MPC-HC for HD Video Playback Guide

[dayz]

As you all know, the Nvidia Ion chipset's GPU supports full hardware acceleration for offloading the entire decoding process to the GPU. MPC-HC is a freeware, open source media player that has DXVA hardware accelerated decoder that can take full advantage of the Ion GPU to offload the decoding of HD video formats such as H.264 and VC-1 in MKV container format, which is very popular now & MP4 container format. This guide will help you configure MPC-HC to do it, as easy as possible without installing any codecs or other extra software, everything is contained in MPC-HC executable itself.

First you need to download and install the latest DirectX Redist, MPC-HC uses some update runtimes that are not included in any version of Windows including Windows 7.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

Now download MPC-HC, you need the 32bit version since Atom N270/N280 only runs 32bit code. I'd suggest download the zip archive and unzipping it, but the installer is fine too if you prefer that.

http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/download- ... ic-hc.html

Now after you run MPC-HC, press O to enter Options. Go to Playback, make sure Auto-load subtitles is checked if unchecked. This will enable subtitles for foreign language films if the MKV video has embedded subtitles.

Then go to Output, on XP, select VMR9 Renderless, on Windows 7, EVR Custom Pres is what you should select.

Now go to Internal Filters and make sure Matroska & MP4/MOV is checked in Source Filters. Matroska is the full name of MKV, many just call it MKV for simplicity. In Transform Filters, make sure H264/AVC (DXVA) & VC1 (DXVA) is checked. This makes MPC-HC use its DXVA hardware accelerated decoders.

Go to Subtitles, and set Maximum texture resolution to Desktop and uncheck Round up to power of two. This will give you clear, sharp, crisp subtitles.

And you're done. Now you can enjoy 720P & 1080P H.264 or VC-1 videos on your Mini 311 with the Ion GPU doing all the hard decoding work on the Mini's screen or output it through the HDMI port to a external LCD-TV or LCD PC monitor. Again, no extra codecs or software needed to be installed, everything is in MPC-HC itself.

can someone please help me? iam stuck... i did all the settings here and still i cant run 1080p run flawlessly.

iam using windows xp

please help...

[ferrarista]

anyone know the setting to make Dts/ dolby sound pass through the hdmi cable ?

[RBSIS]

I'm having a weird problem. I've done all these steps and I can't play a 1080p .mov file in MPC but I can play it in WMP. Any idea why? I'd like to use MPC for all my videos.

[ferrarista]

anyone know the setting to make Dts/ dolby sound pass through the hdmi cable ?

any advice for this ?

[jennyT]

First you need to download and install the latest DirectX Redist, MPC-HC uses some update runtimes that are not included in any version of Windows including Windows 7.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

Thanks for this but what do I do here? When I download this is asks me where I want to extract to. I suggest a path and it extracts loads of files.

What do I do now?

[RBSIS]

First you need to download and install the latest DirectX Redist, MPC-HC uses some update runtimes that are not included in any version of Windows including Windows 7.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

Thanks for this but what do I do here? When I download this is asks me where I want to extract to. I suggest a path and it extracts loads of files.

What do I do now?

Run DXSetup or something like that.

[bugoy8]

Hi,

I’m not a mininote on owner but I just purchased an ASrock ION330 HTPC. Among its specs: Dual Core Atom and Nvidia ION.

I’m planning on using MPC-HC to watch bluray rips (TS or MKV files). Would the same setup per the OP apply? I’m planning to use Win7.

Thanks.

[Thinkharder]

anyone know the setting to make Dts/ dolby sound pass through the hdmi cable ?

any advice for this ?

Anyone?

[Magister]

anyone know the setting to make Dts/ dolby sound pass through the hdmi cable ?

I think you need to install the HDAudio driver from nVidia, go there
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us
select ION and "HDMI Audio Driver"

I didn't try it so tell us the result

[Rick1930]

No, MPC max full screen resolution is 1280 by 800 (you can see this in /playback/Change fullscreen resolution/). You are PLAYING a 1080p video, and thinking you are seeing 1080p, but actually you are seeing 1080 interpolated down to x800. This is NOT a solution to playing 1080p on the 311; and the reason it seems to be smooth is the reduced bit rate of x800.
Still, no one has a solution for smooth 1080p on the 311.

[joe_dude]

No, MPC max full screen resolution is 1280 by 800 (you can see this in /playback/Change fullscreen resolution/). You are PLAYING a 1080p video, and thinking you are seeing 1080p, but actually you are seeing 1080 interpolated down to x800. This is NOT a solution to playing 1080p on the 311; and the reason it seems to be smooth is the reduced bit rate of x800.
Still, no one has a solution for smooth 1080p on the 311.

I think someone's been smoking smack....

[Atom_X]

Thank you for the info guy. this has help a whole lot.

*edit: Why does my HP Mini 311-1025NR Lag when playing a 780p Video?? I know that the Nvidia ION GPU can play HD videos.. so what the problem.. I am using MPC-HC to play it.