diff --git a/codec/codecutil/list.go b/codec/codecutil/list.go
index 3024b5ab..e78824e3 100644
--- a/codec/codecutil/list.go
+++ b/codec/codecutil/list.go
@@ -24,51 +24,23 @@ LICENSE
 
 package codecutil
 
-// Codec represents a media codec.
-type Codec uint8
-
-// A global list containing all available codecs for reference in any application.
-// When adding or removing a codec from this list, the corresponding codec string const must be updated below.
+// All available codecs for reference in any application.
+// when adding or removing a codec from this list, IsValid below must be updated.
 const (
-	Undef Codec = iota
-	PCM
-	ADPCM
-	H264
-	H265
-	MJPEG
-	JPEG
-	maxCodec
+	PCM   = "pcm"
+	ADPCM = "adpcm"
+	H264  = "h264"
+	H265  = "h265"
+	MJPEG = "mjpeg"
+	JPEG  = "jpeg"
 )
 
-const (
-	pcmStr   = "pcm"
-	adpcmStr = "adpcm"
-	h264Str  = "h264"
-	h265Str  = "h265"
-	mjpegStr = "mjpeg"
-	jpegStr  = "jpeg"
-)
-
-// IsValid checks if a codec is a known and valid codec.
-func (c Codec) IsValid() bool {
-	return 0 < c && c < maxCodec
-}
-
-func (c Codec) String() string {
-	switch c {
-	case PCM:
-		return pcmStr
-	case ADPCM:
-		return adpcmStr
-	case H264:
-		return h264Str
-	case H265:
-		return h265Str
-	case MJPEG:
-		return mjpegStr
-	case JPEG:
-		return jpegStr
+// IsValid checks if a string is a known and valid codec in the right format.
+func IsValid(s string) bool {
+	switch s {
+	case PCM, ADPCM, H264, H265, MJPEG, JPEG:
+		return true
 	default:
-		return ""
+		return false
 	}
 }
diff --git a/device/alsa/alsa.go b/device/alsa/alsa.go
index cd6f13b8..eb35d1b7 100644
--- a/device/alsa/alsa.go
+++ b/device/alsa/alsa.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Channels   uint
 	BitDepth   uint
 	RecPeriod  float64
-	Codec      uint8
+	Codec      string
 }
 
 // Logger enables any implementation of a logger to be used.
diff --git a/device/geovision/geovision.go b/device/geovision/geovision.go
index 9da7453c..d12ae8bc 100644
--- a/device/geovision/geovision.go
+++ b/device/geovision/geovision.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (g *GeoVision) Set(c avconfig.Config) error {
 		g.cfg.CameraIP,
 		gvconfig.Channel(g.cfg.CameraChan),
 		gvconfig.CodecOut(
-			map[uint8]gvconfig.Codec{
+			map[string]gvconfig.Codec{
 				codecutil.H264:  gvconfig.CodecH264,
 				codecutil.H265:  gvconfig.CodecH265,
 				codecutil.MJPEG: gvconfig.CodecMJPEG,
diff --git a/revid/audio_linux.go b/revid/audio_linux.go
index cac6a167..3511f367 100644
--- a/revid/audio_linux.go
+++ b/revid/audio_linux.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (r *Revid) setupAudio() error {
 	mts.Meta.Add(ChannelsStr, strconv.Itoa(int(r.cfg.Channels)))
 	mts.Meta.Add(PeriodStr, fmt.Sprintf("%.6f", r.cfg.RecPeriod))
 	mts.Meta.Add(BitDepthStr, strconv.Itoa(int(r.cfg.BitDepth)))
-	mts.Meta.Add(CodecStr, r.cfg.InputCodec.String())
+	mts.Meta.Add(CodecStr, r.cfg.InputCodec)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/revid/config/config.go b/revid/config/config.go
index b7c5d34d..1323c17e 100644
--- a/revid/config/config.go
+++ b/revid/config/config.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ package config
 import (
 	"time"
 
-	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/codec/codecutil"
 	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/utils/logger"
 )
 
@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// InputCodec defines the input codec we wish to use, and therefore defines the
 	// lexer for use in the pipeline. This defaults to H264, but H265 is also a
 	// valid option if we expect this from the input.
-	InputCodec codecutil.Codec
+	InputCodec string
 
 	// InputPath defines the input file location for File Input. This must be
 	// defined if File input is to be used.
diff --git a/revid/config/config_test.go b/revid/config/config_test.go
index 43484226..4130f14b 100644
--- a/revid/config/config_test.go
+++ b/revid/config/config_test.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func TestUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		"HorizontalFlip":    "true",
 		"HTTPAddress":       "http://address",
 		"Input":             "rtsp",
-		"InputCodec":        "MJPEG",
+		"InputCodec":        "mjpeg",
 		"InputPath":         "/inputpath",
 		"logging":           "Error",
 		"Loop":              "true",
diff --git a/revid/config/variables.go b/revid/config/variables.go
index c5eb4b9b..726faf16 100644
--- a/revid/config/variables.go
+++ b/revid/config/variables.go
@@ -299,12 +299,10 @@ var Variables = []struct {
 		Name:  KeyInputCodec,
 		Type_: "enum:H264,H265,MJPEG,JPEG,PCM,ADPCM",
 		Update: func(c *Config, v string) {
-			c.InputCodec = codecutil.FromString(v)
+			c.InputCodec = v
 		},
 		Validate: func(c *Config) {
-			switch c.InputCodec {
-			case codecutil.H264, codecutil.MJPEG, codecutil.JPEG, codecutil.PCM, codecutil.ADPCM:
-			default:
+			if !codecutil.IsValid(c.InputCodec) {
 				c.LogInvalidField(KeyInputCodec, defaultInputCodec)
 				c.InputCodec = defaultInputCodec
 			}
diff --git a/revid/pipeline.go b/revid/pipeline.go
index 0c3302de..adace2f2 100644
--- a/revid/pipeline.go
+++ b/revid/pipeline.go
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ func (r *Revid) setupPipeline(mtsEnc func(dst io.WriteCloser, rate float64) (io.
 
 // setLexer sets the revid input lexer based on input codec and whether input
 // is RTSP or not, in which case an RTP/<codec> extractor is used.
-func (r *Revid) setLexer(c uint8, isRTSP bool) error {
+func (r *Revid) setLexer(c string, isRTSP bool) error {
 	switch c {
 	case codecutil.H264:
 		r.cfg.Logger.Log(logger.Debug, "using H.264 codec")
diff --git a/revid/senders.go b/revid/senders.go
index 9ada291e..a0172491 100644
--- a/revid/senders.go
+++ b/revid/senders.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func extractMeta(r string, log func(lvl int8, msg string, args ...interface{}))
 		log(logger.Debug, "No location in reply")
 	} else {
 		log(logger.Debug, fmt.Sprintf("got location: %v", g))
-		mts.Meta.Add(LocStr, g)
+		mts.Meta.Add(mts.LocStr, g)
 	}
 
 	return nil