MPC-HC

ApplicationMPC-HC team

Also called media player classic, mpc hc, mpc-hc clsid2

MPC-HC teamSystem

Media Player Classic Home Cinema, usually the clsid2 Windows fork. The process is mpc-hc64.exe. It is not VLC.

What you need to know

MPC-HC is the Classic fork. VLC is a different decoder and a different icon.

mpc-hc64.exe is a compact player. Current Windows builds come from the clsid2 fork. A VideoLAN installer is a different product with a different process name.

What is it?: A compact Windows video player
Same as VLC?: No. Different project and decoder story
Which build?: clsid2 GitHub releases are the usual current ones

Feex says

If someone sent you an mpc-hc64.exe from a codec pack, I would delete it and take the clsid2 release instead. That is still not VLC, and I would not install a filter pack just because a 2011 forum said so.

What is MPC-HC?

MPC-HC is a compact Windows video player. Current PCs usually run mpc-hc64.exe from the clsid2 fork.

If you have never used it

If a file will not play in Films & TV and you want a small player with a right-click menu, this is MPC-HC. Get the current Windows build from the clsid2 GitHub releases the project points to, not a 2017 SourceForge leftover. It is not VLC. It does not ship the orange cone, and it historically leaned on LAV and system filters instead of VideoLAN’s all-in-one decoder.

What is it used for?

Local video

Open MKV, MP4, and AVI from Explorer. VLC covers the same files with a different UI and decoder story.

External filters

LAV and other DirectShow filters still show up in MPC-HC talk. VLC does not ask you to install those filters first.

Minimal chrome

Fullscreen and a thin context menu. There is no VideoLAN playlist-first window.

Who is it for?

People who still say Media Player Classic when they mean a small video window
Users following a guide that names mpc-hc64.exe
Anyone who should skip a 2010s codec pack that bundled an old MPC

Current status

MPC-HC (2006) is a current video player from MPC-HC team. The vendor still points Windows users at https://github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc/releases.

How old is it?

Media Player Classic started as a compact clone of the old Windows player. Home Cinema forked it in 2006. Upstream stalled, and clsid2 builds are the usual living Windows download. A 2012 codec-pack CD that bundled MPC is not this fork.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

clsid2 64-bit

Upstream (stalled)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Light for 1080p. 4K decode wants more RAM and a working GPU

Resource profile

CPU demand: Software decode of heavy files
GPU demand: When hardware decode is on

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
mpc-hc64.exe	64-bit player window

Startup components

MPC-HC should not start with Windows unless you added a file association shortcut. Opening a video starts mpc-hc64.exe.

File locations

Common MPC-HC locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\MPC-HC\

File formats

MKVMP4AVIother containers LAV or the build lists

Common problems

Old SourceForge build

Upstream MPC-HC stalled. A 2017 installer is stale. clsid2 releases are the usual current Windows path.

Black video after a GPU driver change

Renderer and hardware decode are player settings. Try another renderer before you reinstall Windows.

Getting unstuck

Confirm you have a clsid2 build

Help > About should match a recent GitHub release. A random mpc-hc.exe in Downloads from a pack is the wrong file.

Switch renderer if the picture is black or green

View > Options > Playback > Output. That is an MPC-HC setting, not a dying GPU by itself.

Do not add a codec pack beside it

Current builds already cover common files. Extra filter exes from a portal are the usual mess.

Alternatives

VLC if you want one decoder without filter talk. mpv if you want a keyboard-first window. Films & TV if the file is a simple MP4.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc/releases Official installer or vendor page
Help	mpc-hc.org/ Vendor support
Official site	mpc-hc.org/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Hardware decode helps 4K. An older iGPU can still play 1080p in software.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

MPC-HC official site · Vendor product page
MPC-HC help · Vendor support
clsid2 MPC-HC releases · Usual current Windows builds
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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