VLC Alternative

[leosantare]

Hello,

As the title states, I'm considering using another player for my mkv files. All my mkv files appear too dark in VLC and this seems to be a known issue. Anyone on here experiencing this also with mkv files from 4k blu rays? If so, is adjusting the brightness shown in the screenshot below the best way to get a better picture?

Also, the subtitles don't display properly in VLC when HRD is enabled in Windows. The subtitles appear black, and you can barely see them. This has been an issue for years. People have been complaining about it, yet nothing has been done. For these reasons, I was considering using another player but also wanted to get some feedback from others that use VLC.

Thanks,

[DC-2187]

I use MPC-HC with madVR enabled to watch any 4k material. The issue has to do with tone mapping( I believe this is the correct term if i'm wrong someone let me know) 4k material has HDR picture properties that VLC is not displaying correctly. This is why your stuff is looking dark and grey. MPC-HC fixes that up.

[leosantare]

Okay, thanks for the MPC-HC recommendation.

Can any VLC users comment on 4k mkv's appearing too dark? Is adjusting the brightness in VLC (provided screenshot) the best way to help with this apparent issue?

[crazyg0od33]

I use MPC-HC with madVR enabled to watch any 4k material. The issue has to do with tone mapping( I believe this is the correct term if i'm wrong someone let me know) 4k material has HDR picture properties that VLC is not displaying correctly. This is why your stuff is looking dark and grey. MPC-HC fixes that up.

Hm, I might need to get this madVR thing up and running - I use MPC-(HC or BE, cant remember) and some of my HDR rips are still a bit de-saturated IMO.

I'll look into it

[DC-2187]

it should be an option in the settings. It needs to be chosen otherwise it won't help out.

[leosantare]

After you have to selected madVR as the video renderer, do you just use the defalut settings?

I want to compare the picture quality with VLC, how do you actually do this? I understand that a screenshot takes the digital image being sent to your display, not what your display actually looks like.

[dcoke22]

In other threads on this forum I've seen people talk about taking photos of their display as a way to compare things.

They set up a camera on a tripod and lock in the photo settings in a completely manual mode (focus, exposure, speed, etc.) so the camera takes photos with the exact same settings. They control the lighting in the room to ensure it is the same in both examples (this might be easiest to do at night time so the changing light of the sun doesn't impact the shots). Then they make the things they're comparing, in your case two playback systems, display the exact same frame of the movie in both.

As a side note, they seem to host their comparisons on https://slow.pics

[leosantare]

Thanks for the information. Thats what I thought, you need to actually take a picture of your display. I doubt I'm going to do all that but if I do, how do you get the same exact frame from a different player? For example, do you just go by the current time in the movie?

This is subjective, but what would you say the top 3 mkv players for Windows are?

Last, do most people think mkv's appear darker than they should in VLC? (I'm just wondering if VLC is known for this or if it's just me.)

[leosantare]

Can someone who uses VLC for mkv files please let me know? I'm trying to understand if VLC is known for videos appearing darker than they should, or if it's just me.

Also, what are the top 3 mkv players for Windows?

[Arogen]

I have the same issue, just ripped The Last Starfighter 4K and playing it back in VLC has it looking very dark. Someone on another site said it probably wasn't processing the hdr layer of the video.

Can someone provide step by step for getting MPC-HC and madVR, I don't understand github and there aren't directions or an executable there that I can see. Or provide an alternative player.

[leosantare]

Thanks for letting me know. Apparently, VLC is aware of this and it's being looked into. In the meantime, you can adjust the brightness slightly in VLC.

You don't really install madVR. Well, you do but it's not a standard installation. You run the .exe and then move the folder to your program files on your C: drive. Then, for players that support madVR, you need to select it as the renderer in the players settings. After that, you have to configure madVR in the players settings.

However, there is no configuration guide that works for everyone with madVR. At least, not that I could find. Everyone's situation is different based on their display and what they are looking to achieve. If you do find some recommended settings, how do you know they are the best settings to use? There are A LOT of settings to mess with in madVR. For this reason, I choose to use a player that doesn't support madVR and instead uses it's own video renderer. Out of these options, I like VLC the best. Plus, I much prefer VLC in every other way than all the players I have tried.

HDR has only been mainstream for about 5 years. My thinking is that VLC will eventually catch up and offer better support in the near future.