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MPC-HC VS RealPlayer

Compare MPC-HC VS RealPlayer and see what are their differences

MPC-HC logo MPC-HC

MPC-HC, the free, open source media player for Windows. DownloadsNote. Supported Operating Systems: Windows® XP SP3 .

RealPlayer logo RealPlayer

RealPlayer is one of the most popular video players on the market today, and it contains a number of advanced features that make it stand out in the highly competitive field of media players. Read more about RealPlayer.
  • MPC-HC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-13
  • RealPlayer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-26

MPC-HC features and specs

  • Lightweight
    MPC-HC is a lightweight application, meaning it uses minimal system resources, making it ideal for low-end systems.
  • Wide Format Support
    The player supports a wide array of audio and video codecs, eliminating the need for additional codec packs.
  • Customizable
    MPC-HC offers a high degree of customization, including the ability to change skins, set up hotkeys, and tweak a variety of settings.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, MPC-HC is free to use and allows for community contributions and transparency.
  • Active Development
    The player has an active community maintaining and updating it, ensuring compatibility with the latest media formats.

Possible disadvantages of MPC-HC

  • Outdated GUI
    The graphical user interface is somewhat outdated compared to modern media players, which can affect user experience.
  • Lack of Official Support
    Since it's an open-source project, official support is limited, and users may need to rely on community forums for help.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    MPC-HC lacks some of the more advanced features found in other media players, such as integrated streaming services or extensive library management options.
  • Windows Only
    MPC-HC is primarily designed for Windows, limiting its usability for Mac and Linux users without using compatibility layers or workarounds.

RealPlayer features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    RealPlayer is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, Mac, and mobile platforms, making it accessible to a wide array of users.
  • Streaming Support
    Offers robust streaming capabilities, allowing users to listen to and view real-time content seamlessly.
  • Media Conversion
    Includes tools for converting media files between various formats, adding a layer of flexibility for different use cases.
  • Cloud Storage
    Provides cloud storage options, enabling users to store and access their media files from any device with an internet connection.
  • User Interface
    Features a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate for both novice and experienced users.

Possible disadvantages of RealPlayer

  • Ads and Upselling
    The free version of RealPlayer often includes ads and may prompt users to upgrade to the paid version, which can be intrusive.
  • Resource Intensive
    RealPlayer can be demanding on system resources, potentially slowing down performance on less powerful computers.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Some users have raised concerns about the data collection practices of the software, questioning its commitment to user privacy.
  • Limited Formats
    Despite having media conversion tools, there are still some lesser-known formats that RealPlayer does not support.
  • Occasional Instability
    Users have reported occasional crashes and bugs, which can disrupt the user experience.

Analysis of MPC-HC

Overall verdict

  • MPC-HC is generally considered a good media player for users seeking a lightweight and reliable option. Its ability to handle multiple codecs without additional installations and its ease of use make it a favorite among many users. However, active development has slowed, and there may be more modern alternatives with advanced features, such as VLC or PotPlayer.

Why this product is good

  • MPC-HC (Media Player Classic - Home Cinema) is a lightweight, open-source media player that is highly compatible with a wide range of video and audio formats. It is known for its simplicity and small footprint, making it suitable for both older hardware and modern systems. The player offers a customizable user interface and robust playback features, such as support for subtitles, audio and video filters, and the ability to handle high-definition content. Its open-source nature allows for community-driven improvements and updates.

Recommended for

    MPC-HC is recommended for users who prefer a clean, minimalist media player that performs efficiently on older systems or for those who appreciate open-source software with basic, yet comprehensive playback capabilities. It is ideal for anyone looking for a straightforward media player without unnecessary bloat.

Analysis of RealPlayer

Overall verdict

  • RealPlayer is a media player that has evolved over the years with various features and capabilities, but its popularity has waned in comparison to more modern media players.

Why this product is good

  • RealPlayer offers features such as video downloading, conversion, and basic media playback. However, it has faced criticism in the past for performance issues, outdated user interfaces, and potential security vulnerabilities. Additionally, many users have shifted to other media players like VLC or streaming services that offer more advanced features and better user experiences.

Recommended for

    RealPlayer might be suitable for users who need a simple media player with basic video downloading and conversion capabilities, and for those who have been longtime users and are comfortable with its features. However, users seeking a more robust media player experience may want to explore other options.

MPC-HC videos

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More videos:

RealPlayer videos

RealPlayer Review & Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - The NEW RealPlayer - Review & Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MPC-HC and RealPlayer)
Media Player
88 88%
12% 12
Audio Player
87 87%
13% 13
Video Player
90 90%
10% 10
Music Player
84 84%
16% 16

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MPC-HC and RealPlayer

MPC-HC Reviews

Top 5 GOM Player Alternatives for Windows
Are you looking for a GOM Player alternative that is lightweight enough? Then, MPC-HC would be a superb choice for Windows PCs out there. When compared to VLC or GOM, the interface is so simple. Even then, it supports almost all the popular formats. In addition to this, we can include its minimal resource consumption and customizability. Just like the abovementioned ones,...
Source: xtendedview.com
The Best Top 5 Free Alternatives to Windows Media Player
Media Player Classic, as the name implies, this alternative to Windows Media Player is a tribute to the classic version of Windows Media Player 6.4. It is also an open source media player, supporting lots of video and audio formats, and can play Discs like VCD、SVCD、DVD, etc. Of course, as the successor of MPC, MPC-HC has more features. It can be used as DVB player and...
Best Top 10 Media Players
There is also the free and open-source MPC-HC available for use. It’s a Windows-only release at this time. Minimal system resources are required to run MPC-HC and are also 64-bit compatible. The use of external codecs is unnecessary, as it is compatible with every popular video format.
Source: pupuweb.com
20 BEST Video Player | Media Players for Windows 10 PC (2021)
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic- Home Cinema) is a light-weight, open-source media player. This tool supports all common video file formats that are available for playback. It does not contain any spyware, toolbar, or advertisement.
Source: www.guru99.com
15 Best Media Players For Mac and Windows (2021 Edition)
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema) is a light-weight, open source media player that supports almost all common audio and video file formats. It also acts as a TV tuner, but you need to have a TV card installed. You will be able to adjust the appearance of video as it’s playing.
Source: www.rankred.com

RealPlayer Reviews

10 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives in 2024 (Free)
Real Player Cloud is a VLC Media Player alternative that is mainly known for playing uploaded videos in the cloud. This is a different kind of media player in which users have to upload videos in media files through their accounts.
Top 5 GOM Player Alternatives for Windows
Despite the richness of features, RealPlayer has an intuitive GUI. You can move between each section with ease. Noticeable features of RealPlayer include video protection, video downloads from online platforms, in-built support for casting content to Roku, Xbox One and Chromecast. To this, we can add the easy-to-use media manager utility as well. In short, RealPlayer is the...
Source: xtendedview.com
Best Top 10 Media Players
Like the other players in the Best Media player for PC list, it is a competent media player. It has both a free and paid edition. The free version includes all the essentials for watching the video. Video formats such as MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, and even HD are all supported with RealPlayer.
Source: pupuweb.com
7 Best PowerDVD Alternatives in 2021
RealPlayer is a popular DVD player for Windows and one of the greatest alternatives to PowerDVD. The program is quite universal as it can play various files, including sound, video, text, CD or DVD disc, images, etc. By exporting the content to Real Player Cloud, you can use Real Player APK for watching media files on Android devices.
Source: fixthephoto.com
20 BEST Video Player | Media Players for Windows 10 PC (2021)
RealPlayer is a video player for PC. This tool enables you to keep your favorite web videos safe on the computer. It can convert videos to the most common formats so that you can enjoy videos in HD. You can use it to keep the video private.
Source: www.guru99.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MPC-HC seems to be a lot more popular than RealPlayer. While we know about 38 links to MPC-HC, we've tracked only 1 mention of RealPlayer. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MPC-HC mentions (38)

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RealPlayer mentions (1)

  • $RNWK 1.23 looks undervalued
    Here is his last post: $RNWK I think we are practically trading at the value of the domain name portfolio. Real.com Listen.com/ Safr.com/ Rbn.com/ UNReal! (Pun intended) RealPlayer for Windows and RealPlayer Mobile. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MPC-HC and RealPlayer, you can also consider the following products

VLC Media Player - VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework.

KMPlayer - KMPlayer is a freeware and supporting 36 different languages with 300 million users globally. PCKMPlayer is a freeware and supporting 36 different . ConnectKMP Connect allows you to connect your.

PotPlayer - Potplayer is a minimalist media player that has an extensive range of configurable options to...

Windows Media Player - Get information about Windows Media Player and other Windows Media technologies.

Amarok - The Amarok team is proud to announce the immediate availability of the result of 2 years of hard work, the beta release of Amarok 2. 9. This release is marked by improvements, corrections and polishing of nearly all Amarok features.

SMPlayer - SMPlayer is a free video and audio player for both Windows and Linux that allows you to play almost all media files without having to install additional codecs. Read more about SMPlayer.