Download unplugged

What's new in 2.1.0

• NLS is set-and-forget. Auto handles clean 16:9 and scope content as well as letterboxed sources. Bars removed controls every fill mode, and Max distortion caps the warp.
• Post-NLS X and Y crop. Trim each axis after stretching — the whole frame, including bars, in real time.
• Clean scope-to-IMAX transitions. Bands are tracked per frame instead of a stale crop. One IMAX frame can still use aspect-ratio NLS during a transition.
• A reliable library. Season, episode and movie rows with posters, plot, facts and IMDb chips; ratings always shown; all episode thumbnails; a Wikipedia fallback and a 900-a-day OMDb budget.
• One-click diagnostics. Report a problem now bundles a diagnostics zip.
• Upgrade in place. 2.1.0 installs over 2.0.0 and keeps your library, presets and calibration.

Release history

• 2.1.0 — 4 November 2026 — set-and-forget NLS, library reliability, one-click diagnostics.
• 2.0.0 — 1 November 2026 — native MFC application, first NLS, self-saving presets, update check, Dolby Vision reporting over HDMI.
• 1.2.0 — 22 October 2026 — poster library, simpler settings panel, Super Resolution switch.
• 1.1.1 — 21 October 2026 — coexistence with codec packs, clearer errors, one-click problem reporting.
• 1.1.0 — 19 October 2026 — PCM volume and multichannel downmix to the active output layout.
• 1.0.0 — 17 October 2026 — first release.

Before you install

• Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Tested on an RTX 4070.
• A Blackmagic DeckLink card for live HDMI. DeckLink Quad PCIe and Mini Recorder 4K are confirmed; movie playback needs no card.
• Blackmagic Desktop Video runtime. Install the latest drivers from Blackmagic's support portal before processor mode. Unplugged does not bundle them.
• An unencrypted HDMI signal. DeckLink inputs do not accept HDCP-encrypted sources, and Unplugged does not decrypt or bypass HDCP.
• The Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 x64 runtime. The installer carries it and installs it silently when it is missing, so this is not something you need to fetch first.
• Administrator rights. Double-clicking the installer raises the Windows consent prompt. On a machine where elevation is impossible, right-click and choose Run as administrator instead of failing halfway.

Install

1. Install Blackmagic's Desktop Video runtime. Download it from Blackmagic's support portal if it is not already installed. It is required for live HDMI and is not bundled with Unplugged.
2. Run the installer. Two licence pages are mandatory: the Blackmagic DeckLink SDK licence and Unplugged's own end-user terms. Third-party licences ship in the installed product's licenses folder.
3. Choose Video Processor or Media Player. Video Processor lists every port on your DeckLink card with its live signal state, lets you name each one and pick the active input. Media Player skips straight to your library.
4. Set the display target once. SDR display nits, static nits and display black come from a measurement of your screen. They describe the display, not the film, and they are the numbers the tone curve maps into.
5. Start watching. Settings reach the picture as you change them, including on a paused frame.

What first run gives you

• Five ready presets. On an upgrade, your existing picture is copied into five presets and Preset 1 is made active, so the picture looks exactly as it did and your tuning continues there.
• A read-only Default. Picture changes while Default is active are refused rather than silently applied.
• Presets that save themselves. No Apply button. Clicking a preset switches immediately and keeps the card open so you can compare setups on one frame.
• Settings that survive reinstall. A re-install never costs you a tuned grade. The setup wizard returning after an install is the only thing that resets.

Known limitations, stated plainly

• Windows today.
• HDCP-encrypted HDMI is not supported. Unplugged does not decrypt or bypass it; use sources you are authorized to capture.
• No ISO or BDMV folder/playlist playback. Rip to a file first.
• Dolby Vision in files (profile 5) is not supported in media player mode. Dolby Vision over HDMI is recognised and handled.
• During a scope-to-IMAX transition, one IMAX frame can still use aspect-ratio NLS.
• Subtitle styling applies to text tracks. Bitmap tracks arrive pre-rendered.
• Strong non-linear stretch can soften fine text. Both axes are being resampled; lower the strength or raise centre protection.
• A calibration LUT describes one display. Moving the PC to another panel means another measurement.

Source and licences

The application is GPL-3.0. The binaries in the installer are built from four public repositories:

• unplugged-mpc-hc — application, engine and installer;
• unplugged-VideoRenderer — the DirectX video renderer and grade;
• unplugged-LAVFilters — the modified LAV Filters;
• unplugged-ffmpeg — FFmpeg with the DeckLink capture path.

The modified LAV Filters and FFmpeg are GPL-licensed; their complete corresponding source is the repositories above, which is the offer the GPL requires and which remains available for at least three years. Two binaries are derived from the Blackmagic DeckLink SDK headers (DeckLinkSource.ax and decklink_monitor.dll); the SDK licence and required copyright notice accompany them in the installer and in distrib/licenses/.

This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by the MPC-HC, LAV Filters, FFmpeg or Blackmagic Design projects.