Playing flac. files using ffdshow and Media Player Classic

[Cunhambebe]

Hi there! How've you been folks? It's been a long time... Now I was just wonderign if there's a way to play flac. files using ffdshow and MPC. Furthermore, is there any application I can usefor rendering to this format? I know Sound Forge can play this kind of file but that is not freeware. Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Mark

[Moontrash]

MPC or Winamp plays flac just fine...right click on the file and choose "open" or "Open With"..then navigate to MPC or Winamp and that's it...btw, make sure you have the flac decoder to play those files...ffdshow should have that already built into it. I use Winamp but I also have used MPC and it does a good job also

[jagabo]

If you're using MPCHC: it has built in flac source filters and flac decoders. You can disable the internal decoder if you want to use ffdshow instead (to use ffdshow's other filtering options, for example). You can also make it the default player for flac files via its options dialog.

[chowmein]

foobar2000 can make flac, so can Reaper.

[Noahtuck]

I usually use Creative MediaSource 5 Player to play all my FLAC files but MPCHC & VLC plays them fine.

And i use FLAC Frontend & EAC to make my FLAC files.

All free.

[Hoser Rob]

I use MPC Home Cinema. The newest version is way better ... it doesn't seem to do more but it works much, much nicer. Maybe you can use ffdshow ... I have it for other software ... but I haven't needed to change defaults.

And I've played a bunch of FLAC files just by double clicking them.

The best thing is it uses Directshow so you don't have to potentially cause instability in your system by using non Windows codecs, which can be wonky. I won't touch stuff like Quicktime Alternative or K-Lite.

And if they can make this work with just about anything, why should anyone bother with all that codec crap?

[jagabo]

MPC Home Cinema... The best thing is it uses Directshow

No, it uses its own built in flac source filter and decoder (unless you disable them). That's why you don't need to install anything else.

[Cunhambebe]

Hi there, greetings from the jungles of Brazil (lolol rio rio rio.. lol). Thanks to all old friends and new ones who took time to respond. Thks for all the nice ideas.

I had already checked out ffdshow yesterday before posting here. I enabled the extension and just dropped the files in MPC but nothing happened (not even the warning - cannot render the file). Let me see it if can make it today. Otherwise I'll download MPC Home Cinema. I'm not at home now so I'll do this as soon as I get there and post a message here later. Thanks again, friends.

Cheers,
Mark

[jagabo]

MPC is outdated. It will need a flac file reader/splitter in addition to the flac decoder. Just update to MCPHC.

[Cunhambebe]

Hi jagabo,
Thanks a lot, man. I'll do it.
Cheers,
Mark

[vxu]

i am using latest MPC-HC and would also like to play FLAC through ffdshow audio (using the mixer functionality to upmix stereo to 7.1). this works great for mp3, ogg, ac3, mpeg, ts, ... files by disabling the internal decoder-filters for those types. but FLAC keeps getting played though "madFlac 1.10" and ffdshow is not accessible. i have clues. someone any ideas?

[vxu]

ok, i think i found a solution: playing FLAC, MPC shows:

majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM {00000001-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}

in MPC options, external filter, add "ffdshow audio decoder". it should have already set the media types from above as default, otherwise add them. set its mode to PREFER. now FLAC should be played through ffdshow. madFlac seems still be to get loaded, whatever, anything i want i can do now.

[Cunhambebe]

Thanks to all who took time to respond. I'll reply later showing what I've done around here. Cheers,
Mark.

[Cunhambebe]

MPCHC does a great job! Thanks!

[Hood]

ok, i think i found a solution: playing FLAC, MPC shows:

majortype: MEDIATYPE_Audio {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}
subtype: MEDIASUBTYPE_PCM {00000001-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}

in MPC options, external filter, add "ffdshow audio decoder". it should have already set the media types from above as default, otherwise add them. set its mode to PREFER. now FLAC should be played through ffdshow. madFlac seems still be to get loaded, whatever, anything i want i can do now.

Tried hard again and again... but not sure i did add the right way. and FLAC continues to play without ffdshow. please guide me throughly how to add FLAC external filter in MPC-HC. there are many options there in MPC-HC external filter setting tab and i am still confused how to do it? thanks for help!