Media Player Classic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Media Player Classic

Media Player Classic running on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Developer:	Gabest
Latest release:	6.4.9.0 / March 20, 2006
OS:	Windows
Use:	Media player
License:	GPL
Website:	sf.net/projects/guliverkli

Media Player Classic is a compact free software media player for Microsoft Windows. The application has a similar look and feel to the old light-weight Windows Media Player 6.4. Underneath, however, it is a completely different application which has all the options and features one might expect from a modern media player.

Media Player Classic was created and is currently maintained by a programmer named "Gabest". Gabest originally developed Media Player Classic as a closed source application, but later decided to make it open source. Media Player Classic is licensed under the GPL and has its own SourceForge project called Guliverkli.

A large number of the codecs, readers, and splitters are also available separately from the Guliverkli project page.

1 Features
2 GPL violation
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Features

[edit] MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 playback

This player is capable of VCD, SVCD and DVD playback, without the need to install any additional software or codecs. Media Player Classic has built-in codecs for MPEG-2 video with support for subtitles and codecs for LPCM, MP2, AC3 and DTS audio. It also contains an improved MPEG splitter that supports subtitles on SVCDs and supports direct playback of VCDs and SVCDs using its VCD/SVCD/XCD Reader. On October 30, 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 MPC suitable for AAC playback in mp4, and an alternative to Winamp and iTunes.

[edit] DirectShow, QuickTime and RealPlayer architectures

Media Player Classic is primarily based on the DirectShow architecture, and therefore automatically uses installed DirectShow decoding filters. For instance, after installing the open source DirectShow decoding filter ffdshow, fast and high quality decoding and postprocessing of the DivX, XviD and H.264 formats is available in MPC.

In addition to DirectShow, MPC can also use the QuickTime and the RealPlayer architectures (if installed on the computer) to play their native files.

[edit] Matroska and Ogg containers

Media Player Classic supports native playback of OGM and Matroska container formats.

[edit] TV Tuners

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

[edit] GPL violation

In April 2005, Gabest posted on his news page about a GPL violation stating that, while discouraging, he does not know how to take action against the infringing parties. Interestingly, one of the infringing applications, vx30, is a product of Maui X-Stream, which was accused of previously violating the GPL with CherryOS, a PowerPC emulator.