: Each has certain pros and cons. Someone, focusing on the combination of all factors, chooses a video player with cold calculation. Others find one significant plus for themselves and do not pay attention to all the existing shortcomings.
The most popular video players are the most popular for a reason. For the most part, they have very few disadvantages and stand out from other competitors with many advantages, which also practically cover all the disadvantages.
So, here are the best media players currently available for Windows 10. Windows Media Player is not one of them. This article suggests choosing a video player among the most functional players. But Windows Media Player can't boast of this. But if you only need to view and increase/decrease the volume, then this article will be for informational purposes only.
Media Player Classic
Media Player Classic is one of those programs that can evoke nostalgia among sophisticated users in the 30+ age group. Released back in 2003, it was a favorite alternative to Windows Media Player under everyone's favorite Windows XP. This somewhat slowed down its development in 2006, and since then the project has been developing as two separate branches: Home Cinema (MPC-HC) and .
Home theater is the best choice for the average user who wants a lightweight, simple video player, but at the same time supports the latest standards and video formats.
The Black Edition is a super powerful version with many features, innovations and improvements, but it is not as easy to use.
Both video players live up to their reputations well and have earned their popularity among video watchers for a reason.
Media Player Classic - HC
And that's really the biggest selling point of Media Player Classic: high performance, low resource usage, small install size - truly lightweight in every way. It reads most formats without problems and supports some additional features such as subtitle downloading, video capture and Skype integration.
Overview of the benefits and notable features of Media Player Classic:
- Intuitive and easy to use interface.
- Extremely lightweight, meaning high performance on older machines.
- Advanced features such as subtitle downloading and Skype integration.
Download: Media Player Classic (Free)
VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is without a doubt the most popular media player in the world. If you look at the AlternativeTo website, you can see that VLC is in the top position with over 5,400 likes. Media Player Classic lags behind this indicator several times and has less than 900 likes. VLC is definitely the king of free apps on Windows. But does this mean that VLC is the best choice among video makers? Let's figure this out.
VLC is a sophisticated and powerful all-in-one multimedia processor. It has advanced settings and parameters that can be configured for any sophisticated user. Hence main drawback VLC: Doesn't provide better performance on older hardware. Indeed, VLC on not the top-end hardware that is more than 3 years old does not behave in the best way, trying to periodically freeze.
But if you don't like fiddling with settings and prefer to use software that works right out of the box, just open VLC video player and watch what you want.
VLC Media Player
VLC can stream video in real time. if there is a direct URL link, can play all standard media types, including CDs, DVDs. VLC supports the most popular video formats such as MP4, AVI and MKV. There is no need to download, install or mess around with additional codecs. They are included directly in the installation kit.
Review of Benefits and Notable Features of VLC Media Player:
- Supports most multimedia codecs.
- Supports playback of files, discs, external devices, web cameras.
- Settings appearance using the VLC Skin editor.
- Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Open source.
Download: VLC Media Player (free)
PotPlayer
PotPlayer was originally developed by Daum, but is now owned by Kakao. The video player is the second most popular player from South Korea, giving way to VLC. But don't let this fact bother you. First try installing PotPlayer and see it in action. If VLC didn't have such a "powerful" past, I think PotPlayer would probably become the king of free media players.
PotPlayer
VLC and PotPlayer have a lot in common. They are both all-in-one solutions for users who just want to install something and not have to deal with additional configuration. Everything works right out of the box. But unlike VLC, which can struggle with large files or cutting-edge video formats, PotPlayer always works. If you mainly watch movies and videos in Blu-ray format, PotPlayer is simply irreplaceable.
But if you still want to customize the settings and turn the video player into your own movie theater, PotPlayer will allow you to do this. In fact, it has more settings than even VLC. In addition, there are many additional features such as scene previews, bookmarks, clip recording and much more. Plus, it uses fewer resources than VLC.
Overview of the Benefits and Notable Features of PotPlayer:
- A detailed interface that is sleek and uncluttered.
- Supports most multimedia codecs.
- Supports playback of files, discs, external devices.
- Supports network streaming with most major protocols.
- Improved handling of large files (Blu-ray) and advanced formats.
- Available for Windows only.
Download: Daum PotPlayer (Free)
ACG Player
Now that we've looked at the big three video players, I want to highlight a special video player that can be found in the Windows Store. It's called ACG Player and is one of the most underrated video players. If you think that Media Player Classic is lightweight and does not require resources, I advise you to pay attention to ACG Player.
The first thing you'll notice is the simplified, modern interface and touch controls. The player is aimed primarily at mobile gadgets with Windows Mobile. In particular, for a Windows tablet, this is perhaps one of the most recommended among lightweight and convenient video players. But even on the desktop version the player will not go unnoticed. It has a very impressive list of keyboard shortcuts for control.
ACG Player
Advanced features include gesture settings, multi-window mode, playlist management, online stream playback, and the ability to customize the display of subtitles and animations.
In short, ACG Player is the only video player in the Windows Store that is worth using.
Overview of the benefits and notable features of ACG Player:
- Simple gesture-based interface. Great for tablets!
- Supports most multimedia codecs.
- Supports playback of files, discs, external devices.
- Lightweight and modern design.
- Available for Windows only.
Download: ACG Player (free)
Bomi Player
Bomi is another player that deserves more attention from users, mainly because it strikes the perfect balance between features, convenience and performance. I had no problem running it on an 8 year old laptop. All things considered, it looks great and it works great.
Key features include support for advanced subtitle formats, simultaneous display of multiple subtitles, URL video streaming, hardware acceleration using GPU, unlimited playback history (if you close the video player and start later, playback will continue from where it was stopped), playlist saving.
Bomi Player
Bomi is a free and open source video player. Although the latest updates were made in 2016, Bomi is still relevant for devices two or three years old or more.
Overview of the benefits and notable features of Bomi Player:
- Simple interface.
- Supports most multimedia codecs.
- Supports playback of files, discs, external devices.
- Hardware acceleration for fast GPU playback.
- Advanced features such as subtitle search and unlimited playback history.
- Available for Windows only. Open source.
Download: Bomi Player (free)
What video player do you use on Windows?
Of course, if the main source of video for you is video hosting YouTube, RuTube or social media, then you are not interested in any video players. But if you have DVDs, Blu-rays, downloaded movies or other video files, then one of these video players can come in handy.
My preference among all players is PotPlayer and Media Player Classic, which I have been using consistently for several years now.
What alternatives do you use to watch videos? I would like to hear your preferences. Perhaps others will be interested in learning about this, write your favorite video player in the comments.
ComboPlayer is a multimedia combine that downloads movies for you via torrents, opens files from all audio and video formats, shows online broadcasts, television, images from surveillance cameras, allows you to listen to the radio, create your own media library and synchronize files between different computers. It is noteworthy that you use all functions, except for viewing a few special channels, absolutely free of charge!
For those who need a universal media player, the undisputed solution is KMPlayer, which can be downloaded for free and used for almost all known file formats. Its best alternative is Daum Potplayer. A developer who broke away from the KMP project made almost the same Video Player, only faster and more functional. We highly recommend you take a look.
Another good solution would be to use VLC Media Player, which is perfect for Windiws 10 and Mac OS. It will perform well if you need to play streaming video often and in large quantities. The best program for owners of old computers with sluggish and slow systems is the small Light Alloy player with minimal requirements for PC resources.
Consumers of television and radio shows, and fans of currently popular podcasts will love BS.Player. Its installation will make it possible to play not only recorded multimedia, but also watch analogue or digital TV. If the user does not want to clutter up the hard drive with media recordings, but watches them from the Internet, Real Player Cloud will do an excellent job of playing streaming cloud video. And for those who one day encounter damaged or insufficient video/audio, GOM Player will be very useful.
Those who switched from Apple technology to Microsoft and are accustomed to using the rich iTunes center should try Windows Media Player, a free product from Microsoft. If you are a music lover and are interested in which media players to download for free for your tablet, AIMP is ideal. It is most loved by portable device users.
For novice users who do not need any special frills, but simply want a reliable, simple and stable player that takes up a minimum of system resources, Zoom Player Free is suitable. As they gain experience, they will be able to expand their knowledge and use new player features. And for those who watch videos with subtitles, the fast ALLPlayer will provide great opportunities.
The review did not include several more outdated, but still popular media players. The most noteworthy of them are AVS Media Player and WindowsPlayer, as well as Crystal Player and Kantaris Media Player. Unfortunately, they are inferior to the presented products in terms of functionality or other important operating parameters.
The best video players for playing multimedia files of all formats. You can choose any video player and download it for free to your computer. All downloads occur directly from the official website of the developer.
The KMPlayer
The KMPlayer- a powerful player developed by Korean specialists. It is equipped with functionality, offering the user a solution to many problems. The main advantage is that it supports almost all existing multimedia file formats.
It features an integrated library with various codecs for trouble-free playback. The video player satisfies the needs of any user. It allows you to customize effects as you watch, and also works with multi-format subtitles.
There is an option to adjust the speed, brightness, and contrast of the picture. It is possible to obtain a high-quality individual document. A nice bonus for advanced users is the command line. The player is perfect for both Windows 7 and a computer running Windows 10.
Media Player Classic
Media Player Classic- a multifunctional player that boasts an intuitive interface, useful features and fast operation.
The main task is to play videos and music. The advantages of this utility are the ability to work with multiple monitors and a TV at the same time. It has added all the important elements to read AVI files that have been damaged.
The application stabilizes a shaky picture, delivering maximum comfort to the user. There is an option for taking screenshots during a movie screening. The functionality is expanded through plugins.
Light Alloy player
Light Alloy- an easy-to-use program with a variety of settings. It makes playing video files convenient. The user can scale and position the screen, change the speed, perform frame-by-frame viewing, and also adjust the sound and picture quality.
The application fully supports DVD. It has volume and time controls. Another useful option is creating a playlist, which is very convenient when playing TV series. There is an option to play the video from the moment at which the player was closed.
A unique feature is that the utility can be recorded onto a flash card and used as a “portable” player.
Windows Player
Windows Player- an excellent tool for video files that does not contain an additional set of codecs. It allows you to watch movies, serial films, clips, both on PCs and laptops, and display them on a large TV screen.
The universal player supports 36 video and audio formats - everything that any user needs. There are unique features, including an HQ setting that helps make the image rich and vibrant. Also increases the volume, which is important for films with insufficiently clear sound.
Simple design and fast work make WP one of the most popular among analogues.
GOM Player program
GOM Player- a modern multimedia player that plays almost all known media file extensions. The application from the South Korean developer is available with an interface in Russian.
The program supports all formats without downloading additional components. If a problem occurs, it itself searches for the required codec. Plays even incompletely downloaded or damaged files.
Has a screenshot function. Also supports working with subtitles. It is distributed free of charge and does not require registration.
A convenient video player for Windows Player is an indispensable assistant for any user who decides to spend a free evening watching an exciting movie, wants to distract their children with entertaining colorful cartoons, or maybe just wants to watch an important seminar for work in good quality– without crickets and brakes.
Many PC owners often confuse the new and much more practical and functional Windows Player with the one that is already familiar to everyone. free program Windows Media Player, which is always included with the common operating system.
The similarity of these programs lies mainly only in the name, because the new video player has a huge number of advantages over its outdated brother with noticeably reduced functionality and not so convenient and intuitive controls.
Our website provides the opportunity free download Windows Player for Windows 7 (10). But this does not mean that it will not work on 8 and other outdated versions of the OS. Everything is fine with these versions, and the player is able to play video without installing codecs, which cannot be said about its competitors.
This video player is considered one of the best players of its generation due to the huge number of additional features that were missing in previous releases of this kind of developer programs.
For example, in new versions of the free Windows Player video player you can significantly improve image quality, making even the most faded picture pleasing to the eye. Using a convenient settings system, the user can influence the contrast of colors, add or, on the contrary, reduce brightness and change the saturation of a colorful picture.
In addition, you can enable a special HQ function, which, with just one click, will transform the picture on the screen for the better (pay attention to the screenshot with the girls).
If necessary video player can restart the same file an infinite number of times (for example, if the video made such an impression that you want to watch it again and again). Also, if you wish, you can create your own list of videos for later playback and, in fact, activate the random selection function for playing multimedia data, and simply switch from one file to another.
If you decide to download Windows Player in Russian, then be sure to pay attention - the sound quality on primitive speakers and outdated laptop speakers will be an order of magnitude higher than that of analogues. This applies even to those films that obviously have a bad soundtrack (CAMrip and the like).
User Interface
Another enviable one advantage of Windows Player can be called absolute ease of operation using buttons and sliders. The program interface is completely free of unnecessary and cumbersome control blocks and icons that can confuse even the most experienced user. The developers proceeded from the fact that few people would want to spend a lot of personal time configuring the program, so you can use the player immediately after installing it.
With its help you can easily play videos in the most popular digital formats: CAVS, FLV, AVS, WAV, 3GP and 3GPP, MP4, EAC3, XA, MKV, MPC, MPEG-TS, TTA, M4V, AIFF, DTSHD, DivX, OGG, XMW, XA, TS, DV, VOB, RM, CAF, MPEG, TP, DV, MPC8, M2TS, H.265, FLV, AAC, MPG, WebM, MOV, WV, STR, DTS, AC3, FLAC, MKV, APE, RA, AMR, ASF, MP3, XWMA and WMV.
The video player is perfect for such popular operating systems as Windows 7 and 8, Vista and even good old XP were not ignored.
