--- a/src/preferences.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void Preferences::reset() {
 	audio_lang = "";
 	subtitle_lang = "";
 
-	use_direct_rendering = false;
+	use_direct_rendering = true;
 	use_double_buffer = true;
 
 	use_soft_video_eq = false;
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ void Preferences::reset() {
 #endif
 
 	threads = 1;
-	hwdec = "no";
+	hwdec = "auto";
 
 	cache_auto = true;
 	cache_for_files = 2048;
@@ -1715,8 +1715,8 @@ void Preferences::load() {
 
 
 	// Fix some options
-	if (vo == "player_default") vo = "";
-	if (ao == "player_default") ao = "";
+	if (vo == "player_default") vo = "xv";
+	if (ao == "player_default") ao = "pulse";
 
 #if QT_VERSION < 0x050000
 	if (style.toLower() == "fusion") style = "";