Media Player Classic BE – Latest settings for better playback quality and usability

Media Player Classic Black Edition (MPC-BE) is a lightweight and versatile media player that offers a variety of settings to enhance your playback experience. MPC-BE handles numerous file types natively, from common formats like MP4 to specialized ones like ISO images or 3D movies, without needing extra codecs. This makes it a versatile all-in-one player. This article will highlight some of basic settings of the Media Player Classic BE that are useful during playback of media files.

Media Player Classic BE version: 1.8.4

MPC-BE app basic Settings

1. Keep the MPC-BE app window at the top while playing a video file

This setting is useful in keeping the MPC-BE window visible over other applications, which is great for multitasking or watching videos while working.

To enable this feature, Go to View > On Top and enable While Playing Video from the MPC-BE app menu bar.

2. Set Process priority above normal

Boost playback performance by increasing the player’s process priority to ‘Above Normal’. This can reduce stuttering or lag, especially on systems with limited resources.

Running the MPC-BE app with CPU priority level Above normal.

  • Open MPC-BE Options windows from the menu View > options.
  • Select the Player tab.
  • Enable Process priority above normal.

3. Associate media files to open by default with the MPC-BE player

Make MPC-BE your default player by associating it with your preferred file types. This ensures that videos and audio files open in MPC-BE automatically when double-clicked.

  • Go to  Player > Formats.
  • Select the Modify button in the group box labeled Association to open a new window with administrative access.
  • Association list four options:
    • Video: Clicking on this option selects only video file extensions.
    • Audio: Clicking on this option selects only audio file extensions.
    • All: Clicking on this option selects both video and audio file extensions.
    • None: Clicking on this option deselects all file extensions.
  • Click on an option to select desired File extensions to be associated with the MPC-BE app.
  • Select the Apply button.

4. Use Chapters marker

You can configure settings to ensure chapters are recognized and accessible during playback. Chapter markers are useful for navigating specific sections of a video, such as in DVDs, Blu-rays, or MKVs with embedded chapters.

To enable showing Chapters marker

  • Go to  Player > Interface.
  • Enable Use chapters marker.

5. Limit window proportions on resize

This setting will keep the MPC-BE app windows size in proportion to the video frame size of the video file that is being played in the MPC-BE app.

  • Go to Player > Window size.
  • Enable Limit window proportions on resize.

6. Volume step setting

Volume Step settings allow the user to set the step size (in percentage) at which the volume will increase or decrease when it is done by using a keyboard shortcut or mouse buttons. Lowering the volume step gives a more granular control.

To set the Volume step, do the following:

  • Go to Playback tab
  • Set the Volume step to 2 in the group box labeled Control.

7. Speed Step setting

Speed Step allows the user to set the step size (in percentage) in which the playback will increase or decrease when done through keyboard shortcuts or mouse controls.

  • The default keyboard shortcut for Increase rate: Ctrl + Up
  • The default keyboard shortcut for  Decrease rate:  Ctrl + Down
  • The default keyboard shortcut for  Reset rate: Ctrl + R

To set the Speed step, do the following:

  • Go to the Playback tab.
  • Set the Speed step to 5.

Other useful MPC-BE settings

Set the Preferred languages for audio tracks and subtitles

Set the preferred language in which the subtitle will be selected from the list of subtitles available for display on the MPC-BE app.

To set the Subtitle Default track preference:

  • Go to Playback tab.
  • Set the Subtitles preferred languages in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

Similarly, the preferred language can be set in which the Audio track will be selected from the list of available audio tracks, for playback on the MPC-BE app.

To set the Audio Default track preference:

  • Go to Playback tab.
  • Set the Audio preferred languages in ISO 639-2 codes( ex. eng, spa, ger, fre).

Configure Font Style settings

User may configure the Subtitle font settings hat suit their needs:

  1. Font Style
  2. Font spacing
  3. Font Border shadow
  4. Subtitle Screen alignment and margins.

Increase or decrease the audio levels

Sometimes the audio level in a media file is very high and it requires lowering of the overall audio level or the audio level in a media file is very low and requires boosting the audio level.

In this case, the Gain Settings may prove useful in lowering or increasing the audio level. Try keep the Gain setting between -3.0 dB to +3.0 dB.

Auto volume control and Boost audio

Enabling Auto volume control the MPC-BE will automatically increase the audio levels. It will increase the audio level of those frequencies of audio that is low compared to other frequencies of the audio.

With Boost audio settings enabled, the vocals will be boosted. This feature is useful when the audio level of vocals is low in the media file.

Correct Monitor Desktop AR difference

This is particularly useful when your monitor’s resolution or aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9, 21:9) differs from the Desktop native aspect ratio (e.g., 4:3, 2.35:1).

Monitor is the display hardware with fixed aspect ratio.

Desktop is the logical display surface created by the Windows OS. The Aspect ratio of the Desktop may match the aspect ratio of the Monitor or the desktop aspect ratio can be configured to be different as desired by the user.

If the aspect ratio of the Monitor and desktop does not match and the GPU has been configured to stretch the desktop to fit the monitor screen, then in such case the MPC-BE video playback aspect ratio will not match the aspect ratio of the video file. In MPC-BE app user have option to correct this AR difference.

  • Go to View > Video Frame and enable Correct Monitor/Desktop AR diff.

MPC BE app GPU usage

Task manager in Windows OS 10 and 11 can be used to monitor the GPU usage by the MPC-BE app. Parameters like 3D, video decode, video processing and Copy should be monitored.

GPU usage level lower than 60% during playback of 4K video is good for overall performance of the computer. GPU usage above 60% will put too much load on GPU.