Introduction
Finding an all-in-one media player used to be impossible. In the past you needed to use several separate programs to play MP3 files, streaming media from Real, Mpeg files, Quicktime movies, CDs and DVD discs, but with the advent of Microsoft's Windows Media Player (WMP), all of these media types could be played in one player. Over a period of time, however, WMP has become bloated and isn't compatible with all of the available file formats. WinAmp, which began as an mp3 player, now plays almost everything, although it uses a lot of system resources and may contain adware if you aren't careful on the installation. iTunes has become more prevalent on many PCs due to the almost universal reach of the iPod, but it also uses a lot of resources and is processor intensive.
So I've done some major research to find alternative media players capable of playing multiple types of media files, including various digital audio and video formats, CDs, and DVDs. They are also easy to install and use and are light on system resources. Not only do these programs replace WMP, iTunes and WinAmp, but they also exceed their functionality.
Check out Tips and Warnings at the end of this article.
[Doakio Editor's Note: This article was restored from Gizmo's Freeware archives as a service to the freeware community. Gizmo's Freeware provided high-quality, volunteer freeware reviews for decades. They shut down in July of 2021.]
Rated Products
PotPlayer
A powerful media player provides awesome video and audio quality, supports all modern formats and seamless media playback.
License: Free
License: Free
VLC Media Player
An excellent media player with a highly portable framework and works across different platforms.
License: Free
License: Free (Open source)
GOM Player
Plays flv and other media files with internal codecs and its ability to play some broken media files.
License: Free
MPC-HC
An incredibly small program packs a vast set of features and requires no installation on your PC.
License: Free (Open source)
License: Free (Open source)
License: Free (Limited features)
License: Free (Open source)
UMPlayer
A short addition to players using MPlayer as the core with integration of YouTube and Shoutcast.
License: Free (Open source)
Products to be Reviewed
RealPlayer | Light Alloy | QQPlayer | MPlayer WW | VSO Media Player | DivX Plus Player | DA Player | Zoom Player Free | FreeSmith Video Player | ALShow | ALLPlayer | AK-Player
Tested & Not Recommended
- Splash Lite: The Bad: Capture frame, Playback resume and Basic video controls & audio controls only available in the PRO version. Splash Lite just feels like an advertising for its commercial version. No support for URL playback. Doesn't play many files properly. The Good: HD videos playback quality is good, certain broken files plays well.
- Toolwiz Player: The Bad: Nearly everything. No seeking, no right click context menu, a waste of time! The Good: Plays certain files!
Tips and Warnings
- Codecs: Some programs reviewed in this article may require additional codecs for expanded functionality. For more information about codecs, including what they do, legal issues and download links, see this article Understanding Codecs.
- Use Codec Packs At Your Own Risk (especially Mega Codec packs). They are capable of producing software incompatibilities, system crashes and sometimes doesn't let your new media player to play your files properly. In case you want to use one, I recommend using lightweight ones (CCCP, Windows essentials). Read Why Codec Packs Are Bad, Codec Packs Are Evil, Microsoft's Caution.
- Fake Players: Download media players from reliable resources such as the “Get It” links suggested in our reviews. Many websites are offering fake versions of the player.
- Video Renderers: This option is useful especially for PotPlayer and KMPlayer. They include a number of renderers and switching between these renderers may give you better image quality.
- Personally I find that EVR and VMR9 renderless works great for most systems especially for Vista/Win7 (Microsoft.Net 3 framework should be pre-installed in XP to use them).
- For older systems Overlay Mixer might give better performance and clarity. You need to have Haali Media Splitter installed to use Haali Video Renderer. It doesn't work for old video cards though.
- MadVR (Madshi) is a newly released renderer and to use this renderer you should install MadVR filters first and have a fairly powerful GPU.
- Stay Updated: Get beta and stable updates of your favourite media player through e-mail using Altert me! tool at Videohelp.
Related Products and Links
- Installing Media Player Classic – A step by step guide
- Understanding Codecs
- Best Free Music Players and Organizers
- Best Free CD/DVD Burning Software
- Best Free Audio/Video Format Conversion Program
- Best Free Video Editor
- Best Free Streaming Media Recorder
- Best Free Audio Editing Software
- Best Free Screen Session Recorder
- Best Free Digital Image Viewer
- Best Free MP3 Tag Editor