to use with MeGUI but NOT included.

Encoder features :

- CAVLC/CABAC
- Multi-references
- Intra: all macroblock types (16x16, 8x8, and 4x4 with all predictions)
- Inter P: all partitions (from 16x16 down to 4x4)
- Inter B: partitions from 16x16 down to 8x8 (including skip/direct)
- Ratecontrol: constant quantizer, single or multipass ABR, optional VBV
- Scene cut detection
- Adaptive B-frame placement
- B-frames as references / arbitrary frame order
- 8x8 and 4x4 adaptive spatial transform
- Lossless mode
- Custom quantization matrices
- Parallel encoding of multiple slices