Lightweight classic media player
Media Player Classic – Home Cinema (MPC-HC) is a lightweight, open-source media player with a familiar, no-nonsense interface. This actively maintained version by clsid2 continues development of the original project with regular updates and bug fixes.
MPC-HC plays nearly all common audio and video formats using the built-in LAV Filters, starts almost instantly and uses very few system resources, making it ideal for older or low-powered PCs. It supports subtitles, hardware-accelerated decoding, playlists, DVD playback and extensive keyboard shortcuts, and it works well with advanced video renderers such as madVR for enthusiasts.
The look is deliberately old-school, and it does not offer streaming services or a media library. If you want a fast, ad-free player that simply opens files, MPC-HC is an excellent alternative to VLC.
Pros
- Very fast and lightweight
- Plays almost every format
- No ads or telemetry
Cons
- Dated look
- No media library
