MPC-BE vs mpv
MPC-BE
github.commpv
mpv.ioSide by side
| Figure | MPC-BE | mpv |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Media Player Software | 8.0 (#30) | 9.1 (#2) |
| Spec score · Video Player Software | 7.8 (#21) | 8.5 (#6) |
| Format support | AVI,MKV,MPEG-TS,MPEG-PS,MP4,FLV,WMV,RF64,WavPack,Wave64,AV1,HEVC,VVC | Matroska (MKV),MP4 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| License | MPC-BE code is licensed under GPL v3. | mpv is GPLv2 or later by default, with an LGPLv2.1-or-later option when built with -Dgpl=false. |
| License model | free | free |
| Network playback | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows | Official installation guidance lists Windows, macOS, Linux packages, Android, and several BSD and Haiku packages. |
| Subtitle support | The project wiki includes guidance on automatically loading external tracks and subtitle preferences. | Yes |
| System requirements | The listed requirements include an SSE2-capable CPU, a graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0c (PS 3.0), and Windows 7 through Windows 11. | The repository lists a not-too-ancient Linux distribution, Windows 10 version 1607 or later, or macOS 10.15 or later, plus a capable CPU and GPU. |
| Video features | The 1.9.1 release notes list Dolby Vision support in AV1 and hardware decoding fixes for older Intel graphics. | Features include scaling, color management, frame timing, interpolation, and HDR. |
Plans
In their own words
mpv
mpv is a free, open-source command-line media player for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. It plays a wide range of media formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types, including Matroska (MKV) and MP4, with network playback and 4K playback support. Its interface is deliberately limited: there is no full graphical interface, only a small on-screen controller for basic playback. Video output is based on OpenGL, Vulkan, and D3D11, with scaling, color management, frame timing, interpolation, and HDR features. mpv can use hardware decoding APIs on its supported platforms, and decoding can be switched on while the player is running. Scripts and user-created scripts can extend its behavior; developers can also use its C API to embed it in other applications. The project is actively developed. The default license is GPLv2 or later, with LGPLv2.1 or later available for builds configured with -Dgpl=false. Only the latest stable release receives security updates.