Media Player Classic (MPC)

Media Player Classic (MPC) is a compact media player for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows. The application mimics the look and feel of the old, lightweight Windows Media Player 6.4 but integrates most options and features found in modern media players. It and its forks are standard media players in the K-Lite Codec Pack and the Combined Community Codec Pack.

Media Player Classic was originally created and maintained by a programmer named "Gabest". It was developed as a closed-source application, but later relicensed as free software under the terms of the GNU General Public License. MPC is hosted under the guliverkli project atSourceForge.net. The project itself is something of an umbrella organization for works by Gabest.

This project is now principally maintained by the community at the Doom9 forum. The currently active fork is called "Media Player Classic Home Cinema".

This program also plays most audio formats. We were surprised this tiny player includes sound filters and playlists. Hot keys are easily changed, but some users complain the process to set a key isn't apparent. The help file isn't included, but is easily downloaded.

The promised video subtitle search and download function is Media Player Classic's only disappointment. The default subtitle databases are both offline. (By the time you download this player there may be a new database available.) The address is easily changed under Options. It doesn't matter if you're a novice or system administrator. If you watch video or listen to audio, this freeware player is a must-have program.

Features

MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 playbac

Media Player Classic is capable of VCD, SVCD, and DVD playback without installation of additional software or codecs. MPC has built-in codecs for MPEG-2 video with support for subtitles and codecs for LPCM, MP2, 3GP, AC3, and DTS audio. MPC also contains an improved MPEG splitter that supports playback of VCDs and SVCDs using its VCD/SVCD/XCD Reader. On October 30, 2005, Gabest added *.mp4 and MPEG-4 Timed Text support. An AAC decoding filter has been present in MPC for a while, which makes the player suitable for AAC playback in MP4, and so makes it an alternative to both Winamp and iTunes.

DirectShow

Media Player Classic is primarily based on the DirectShow architecture and therefore automatically uses installed DirectShow decoding filters. For instance, after the open source DirectShow decoding filter ffdshow has been installed, fast and high quality decoding and post processing of the MPEG-4 ASP, H.264, and Flash Video formats is available in MPC.

MPC provides DXVA beta support for newer NVIDIA and ATI video cards when using an H.264 or VC-1. This provides hardware-acceleration for playback.

In addition to DirectShow, MPC can also use the QuickTime and the RealPlayer codecs and filters (if installed on the computer) to play their native files.

Matroska and Ogg containers

Media Player Classic supports native playback of OGM and Matroska container formats. However, OGM audio playback is limited by a lack of support for the CoreVorbis DirectShow filter, which mainly affects newer OGM files (c. 2006). The crux of this problem is that MPC is hard-coded to use an older Vorbis filter, so even if one installs newer filters, MPC is unable to use them.

TV tuners

MPC supports playback and recording of television if a supported TV tuner is installed.

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