MPC-HC 1.9.25

MPC-HC Technical Documentation

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System Requirements

Before installing MPC-HC, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

Operating System

• Windows 10 (64-bit) or later versions
• Recommended: Windows 11 (64-bit)

Hardware Specifications

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 (3.2 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (3.6 GHz)
• RAM: At least 16 GB (32 GB recommended for smooth playback)
• Storage: 512 MB of free space on a fast SSD (e.g., NVMe drive)
• GPU: Integrated graphics (e.g., Intel Iris Xe) or dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super
• Network Connectivity: Ethernet connection with minimal latency (<10 ms)

Browser Compatibility

MPC-HC can be accessed through the web interface at http://mpchc.sourceforge.net/, but it is not optimized for mobile devices. For a native user experience, please install MPC-HC on your Windows system.

Installation Guide

Step 1: Download and Extract the Installer

1. Visit the official MPC-HC website (https://mpchc.sourceforge.net/) and download the latest installer package (e.g., mpchc-1.9.0-x86_64.exe).
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to extract the files to a directory of your choice.

Step 2: Configure the Installer

mpchc-installer.exe --install --config /path/to/config/file.xml --log /path/to/log/file.txt

• --config specifies the location of the configuration file (see below).
• --log enables logging to a file.

Step 3: Configure the Configuration File

Create a new XML file (mpchc.conf) with the following content:

<Config>
    <General>
        <DisplayHeight>640</DisplayHeight>
        <DisplayWidth>480</DisplayWidth>
        <TitleBarVisible>true</TitleBarVisible>
    </General>

    <Media>
        <Decoder>
            <CodecName>avc1</CodecName>
            <Format>AVC1</Format>
        </Decoder>
        <Encoder>
            <CodecName=h264</CodecName>
            <Format>h264</Format>
        </Encoder>
    </Media>

    <Player>
        <SkinPath>C:\mpchc\skins\default</SkinPath>
        <DefaultSkinPath>C:\mpchc\skins\default</DefaultSkinPath>
    </Player>
</Config>

This configuration file sets the display resolution, title bar visibility, and media codecs.

Step 4: Start MPC-HC

1. Run the mpchc.exe executable.
2. Navigate to the "File" menu and select "Preferences" to configure additional settings.

Technical Architecture

MPC-HC is built using:

• C++ as the primary programming language
• The Qt framework for GUI development
• The FFmpeg library for media playback and decoding/encoding

The software architecture consists of the following components:

• Player: responsible for playing back media files
• Decoder: handles audio and video decoding
• Encoder: handles audio and video encoding
• Skin System: manages skin configurations and updates the GUI

MPC-HC connects to various databases and services through:

• Media Database: a custom database schema for storing media metadata (e.g., titles, artwork)
• API Server: an optional API server for remote control and management

Performance considerations include:

• Threading: MPC-HC uses multiple threads for concurrent playback and decoding
• Scheduling: the player schedules media playback to minimize latencies and improve overall performance

Dependencies

MPC-HC depends on the following libraries and tools:

• FFmpeg (version 4.3 or later)
• Qt 5.15 or later
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Package (x86 or x64)

Please note that compatibility concerns arise when using older versions of these dependencies.

Installation Issues and Solutions

Common issues during installation include:

• FFmpeg not found: ensure FFmpeg is installed on your system before proceeding.
• Qt not found: verify that Qt 5.15 or later is installed on your system.

For further assistance, please refer to the official MPC-HC documentation (https://mpchc.sourceforge.net/) and community forums (https://sourceforge.net/p/mpchc/mailman/).