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Media Player Classic

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Media Player Classic
Developer(s)Gabest
Initial release29 May 2003
Final release
6.4.9.1 / March 20, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-03-20)
Repository
Written inC++
PlatformMicrosoft Windows
Size7.2 MB
Available inEnglish, Czech, Italian, Ukrainian, French, Russian, Hungarian and German
TypeMedia player
LicenseGNU General Public License
WebsiteGuliverkli project

Media Player Classic (MPC) is a compact media player for Microsoft Windows. The application mimics the look and feel of the old, light-weight 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 at SourceForge.net. The project itself is something of an umbrella organization for works by Gabest.

Features

MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 playback

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 30th, 2005, Gabest added *.mp4 and MPEG-4 Timed Text support.[1] An AAC decoding filter has been present in MPC for a while, which makes the player suitable for AAC playback in MP4, and 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 postprocessing of the DivX, Xvid, 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.[2]

TV tuners

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

GPL violations using MPC code

In April 2005 Gabest claimed that two media players, namely VX30 and K-Multimedia Player, had each violated the GNU General Public License (GPL) by using portions of the Media Player Classic source code.[3] Maui X-Stream, the distributor of VX30, previously accused of GPL violations with its CherryOS software, has made no response to the claim. However the authors of K-Multimedia Player published an official comment on their forum denying the alleged GPL violation.[4]

Media Player Classic Home Cinema

Media Player Classic Home Cinema
Initial release29 March 2006
Stable release
1.3.1249.0 / August 27, 2009 (2009-08-27)
Repository
Written inC++
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
Size6.6 MB
Available inEnglish, Belarusian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Mandarin Chinese, Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian[5]
TypeMedia player
LicenseGNU General Public License
WebsiteMPC Home Cinema project

Due to a stall in development of Media Player Classic in May of 2006 many bugs were left unfixed. The community at the Doom9 forum has since continued the project in two main veins. The one known as Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 is meant for fixing bugs and updating outdated libraries.[6] The other program is meant for adding new features, as well as fixing bugs and updating libraries; it is called Media Player Classic Home Cinema.[7] Gabest, the main developer, stated in March 2007 that development of Media Player Classic is not dead, but has made no progress in updating the source code.[8]

Latest build can be downloaded from site XVidVideo.

Media Player Classic Home Cinema (MPC-HC) updates the original player and adds many useful functionalities including the option to remove tearing, additional video decoders (in particular H.264 and VC-1 with DXVA support[9]), EVR renderer support and multiple bug fixes. There's also a 64 bit version of Media Player Classic Home Cinema which supports Windows XP x64 , Windows Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64.

See also

References

  1. ^ Doom9 - Media Player Classic supports Matroska v2, *.mp4, *.mov, and MPEG-4 Timed Text
  2. ^ "Directshow Filters for Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Theora and FLAC". illiminable.com. 2006-02-24. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  3. ^ SourceForge.net: GPL violation
  4. ^ Do not believe bad rumors spread in networks. - K-Multimedia Player's Forums
  5. ^ Player Features: Language support
  6. ^ "Doom9's topic on Media Player Classic patched build". Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  7. ^ "Doom9's topic on Media Player Classic Home Cinema". Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  8. ^ "SourceForge's discussion about project status". Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  9. ^ DXVA Support in MPC Home Cinema
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