Media Player Classic Home Cinema - Optimal settings for better playback

Media Player Classic Home Cinema(MPC-HC) is a free audio and video player for Windows.

• MPC-HC version: 2.4.2
• Windows 10 and 11

Basic MPC-HC app settings

Set the Process priority above normal

• To set the MPC-HC app to run with CPU process priority level Above Normal.
  • Select Player tab.
  • Enable the Process priority above normal.

Limit window proportions on resize

Set MPC-HC  windows to resize in proportion to the aspect ration of the video file being played.

• Select User Interface tab.
• Enable Limit window proportions on resize . 

Associate Video files to open with MPC-HC

Associate video files formats to run by default with MPC-HC app, when opened from Windows Explorer. Associating the MPC-HC app with video file extension in Windows OS is necessary if the user want MPC-HC app to be recognized as the default Video Player in Windows OS.

• Select Player > Formats tab.
• Click on Run as administrator in the group box labeled Association.

• Click Associate with video formats only icon , to select File extensions of video file formats that will be associated with MPC-HC app.
• Click on Apply button.

Disable Auto zoom

When a video file is played, Auto zoom feature resizes the MPC-HC window to a specified percentage of the resolution of the video file. 

If the user wants MPC-HC window to remain at same size when video files are being played then he has option to disable the Auto-zoom feature.

To Disable Auto zoom feature, do the following:

• Select Playback tab.
• Disable Auto-zoom in the group box labelled Zoom and Alignment.

Set the Video and Audio Renderer

Use MPC Video renderer as the Video Renderer engine.

• Select Playback > Output tab.
• Select MPC Video Renderer as the DirectShow Video.

Use MPC Audio renderer as the Audio Renderer engine.

• Select Playback > Output tab.
• Select MPC Audio Renderer as the Audio Renderer.

Internal Filter settings

LAV Splitter settings: Preferred languages for audio tracks and subtitles

Set the preferred language in which the subtitle will be selected from the list of subtitles available for display on the MPC HC app. The subtitle selection will be done by the LAV Splitter.

To set the preferred language:

• Select Internal Filters tab.
• Select Splitter button to open LAV Splitter settings.
• Set the Subtitles preferred languages in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

Similarly, the preferred language can be set in which the Audio track will be selected from the list of available audio tracks, for the playbakc on the MPC HC app.

To set the preferred language:

• Set the Audio preferred languages in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

LAV Video Decoder settings: Hardware Decoder

If the GPU supports Directx 11 or higher, the D3D11 can be used as the Hardware Deocder.

To set the Hardware Decoder:

• Select Internal Filters tab.
• Select Video Decoder button in the group box labeled Internal LAV Filters settings.
• Set the D3D11 as the Hardware Decoder to use.

Keep the MPC HC app window on top While playing Video

Setting to keep the MPC-HC app window above others, while playing a video file. This will make sure that the video frame of is always in view when playing a video file in MPC-HC app.

• Select View > On Top > While playing Video.

Snap to desktop edges

Its a handy feature for organizing your open application windows on your computer screen to the edge or corner of the desktop screen. It allows you to quickly arrange them side-by-side or in other configurations.

To use Snap feature:

• Select User interface tab.
• Enable Snap to desktop edges.

Control via Windows UI(SMTC)

The System Media Transport Controls enable media application developers integrate with the built-in system UI to display media metadata such as artist, album title, or chapter title. The system transport control also allows a user to control the playback of a media app using the built-in system UI, such as pausing playback and skipping forward and backward in a playlist.

To enable support of SMTC:

• Select User interface tab.
• Enable Control via Windows UI(SMTC).

Set the default Audio track and subtitle language in MPC-HC app

Set the preferred language in which the subtitle will be selected from the list of subtitles available for display on the MPC HC app.

To set the preferred language:

• Select Playback tab.
• Set the Subtitles preferred language in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

Similarly, the preferred language can be set in which the Audio track will be selected from the list of available audio tracks, for the playback on the MPC HC app.

To set the preferred language:

• Select Playback tab.
• Set the Audio preferred language in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

Normalize the Audio

Normalizing the audio is useful in enhancing the certain audio with low level in the audio track. It is useful in playback of media files with very ow audio level.


To normalize the audio signal, do the following:

• Select Internal Filters > Audio Switcher.
• Enable Normalize.

Configure Font Style settings

User may configure the Subtitle font settings hat suit their needs:

1. Font Style
2. Font spacing
3. Font Border shadow
4. Subtitle Screen alignment and margins.