What Is an MPL File?

How to Open, Edit, and Convert MPL Files

MPL Files
MPL Files.

A file with the MPL file extension is an AVCHD Playlist file. As playlist files, they're not the actual recordings made with your camcorder or other video recording device. It's just a reference to the actual videos, which are probably the .MTS files you should also see.

The MPL file format is also used for MPL2 Subtitles files. These are text files that contain subtitles for media players to display during video playback.

A HotSauce Graphics file is a less common format that uses the MPL extension.

How to Open an MPL File

MPL files saved as playlist files can be opened with Roxio Creator and CyberLink PowerDVD products, as well as for free with MPC-HC, VLC, BS.Player. Since the format is in XML, you should be able to use a text editor to see the file paths of where the media files are located.

Tip: MPL files are typically stored on the device under the \AVCHD\BDMV\PLAYLIST\ folder.

While text editors like Notepad++ can open MPL2 Subtitles files to read the subtitles manually, the more practical use is in programs like MPC-HC so that they're displayed along with a corresponding video. Remember that these are just text files that display text based on timestamps; they're not actually the video files themselves.

Although MPL files can be edited with any text editor, Subtitle Edit is one example of an MPL editor that is built specifically for subtitle editing.

HotSauce Graphics files might be related to the unreleased and discontinued experimental Mac software with the same name.

Note: If your file isn't opening using the suggestions from above, you might be dealing with a file of a different format that just looks like an .MPL file, like WPL (Windows Media Player Playlist).

If you find that an application on your PC does try to open the MPL file but it's the wrong application or if you would rather have another installed program open MPL files, see my How to Change the Default Program for a Specific File Extension guide for making that change in Windows.

How to Convert an MPL File

Since AVCHD Playlist files don't actually contain any media files, you can't convert an MPL directly to MP3, MP4, WMV, MKV, or any other audio or video format. If you're wanting to convert the actual media files to a different format, you can open the MTS files (or whatever format the media files are in) with one of these free file converters.

MPL files used for subtitles can be converted to SRT using To SRT Converter. The Subtitle Edit program mentioned above can also convert MPL files to a huge variety of subtitle formats. Like AVCHD Playlist files that are just text documents, you can't convert MPL to MP4 or any other video format.

Note: Converting MPL to MPG might refer to the conversion between miles per litre and miles per gallon, neither of which have anything to do with these file formats. You can use a conversion calculator to do the math for you.

More Information on MPL2 Subtitles Files

This subtitle format uses square brackets and decaseconds.

For example, to explain that the subtitle text should display at 10.5 seconds and then disappear 15.2 seconds later, is written as [105][152].

Multiple text lines are configured with a line break like [105][152] First line|Second line.

Subtitles can be italicized with a forward slash, like so: [105][152] /First line|Second line. Or, to make the second one italic: [105][152] First line|/Second line. The same can be done on both lines to make both of them appear italicized.

The original file format used frames for setting up subtitle times but was then switched to decaseconds in the second version.

More Help With MPL Files

See Get More Help for information about contacting me on social networks or via email, posting on tech support forums, and more. Let me know what kinds of problems you're having with opening or using the MPL file and I'll see what I can do to help.