media player · clsid2 fork

MPC-HC (Media Player Classic - Home Cinema)

Free, open-source Windows video and audio player, maintained as a fork of the original MPC-HC.

41/100

#9 of 12 media players
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

The original MPC-HC site says the project has not been developed since 2017; this record covers the maintained clsid2 fork^1,5.

In short

The player is free and open source under GPL v3^1,4.
It runs on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11 only¹.
HDR video plays through the bundled MPC Video Renderer or madVR¹.
Subtitle search starts with the D key, or automatically if you turn it on¹.
Blu-ray discs play, but you need a decrypting tool and Blu-ray menus are not supported³.

MPC-HC suits Windows users who want a free, open-source player with HDR output, Blu-ray playback and built-in subtitle search^1,3,4. Its pages name Blu-ray playback but not DVD, a media library or add-ons^1,3. It has no apps for other systems¹.

Best for: Windows users who want a light, free, open-source player.

Where the points come from

Systems0 of 12

Video21 of 31

Streams, audio and library0 of 25

Ads and privacy8 of 20

Price12 of 12

Systems 0 of 12 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Other systems	NoneREADME calls it a player for Windows and lists only Windows versions as requirements¹.	0 / 12

Video 21 of 31 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Disc playback	YesRelease notes say "MPC-HC also supports Blu-ray playback", with a decrypting tool needed³.	5 / 5
No codec pack needed	Not publishedREADME says new formats are supported but does not say it has its own decoders; it suggests K-Lite for renderers¹.	0 / 6
Hardware video decoding	YesRelease notes say to "change the hardware decoder to D3D11 in LAV Video Decoder settings" for MPC Video Renderer³.	7 / 7
HDR playback	YesREADME says HDR playback needs the included MPC Video Renderer or madVR¹.	5 / 5
Subtitle features	External subtitle files, Subtitle search in the playerRelease notes add loading a secondary subtitle file³; README names subtitle search, libass and WebVTT¹. ASS and embedded tracks not named.	4 / 8

Streams, audio and library 0 of 25 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Network streams	NoneREADME names only streaming from video websites with yt-dlp, not a protocol; none counted¹.	0 / 8
Audio features	NoneREADME names no gapless, ReplayGain, equaliser or WASAPI feature; it mentions only MPC Audio Renderer for speed changes¹.	0 / 8
Media library	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's README¹.	0 / 6
Plugins or add-ons	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's README¹.	0 / 3

Ads and privacy 8 of 20 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Open-source apps	YesCode is licensed under GPL v3; the repository holds the GPLv3 text^1,4.	8 / 8
No ads or bundled offers	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's README or release page^1,2.	0 / 8
States no tracking	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's README or release page^1,2.	0 / 4

Price 12 of 12 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Price of the player	$0README describes the player as free and open source¹.	12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score media players.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
MPC-HC1 person	Free¹	$0	Free and open source

Strengths

Free, with source code under GPL v3^1,4.
Plays HDR video with the bundled MPC Video Renderer or madVR¹.
Searches for subtitles by key press or automatically¹.
Still updated: version 2.8.3 is the latest release^2,3.

Limits

Windows only; no macOS, Linux, Android or iOS build is listed¹.
Blu-ray playback needs a decrypting tool, and Blu-ray menus are not supported³.
The README and release notes name no DVD playback, media library or add-on system^1,3.
The README points users to the K-Lite Codec Pack for renderers and an all-in-one install^1,2.
Streaming from video sites needs yt-dlp placed in the install folder¹.

Other media players

1
VLC media playerPeople who want one free player for any file, with no ads
86/100
$0price of the player
2
KodiPeople who want a free, open-source player with a library and add-ons
76/100
$0price of the player
3
mpvPeople who want a free, scriptable player and are fine without a built-in library
67/100
$0price of the player
4
PotPlayerWindows users who want many playback settings in a free player
60/100
$0price of the player

All 12 media players

Sources

clsid2/mpc-hc README, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
clsid2/mpc-hc releases, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
MPC-HC 2.8.3 release, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
COPYING.txt (GNU GPL v3), GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
MPC-HC original project site, MPC-HC. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with clsid2 fork.