diff --git a/src/codec/audio.rs b/src/codec/audio.rs
index 5c15c95..a32aef1 100644
--- a/src/codec/audio.rs
+++ b/src/codec/audio.rs
@@ -1,23 +1,22 @@
 use std::ops::Deref;
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 use {ChannelLayout, format};
 use super::codec::Codec;
 use ffi::*;
 
-pub struct Audio<'a> {
-	codec: &'a Codec<'a>,
+pub struct Audio {
+	codec: Codec,
 }
 
-impl<'a> Audio<'a> {
-	pub unsafe fn new<'b>(codec: &'b Codec) -> Audio<'b> {
+impl Audio {
+	pub unsafe fn new(codec: Codec) -> Audio {
 		Audio {
 			codec: codec,
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Audio<'a> {
+impl Audio {
 	pub fn rates(&self) -> Option<RateIter> {
 		unsafe {
 			if (*self.as_ptr()).supported_samplerates.is_null() {
@@ -52,27 +51,25 @@ impl<'a> Audio<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Deref for Audio<'a> {
-	type Target = Codec<'a>;
+impl Deref for Audio {
+	type Target = Codec;
 
 	fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
-		self.codec
+		&self.codec
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct RateIter<'a> {
+pub struct RateIter {
 	ptr: *const i32,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> RateIter<'a> {
+impl RateIter {
 	pub fn new(ptr: *const i32) -> Self {
-		RateIter { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		RateIter { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for RateIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for RateIter {
 	type Item = i32;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {
@@ -89,19 +86,17 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for RateIter<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct FormatIter<'a> {
+pub struct FormatIter {
 	ptr: *const AVSampleFormat,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> FormatIter<'a> {
+impl FormatIter {
 	pub fn new(ptr: *const AVSampleFormat) -> Self {
-		FormatIter { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		FormatIter { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for FormatIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for FormatIter {
 	type Item = format::Sample;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {
@@ -118,19 +113,17 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for FormatIter<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct ChannelLayoutIter<'a> {
+pub struct ChannelLayoutIter {
 	ptr: *const u64,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> ChannelLayoutIter<'a> {
+impl ChannelLayoutIter {
 	pub fn new(ptr: *const u64) -> Self {
-		ChannelLayoutIter { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		ChannelLayoutIter { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for ChannelLayoutIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for ChannelLayoutIter {
 	type Item = ChannelLayout;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {
diff --git a/src/codec/codec.rs b/src/codec/codec.rs
index da49104..e433bd3 100644
--- a/src/codec/codec.rs
+++ b/src/codec/codec.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::str::from_utf8_unchecked;
 
@@ -6,15 +5,17 @@ use ffi::*;
 use super::{Id, Video, Audio, Capabilities, Profile};
 use ::{Error, media};
 
-pub struct Codec<'a> {
+#[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Copy, Clone)]
+pub struct Codec {
 	ptr: *mut AVCodec,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
+unsafe impl Send for Codec { }
+unsafe impl Sync for Codec { }
+
+impl Codec {
 	pub unsafe fn wrap(ptr: *mut AVCodec) -> Self {
-		Codec { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		Codec { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 
 	pub unsafe fn as_ptr(&self) -> *const AVCodec {
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
+impl Codec {
 	pub fn is_encoder(&self) -> bool {
 		unsafe {
 			av_codec_is_encoder(self.as_ptr()) != 0
@@ -63,7 +64,11 @@ impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
 		}
 	}
 
-	pub fn video(&self) -> Result<Video, Error> {
+	pub fn is_video(&self) -> bool {
+		self.medium() == media::Type::Video
+	}
+
+	pub fn video(self) -> Result<Video, Error> {
 		unsafe {
 			if self.medium() == media::Type::Video {
 				Ok(Video::new(self))
@@ -74,7 +79,11 @@ impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
 		}
 	}
 
-	pub fn audio(&self) -> Result<Audio, Error> {
+	pub fn is_audio(&self) -> bool {
+		self.medium() == media::Type::Audio
+	}
+
+	pub fn audio(self) -> Result<Audio, Error> {
 		unsafe {
 			if self.medium() == media::Type::Audio {
 				Ok(Audio::new(self))
@@ -109,20 +118,18 @@ impl<'a> Codec<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct ProfileIter<'a> {
+pub struct ProfileIter {
 	id:  Id,
 	ptr: *const AVProfile,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> ProfileIter<'a> {
+impl ProfileIter {
 	pub fn new(id: Id, ptr: *const AVProfile) -> Self {
-		ProfileIter { id: id, ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		ProfileIter { id: id, ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for ProfileIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for ProfileIter {
 	type Item = Profile;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {
diff --git a/src/codec/decoder/mod.rs b/src/codec/decoder/mod.rs
index 4fc4f33..88603aa 100644
--- a/src/codec/decoder/mod.rs
+++ b/src/codec/decoder/mod.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ impl DerefMut for Decoder {
 	}
 }
 
-pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
+pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec> {
 	unsafe {
 		let ptr = avcodec_find_decoder(id.into());
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub fn find_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
+pub fn find_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<Codec> {
 	unsafe {
 		let ptr = avcodec_find_decoder_by_name(CString::new(name).unwrap().as_ptr());
 
diff --git a/src/codec/encoder/mod.rs b/src/codec/encoder/mod.rs
index f3efa9e..120fddf 100644
--- a/src/codec/encoder/mod.rs
+++ b/src/codec/encoder/mod.rs
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ impl DerefMut for Encoder {
 	}
 }
 
-pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
+pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec> {
 	unsafe {
 		let ptr = avcodec_find_encoder(id.into());
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ pub fn find(id: Id) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub fn find_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<Codec<'static>> {
+pub fn find_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<Codec> {
 	unsafe {
 		let ptr = avcodec_find_encoder_by_name(CString::new(name).unwrap().as_ptr());
 
diff --git a/src/codec/video.rs b/src/codec/video.rs
index ae05add..7a3a321 100644
--- a/src/codec/video.rs
+++ b/src/codec/video.rs
@@ -1,23 +1,22 @@
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
 use {Rational, format};
 use super::codec::Codec;
 use ffi::*;
 
-pub struct Video<'a> {
-	codec: &'a Codec<'a>,
+pub struct Video {
+	codec: Codec,
 }
 
-impl<'a> Video<'a> {
-	pub unsafe fn new<'b>(codec: &'b Codec) -> Video<'b> {
+impl Video {
+	pub unsafe fn new(codec: Codec) -> Video {
 		Video {
 			codec: codec,
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Video<'a> {
+impl Video {
 	pub fn rates(&self) -> Option<RateIter> {
 		unsafe {
 			if (*self.codec.as_ptr()).supported_framerates.is_null() {
@@ -41,27 +40,25 @@ impl<'a> Video<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Deref for Video<'a> {
-	type Target = Codec<'a>;
+impl Deref for Video {
+	type Target = Codec;
 
 	fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
-		self.codec
+		&self.codec
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct RateIter<'a> {
+pub struct RateIter {
 	ptr: *const AVRational,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> RateIter<'a> {
+impl RateIter {
 	pub fn new(ptr: *const AVRational) -> Self {
-		RateIter { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		RateIter { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for RateIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for RateIter {
 	type Item = Rational;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {
@@ -78,19 +75,17 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for RateIter<'a> {
 	}
 }
 
-pub struct FormatIter<'a> {
+pub struct FormatIter {
 	ptr: *const AVPixelFormat,
-
-	_marker: PhantomData<&'a ()>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> FormatIter<'a> {
+impl FormatIter {
 	pub fn new(ptr: *const AVPixelFormat) -> Self {
-		FormatIter { ptr: ptr, _marker: PhantomData }
+		FormatIter { ptr: ptr }
 	}
 }
 
-impl<'a> Iterator for FormatIter<'a> {
+impl Iterator for FormatIter {
 	type Item = format::Pixel;
 
 	fn next(&mut self) -> Option<<Self as Iterator>::Item> {