One of the first actions I do when I have a new PC or one that has just been formatted in front of me is to download the K-Lite codecs that also include the Media Player Classic player. This will provide the computer with practically all codecs needed to play any type of file while we also have a player that, despite being ugly (and wanting), is one of the most effective and optimized that exists.
Media Player Classic has been with us for a while now, and since it existed it has had practically the same simple and lightweight design at all times. However, few may know that for a few years it has an alternative integrated design and that can be easily activated from the player options. In this article I show you how to activate it and what it changes.
It’s ugly, but it’s still the best
MPC-HC is an open source project based on the original Windows Media Player. Over time it has established itself as one of the best players that you can use today, mainly due to its compatibility with many formats. This has made it the favorite of many users, along with VLC.
Over time, the player has also acquired forks alternatives that include some new features, or even change the design, as is the case of MPC-BE (Black Edition). The latter fork applies a dark mode to the player and also changes the design of its interface to a somewhat more modern look. It also receives constant updates.
MPC-HC design is outdated, and that is a fact. However, it is difficult to find a player that is as well optimized, as lightweight, and has as much compatibility as that player offers. Furthermore, it does not include bloatwareso we can rest assured that its function will only be to reproduce content, without frills, and without advertising involved.
However, if your eyes hurt just thinking about its design, there is an alternative integrated into this player and that is to activate its dark mode. To do this, we just have to click on the tab View > Options and in Player > User interface activate the “Use Modern Theme”. We can use this theme for light, dark or whatever version you have by default in Windows.
The theme changes the layout of the play bar and volume bar, making them more attractive. Furthermore, if we apply it together with the dark theme, we will see that at least it is no longer as ugly as before, even though the changes are not enough to raise our hands.
If we wish, in the same options menu we can also modify the size of the buttons and even the size of the playback bar. If you have never had the opportunity to browse the MPC-HC options menu, I recommend that you take a look at it, as it has several very interesting modification options.
The result is what you can see in the image above. The change is not a big deal, but the design of the bar and the dark mode may fit better if our intention is to play content with the lights off. This way we will not miss the clear design.
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