For our December “Staff Pick” Project of the Month, we selected MPC-BE, a free and open source audio and video player for Windows. Recently we caught up with developer Volt, who shared some thoughts about the project’s history, purpose, and direction.
SourceForge (SF): Tell me about the MPC-BE project please. What made you start this?
Volt (V): I started developing the players in MPC-HC. Something in it worked incorrectly and I made the first patch. Then (there was) another one and I was added to the developers. Then I joined MPC-BE, where there were Russian-speaking developers and more freedom.
SF: Has the original vision been achieved?
V: I think yes.
SF: Who can benefit the most from your project?
V: If you need a good media player, then MPC-BE will suit you.
SF: What core need does MPC-BE fulfill?
V: Playing media files on Windows.
SF: What’s the best way to get the most out of using MPC-BE?
V: Open video files and watch.
SF: What has your project team done to help build and nurture your community?
V: We are present at several forums, this creates contact with our users.
SF: What was the first big thing that happened for your project?
V: I do not want to single out anything special. I (just want to) thank the people who helped us.
SF: How has SourceForge and its tools helped your project reach that success?
V: SourceForge is a famous site with a long history. Users trust SourceForge and (it’s where they) download our builds.
SF: What is the next big thing for MPC-BE?
V: I cannot answer this question, because many grandiose ideas require a lot of knowledge and time, and I cannot predict what’s going to happen and what does not.
SF: How long do you think that will take?
V: Six months or a year.
SF: Do you have the resources you need to make that happen?
V: Hard to say. The most important resource is time, and it is not always enough.
SF: If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently for MPC-BE?
V: I don’t know. I do not think that we had serious mistakes.
[ Download MPC-BE ]