DXVA Support

Modern graphics card offer the possibility to decode partially or completely a video stream using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA), in order to reduce CPU usage dramatically. MPC-HC includes an embedded video decoder that uses this technology, to decode H.264 and VC-1 with hardly any CPU time required.

Unfortunately the MPC-HC decoder only supports the "bitstream mode" at this stage, which means that only the most recent graphic cards are supported :

• nVidia series 8(9)xxx for H.264 only
• ATI Radeon HD series for H.264 and VC-1 decoding

"Motion compensation" mode might be added in the future to increase compatibility with older graphic cards, but I cannot promise anything. Mpeg2 and WMV accelerations are not supported either.

DXVA is quite picky, so if you want to use it you have to respect thoses rules :

• Windows XP users, select Overlay Mixer, VMR7, VMR9 or VMR9 renderless
• Vista users, select EVR or EVR custom renderer

The MPC-HC Video decoder must be connected directly to the renderer. That means no intermediate filters such as DirectVobSub or ffdshow can be inserted between the decoder and the video renderer.
Internal subtitles can work with the MPC Video decoder in DXVA mode, but the rules are even more restrictive :

• Windows XP users, select VMR9 renderless
• Vista users, select EVR custom renderer
• In "Options / Playback", tick the checkbox "Auto-load subtitles"