Load media
The load button opens a standard Windows file picker. The current filter highlights MP4, MP3, WMV, AVI, and MKV files, while an All Files option is also available.
Windows Multimedia Utility
Media Player
Media Player is a free Windows PowerShell application built with WPF and the Windows MediaElement control. It plays local video and audio files in a resizable interface with playback controls, interactive seeking, playback time, volume control, fullscreen support, and controls that automatically hide during playback.
Features
Playback controls
Play and pause
Dedicated Play and Pause buttons control the WPF MediaElement and start or stop the progress timer used for the playback position display.
Rewind and fast-forward
Rewind moves playback backward by 10 seconds. Fast-forward moves playback ahead by 10 seconds.
Interactive progress seeking
A transparent slider is layered over the visible progress bar. Clicking or dragging on that area changes the MediaElement playback position.
Playback timer
The player updates approximately every 500 milliseconds and shows elapsed time and total media duration in hh:mm:ss format.
Volume slider
Volume is adjustable from 0 to 1 using the horizontal volume slider. The player starts with the slider at full volume.
File Selection
Formats shown in the file picker
The current Open File dialog highlights these media extensions:
MP4
MP3
WMV
AVI
MKV
Displaying a file extension in the picker does not guarantee the Windows MediaElement can decode every file that uses that extension. Actual playback depends on the codecs available to Windows and on the encoding used inside the media file.
Fullscreen
Fullscreen and multi-monitor behavior
Fullscreen button
The fullscreen button removes the normal window border, disables resizing, makes the window topmost, and expands the player to the full bounds of the monitor where the window is currently located.
Double-click fullscreen
Double-clicking the player toggles fullscreen unless the click originated on a button or slider.
Escape to leave fullscreen
Pressing Esc while fullscreen restores the normal bordered player window.
Playback position preserved
Before the window changes fullscreen state, the current media position is stored and reapplied afterward so playback stays at the same point.
Interface
Auto-hiding controls and cursor
After media is loaded, a two-second timer hides the controls panel, progress controls, playback timer, and mouse cursor while video or audio is present. Moving the mouse shows the controls again and restarts the two-second timer.
How It Works
Running Media Player
- Download and extract Media Player.zip.
- Run Run Me.bat.
- The launcher starts PowerShell with -ExecutionPolicy Bypass and requests administrator elevation through UAC.
- The PowerShell console is hidden and the WPF player window opens centered at 1200 × 600.
- Click the menu/load button and choose a local media file.
- Playback starts automatically after a file is selected.
- Use Play, Pause, ±10-second seek, progress seeking, volume, fullscreen, or the close button as needed.
The current player does not automatically scan media folders, build a library, or stream online content. A local file is selected manually each time through the file picker.
Codec Help
Black video or unsupported playback
The ZIP includes a shortcut named K-Lite Codec Pack that opens the official Codec Guide page for the K-Lite Codec Pack Standard download. The included Read Me recommends trying K-Lite when a video opens but displays a black picture because a required codec may be missing.
K-Lite is optional third-party software and is not bundled or silently installed by Media Player. The ZIP only contains an Internet shortcut to codecguide.com. Review the external download before installing it.
Transparency
What Media Player accesses
Local media files
The player opens the local file you explicitly select in the Windows file picker and assigns its path to the WPF MediaElement source.
No automatic uploads
The PowerShell script contains no web-request or upload logic. Media selected for playback stays local to the Windows playback components.
No persistent installation
The current script does not create a Windows service, scheduled task, startup entry, or media database.
Hidden PowerShell console
A small native interop helper calls the Windows console API to hide the underlying PowerShell console so only the graphical media player remains visible.
Screenshot
Tool preview
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can it play both video and audio?
Yes. The player uses the same MediaElement for local video and audio files.
Does media start automatically after loading?
Yes. Once a file is selected and assigned to the player, the script starts playback and the progress timer.
How far do the rewind and fast-forward buttons jump?
Each button changes the current position by 10 seconds.
Can I seek by clicking the progress bar?
Yes. A transparent slider sits over the visible progress bar and changes the media position when used.
How do I exit fullscreen?
Press Esc, click the fullscreen button again, or double-click outside a button/slider area.
Why is my video black?
The Read Me identifies missing codec support as one possible cause. The ZIP includes an optional shortcut to the K-Lite Codec Pack Standard download page for troubleshooting.