VLC (also commonly known as VLC media player) is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework written by the VideoLAN project that supports most video and audio file formats as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. No matter what operating system you're using, VLC has versions for you, Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Linux, Android, BSD versions, etc., they are all a piece of cake to it. Meanwhile, the default distribution of VLC covers a bonanza of free decoding and encoding libraries, eliminating the need for other codec or plugins. And it's also widely regarded as the first player to support playback of encrypted DVDs on Windows, OS X and Linux by using the libdvdcss DVD decryption library such that playing DVDs copy-protected by region code, CSS is not a deal any more. Container formats ASF, AVI, FLV, Fraps, MP4, Ogg, WAV, MPEG-2 (ES, PS, TS, PVA, MP3), MPJPEG, FLAC, QuickTime File Format, Matroska, WebM Video formats H.263, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2, VP5, VP6, VP8, VP9, Theora, DV, Dirac Audio formats AAC, AC-3, DV Audio, FLAC, MP3, Speex, Vorbis Tips: In the event that you need to convert video to far more video formats such as MOV, WMV, TS, 3GP,RM, WebM and more, is your cup of tea for your Mac OS X and is what you are looking for Windows. As a free open source media player, VLC has met warm reception in the market, partly due to the above mentioned scads of formats VLC supports.
Of course, it also has other benefits as well as drawbacks worth to mention. Hence, follow me to look at VLC other pros and cons. Pros of VLC Media Player: 1. It's simple to use, powerful enough to ensure video playing smooth and fluent and comparatively fast to let you enjoy streams within. Competent to play most codecs with no codec packs demanded: MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, MP3 and more.
VLC can be used with other programs, e.g., VLC provides an NPAPI plugin to enable users to view QuickTime, Windows Media,MP3, and Ogg files embedded in websites without using additional products; And the famous HandBrake loads libdvdcss from VLC Media Player to rip copy-protected DVDs. 100% free and clean, no adware, no spyware, safe to use. In possession of intuitive controls to let users of all skill and experience levels accessible to it. Detailed Wiki help guides users to carry out any process desired. Cons of VLC Media Player: 1. VLC media player is available for various platforms, and its interface is a tad different from each one, which means that Wikis containing instructions for completing various processes aren't necessarily describing the same interface you're seeing.
It’s seemingly a little bit hard for beginners to adjust to its inconsistent interface. Though VLC can play back most of the encrypted DVDs, it doesn't mean all the copy-protected DVDs can be played back by VLC media player. It seems powerless sometimes. 3, To playback HD camcorder video like AVCHD, M2TS videos, VLC is willing to help but unable to do so.
Only its solid alternative can do that favor for you. 4, When it comes to play videos in VLC, there are some problems appearing, like;; Notes: VLC is an extraordinary media player for you to playback various video and audio files, but it's not the omnipotent one. You see, supposing you wanna playback M4V or M4A files on your Mac computer, VLC is willing but powerless to render assistance. At this time, VLC alternative-iTunes is the one you can count on, which is also a media player used for playing MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, M4A and more digital files as well as downloading and organizing files on computer. In another case, providing you have failed to play your MOV files on VLC owing to some parameters settings, QuickTime player-the eminent VLC media player alternative can serve for you, since MOV is the default video format QuickTime media player supports and it's capable of handling any MOV files as well as masses of formats of other digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity.
Advertisement There are a lot of video players out there, but you probably only need one. You might even be able to make do with the one that comes pre-installed with macOS. But if you are searching for an alternative, there are a few top quality free options that have everything looking for. These apps let you play just about any format you come across, build playlists, grab subtitles, convert files, and even stream from a variety of sources. The Best Video Players These are the first apps you should download if you’re after a rock-solid tool for video playback and other media.
Mac Media Player. Free Play various media on your Mac in highest quality possible. Free Play, import, convert and export Windows Media video and audio files on your Mac.
They’re all free, and they should play most formats you come across. It doesn’t hurt to have all three at your disposal, just in case. Is VLC the VLC is a media player more powerful than you might realize. Are you using it to its full potential?
Here are some pointers.? It plays just about everything you throw at it, whether it’s a file, a stream, or a disc image of a DVD or BluRay. Compressed files are decoded using GPU, which takes the strain off your CPU so you can efficiently watch video while performing other tasks. VLC also includes plenty of advanced features, like the ability to stream to devices across a network or transcode video files to other formats. You can fine-tune your playback using video controls, adjust the speed, It's easy to increase or decrease subtitle delays in VLC Media Player, which can fix subtitles that aren't synchronized properly. Or audio tracks, take snapshots, and mess around with video effects if you’re so inclined.
Best for: VLC plays it all and can handle most common video playback tasks. It’s lightweight, and comes with a few advanced features like network streaming and powerful playback controls. There used to be a bit of debate over which media player reigned supreme: VLC or Mplayer. The Mac fork of Mplayer, known as MplayerX, recently had You might think it's pretty difficult to infect your Mac with malware, but there are always exceptions.
Here are five ways you can get your computer dirty. Another fork known as Mplayer for Mac Extended has since been discontinued, as has the other alternative mplayer2. Fortunately the open source project mpv makes a great replacement. Based on a fork of the original Mplayer and defunct mplayer2, mpv provides a great alternative to VLC in a sleek package. Open source and completely free, the app includes OpenGL-powered video output, GPU video decoding, and simplified command-line options for power users. There’s technically no “official” graphical user interface, so on-screen controls are a little sparse, as mpv is easy to embed into other applications. Best for: Lightweight video playback of a vast number of formats, with OpenGL support. The only real alternative to VLC you’ll ever need. QuickTime Player I know what you’re thinking, QuickTime might not count as a “universal” video player on the basis that it’s an Apple first party app and lacks the codec support of VLC or mpv.
![Is Media Player For Mac Safe Is Media Player For Mac Safe](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125466876/603563448.jpg)
That may be true, but in the right circumstances it’s a surprisingly competent player and comes with a few handy features that are worth keeping in mind. In addition to playing videos, QuickTime Player can also convert them to formats that are perfect for your portable devices. It’s the quickest free way to make screen recordings on your Mac, and you can even Apple has made recording easier with a 'hidden' feature to OS X Yosemite that lets users stream their iPhone or iPad display to a Mac. Here's how it works. Or similar via Lightning cable.
Best for: Watching videos when you have nothing else installed, recording your screen or iOS devices. Find it in the Applications folder of any Mac or Today we're going to share our favourite good Mac habits, while desperately trying to forget the bad ones. Also Consider The players listed above are the cream of the crop, but if you’re dissatisfied you might want to check these out next. Despite being capable players, there are slight issues with all of them as noted in the descriptions below. DivX made its name with a simple video codec, and the company’s freemium player is the only on this list which isn’t open source. Fortunately it does pretty much everything the average user would need. The company doesn’t state exactly what codecs the player is compatible with, but it will likely play most files you throw at it.
In addition to playing video the free DivX player also functions as a UPnP devices are able to see and communicate with one another, and one of the best uses for this technology to stream media around the house., a media converter, and Chromecast-compatible streaming source. You’ll also find the other standard options for playback including playlists, support for multiple audio streams, the ability to resume playback on re-opening a file, and 4K support. Despite not being a first choice, playback was smooth on even high bitrate 1080p files. Drawbacks: The free version is limited and includes adverts. It also doesn’t appear to be optimized for Retina displays, despite seemingly still being under development. Just like UMPlayer Miro is free, open source, and promises to play a whole host of video formats. It’s also got some interesting extra features like support for converting and syncing with Android and Kindle devices.
This converter can also be used to export videos to other formats, including those suitable for (presumably older) iOS devices. The app favors a unified approach to media consumption.
There’s support for streaming services like YouTube and Internet Archive in the app (it’s just a browser window), and you can even buy music within the app. It can also double up as a podcast player and torrenting app, but you probably won’t want to use it for either. Drawbacks: Works with macOS Sierra, but it hasn’t had an update since 2012. Larger files can cause playback issues.
The website also bugs you to donate money on downloading, which is odd considering development seems to have ceased. Not optimized for Retina displays. UMPlayer is another free, cross-platform, and open source approach (noticing a pattern yet?) which comes with over 270 video and audio codecs for playing just about everything. That includes a wide array of compressed formats, DVD images, Windows files like.WMV and.WMA, and even YouTube videos. The app also includes a few niche features like the ability to find and download subtitles for the current file, re-sync subtitles and audio, and a skinnable interface. This particular fork of Mplayer may look a bit dated, but it’ll do in a pinch.
Drawbacks: Though it still works on modern operating systems like macOS Sierra, UMPlayer hasn’t had an update since 2010. Larger files can cause playback issues. It’s not optimized for Retina displays either.
Which Video Player Do You Prefer? Whether it’s one of the large projects I’ve listed above or a small obscure fork of Mplayer, everyone has an opinion of what the best video player is. So let us know which you prefer in the comments below. Tell us what your favorite video player for Mac is, and we might just add it to the list. Image credit: Original article by Steve Campbell. Explore more about:,.