Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1

Free

Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 is the original lightweight Windows video player by Gabest, frozen since 2006 and continued today by MPC-HC and MPC-BE.

Updated
Size
2.1MB
Downloads
22.8M

No longer developed

Media Player Classic is no longer updated by its developer - the last version here is from 2010. It may still run, but it gets no fixes for newer Windows versions or formats.

Maintained alternatives that may do the same job:

Media Player Classic is the small, fast Windows video player that Gabest wrote in the early 2000s, and it has been frozen since 2006.

The 6.4.9.1 builds here are the last ones made from its original code, and nothing has been added since 2011.

For playing video on any current PC, its two maintained successors, MPC-HC and MPC-BE, are the right download.

What You Should Use Instead

MPC-HC is the closest match: the same plain look and tiny footprint, with modern decoders for HEVC, AV1 and VP9, HDR support and a dark theme.

MPC-BE is the other branch of the family, with more built in, including its own decoders, subtitle rendering and advanced audio output. Our MPC-BE vs MPC-HC guide explains the differences.

Player Status Pick it if
Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 Frozen, last build 2011 You keep an old Windows XP machine running
MPC-HC Maintained You want the classic MPC on a modern PC
MPC-BE Maintained You want more features in the same family

A Short History

Gabest released Media Player Classic as a free, open-source copy of the look of Windows Media Player 6.4, but with far wider format support. For most of the 2000s it was the first thing many Windows users installed.

Version 6.4.9.0 in 2006 was Gabest's last official release. The 6.4.9.1 builds on our download page were compiled later from the same code, with the final one dated April 2011.

The project then split. MPC-HC continued the classic player and is maintained today by clsid2, who also builds the player inside the K-Lite Codec Pack, while MPC-BE grew from the same roots into a fuller player.

What the Original Still Does

It plays the formats of its time well: DVDs, MPEG-2, AVI files with DivX or Xvid video, and early MKV and MP4 files.

It uses Windows' own DirectShow decoders, so LAV Filters can teach it some newer formats. Even so, it has no hardware decoding, no HDR and no modern video renderer, so 4K HEVC or AV1 will not play smoothly.

Which Old Build Is Which

The download page keeps the original 6.4.9.0 for Windows 2000 and XP and for Windows 98 and Me. It also has the 6.4.9.1 builds from 2008 for Windows 98 and Me, from 2010 for Windows 2000 up to 7, and from 2011.

They are zip and 7z archives with no installer: extract one and run the player directly. Open 7z files with 7-Zip.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

Anyone on Windows 10 or 11 who just wants files to play. MPC-HC gives the same experience with fifteen years of fixes, and VLC Media Player plays almost anything with no setup at all.

If Windows Media Player or other programs also need more formats, the K-Lite Codec Pack installs MPC-HC together with the decoders.

Quick questions

Is Media Player Classic still developed?

No. The original stopped in 2006, and the last build made from its code dates from 2011. MPC-HC and MPC-BE carry on its work.

Does Media Player Classic work on Windows 10 or 11?

It usually starts, but it cannot play many modern files smoothly. MPC-HC is the better choice on current Windows.

What is the difference between MPC and MPC-HC?

MPC-HC is the continuation of the same player, with modern decoders, HDR, a dark theme and regular updates.

Is it safe to use?

The files are the original builds, but software that has not been updated since 2011 gets no security fixes. Use it offline on an old machine rather than as your everyday player.

More players for every format are in our Media Players section.

Download Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1 if you still need it, or tell us what you used it for if you have history with it.

Available files

See all 5 files and mirrors

User reviews (160)

JE
Jeff_K
7 Apr 2013
1/5Poor
This media player has 2 problems:

1st its the older version without Home cinema. . so why would download it.

Second in general there are just better free media players out there like VLC
Reviewed on Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1

VLC uses sub par codecs to render video on slow computers.MPC was picked up by another group that called their MPC, MPC Home Cinema.

It comes with Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP) and is by far the best video player for Windows machines.

on 02 May 2014, by anon32492834723
LE
leigh
23 Jun 2012
1/5Poor
this player works just fine.....if you like watching your dvds upside down! The picture is clear, doesnt lag, but HUGE problem, my picture is upside down , and apparently no way to correct it.
Reviewed on Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1
WI
5/5Excellent
This program works just fine for playing DVDs. I had to get it because Windows Media Player 11 just keeps crashing.
Reviewed on Media Player Classic 6.4.9.1

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