For an awesome media play time, mixing Media Player Classic – Home Cinema (MPC-HC) with MadVR is a popular idea. Getting them to work on your Windows 11/10 can be tricky since you’ve got to follow a bunch of steps. This guide is here to walk you through everything – how to put them on your system, set things up, and get the best out of MadVR and MPC-HC.
Also see: How to Add Subtitles to Video in Windows 11
Page Contents
What’s MPC-HC and MadVR?
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic – Home Cinema) and MadVR (Madshi Video Renderer) are two pieces of software that make watching videos on Windows knowingly great. They each have cool features that make videos look and sound great.
MPC-HC is free and doesn’t make your computer slow. It plays all kinds of video and audio files, even the less common ones, without a fuss. It’s also got cool stuff like subtitles, different video sizes, and shortcuts you can set yourself.
It’s made to be easy for everyone but still has lots for people who like to tweak their settings. Even though the official updates stopped in 2017, folks out there are still keeping it going strong.
MadVR, is something you use with MPC-HC to make videos look even better. It’s great at making videos look crisp and clear, no matter if they’re low or high resolution. Plus, it makes colors look more real, especially if you’ve got a fancy HDR screen.
Useful tip: How to Cut Video Using VLC in Windows 11
Setting up MPC-HC and MadVR
Step 1: Get the software
First off, you need to download the software:
- MPC-HC: Go to the MPC-HC GitHub page and get the newest version. It’s an .exe file, so installing it is easy.
https://github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc/releases
- MadVR: Check out the MadVR site and grab the latest version. It comes in a .zip file, so you’ll have to unzip it later.
https://madvr.com/
Step 2: Put MPC-HC on your PC
After downloading MPC-HC:
- Find the .exe file you downloaded and double-click it.
- Follow the setup instructions.
- Stick with the suggested settings, agree to the terms, and hit
Install
. - Click
Finish
when it’s done.
Handy guide: Convert SRT to 3D Subtitles and Add them to 3D Movies
Step 3: Get MadVR ready
After getting MadVR:
- Go to your Downloads folder and find the MadVR .zip file. Right-click and pick ‘Extract All…’.
- Open the
madvr
folder you just extracted. - Find
install.bat
, right-click it and choose “Run as administrator“. Say ‘Yes’ if Windows asks for permission. - A command window will pop up and then close. That means MadVR is ready to go.
Step 4: Make MadVR the default renderer in MPC-HC
With both installed, here’s how to make MadVR the default in MPC-HC:
- Start MPC-HC.
- Go to the menu, click on
View
, thenOptions
. - Find
Playback
on the left, click the arrow to open it, and pickOutput
. - Look for
DirectShow Video
on the right, click it and choosemadVR
. - Hit
Apply
, thenOK
.
Related resource: How to Play VOB Files on Windows 11
Testing your setup
To make sure everything’s working, play a video in MPC-HC:
- Right-click the video, choose
Filters
. - If you see
madVR
, that means it’s using MadVR to show the video.
You’re all set! MPC-HC and MadVR are now up and running on your Windows 10/11. This combo gives you a top-notch video watching experience with great image quality and lots of custom settings.
Just a heads up, MadVR can ask a lot from your computer. If videos start to stutter or lag, you might need to tweak the MadVR settings or think about upgrading your hardware for the best experience.
Configuring MadVR in MPC-HC
After setting everything up, there are a few MadVR settings you might want to mess with to get everything just right. To get to the MadVR settings, right-click on a video that’s playing, pick Filters > madVR
and then Edit Settings. Here are some basics to start with:
- Navigate to
rendering > general settings
. Turn onuse Direct3D 11 for presentation
to keep videos smooth. - Under
scaling algorithms
, you’ve got options for making things look better when you make them bigger or smaller. Starting off withLanczos (3 taps)
for making colors look good andBicubic60
for making images clearer might be good. But remember, the fancier settings will need a stronger computer. - If you’re into HDR stuff and your screen can show it, check out
devices > hdr
to make those videos pop.
Play around with these settings to see what works best for your setup and what you like watching.
One last thing
So, that’s the rundown on setting up MadVR and MPC-HC. It might look a bit techy at first, but stick with it and you’ll eventually get it done and seriously boost your video enjoyment. Don’t hesitate to tweak the settings to find what’s perfect for you.