what about ffdshow (
http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/ )
not really a codec pack, but more like "only one to make it all", i've been
using it for long long years without problems, and now finally there is a
newer version which adresses the "com surrogate stop working" in vista
watch out, ffdshow-tryout is the newer version (march 2007 as of now),
ffdshow "as-is" (2004) will give troubles with mpgs live icons and such
if you know something that could be bad with it, just tell (you know, i do
not make stress tests)