- Video Player Guide
Top 10 Best Video Players for PC
Oct 09, 2024• Proven solutions
We often need video players for our Windows PC, but it is good to get some information about it before installing new software. It is good to pre-rate its performance based on supported video file formats and ease of use.
The article below will help you get detailed information about the top 10 video players that you can use on your PC. They can be easily installed on Windows. By the end, you will be able to choose a video player that best suits your needs.
Content
01 How To Choose the Best Video Player for PC
02 Top 10 Video Players/Media Players for PC
03 Summary. Best Video Players/Media Players for Windows
04 How To Create an Attractive Video To Play Anywhere
FAQs About Windows Video Player/Media Player
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01 How To Choose the Best Video Player for PC
Not every Windows PC has built-in abilities to support certain video formats. Considering this, the internet is bombarded with ready-to-install movie players for Windows. Such variety confuses first-time video player users, for which we provide qualities of a good media player while searching for one:
- Ease of Use: A good video player should have a clean and intuitive interface for everyone. Some players also offer interface customization, such as themes and control layouts. Therefore, if you are a regular video player user, you should consider such easy-to-operate software.
- File Format Support: Another factor you should consider before selecting the software is its format support. Almost all software supports common video formats such as MP4, MOV, MP3, AVI, and MKV. Hence, it is suggested that you get a video player with diverse format support beyond common ones.
- Playback Controls: Look for a video player with playback speed controls and resume playback options. You can also consider frame-by-frame playback and support for multiple tracks. If you have a collection of videos, a player with media library management options would be great.
- Performance and Efficiency: Go for a player that runs smoothly without consuming much RAM and CPU. Plus, it must offer hardware acceleration to ensure smooth playback and HD video support. You can also consider the time a video player for a laptop takes to get started.
- Advanced Options: If you need a media player for professional use, you must look into its advanced features. Based on your needs, choose a video player that can edit the videos like Filmora can. In addition, a good video player can convert file formats, which is a useful feature to consider.
02 Top 10 Video Players/Media Players for PC
After discussing essential factors, it is time to explore available options to choose the best option. Whether you need a feature-rich tool or a lightweight video player offering simplicity, this section covers them all. Discover the best video player for PC to unlock the full potential of your PC’s entertainment library:
1 - VLC Player | 2 - GOM Player | 3 - Pot Player | 4 - Media Player Classic |
5 - MPV Player | 6 - KM player | 7 - AllPlayer | 8 - Real Player |
9 - Miro | 10 - Plex |
1 VLC Player
One of the key players in the media player software industry is the VLC video player for Windows. It’s an open-source, cross-platform media player developed by the VideoLAN project. This video player supports all file formats and can play discs, webcam content, and streams. VLC supports playback controls, multi-track audio, and SSA compatibility.
Best For: Linux and GNU users
Supported Video Formats: Indeo Video v3 (IV32), Sorenson 1/3, MPEG-1/2, Cinepak, Real Video, MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-4 ASP, WMV 3/ WMV-9/ VC-1.
G2 Rating: 4.7/5
Price: Free
2 GOM Player
This video player for Windows allows users to watch videos from 360 degrees by rotating. It boasts a user-friendly interface with customizable skins that show the functions you need. Moreover, it comes with various codecs and a searchable codec library. Users can control the playback speed, loop a movie section, and automatically sync subtitles.
Best For: Playing videos with subtitles and customizable interface.
Supported Video Formats: MPG, MKV, FLV, TS, and AVI.
G2 Rating: 4.6/5
Price: $22/year license (GOM Player Plus Business)
3 PotPlayer
Another name for the best video player for PC is PotPlayer, which is known for enhanced H/W acceleration. It holds compatibility with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 and uses minimum resources for maximum performance. Furthermore, it supports different types of 3D glasses to provide a 3D viewing experience on a PC. It can fine-tune sounds with the help of a built-in graphic equalizer.
Best For: Video customizations with innovative playback controls
Supported Video Formats: MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV, FLV, etc.
G2 Rating: 4.7/5
Price: Free
4 Media Player Classic
For a hassle-free media playback experience, it is the first choice of skilled professionals. Although this tool discontinued its service, it remains the biggest threat to the VLC video player for Windows. The reason is its open-source design, incredible features, and lightweight application. It provides support for all video and audio formats, which can be accessed through third-party sources.
Best For: Watching and listening to any file, no matter what format it is.
Supported Video Formats: VCD, DVD, SVCD, Blu-ray, and DVB TV signals.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: Free
5 MPV Player
MPV is open-source media player software that runs on almost all operating systems. This cross-platform video player strives for minimalism and provides a small controller on top of videos. It has OpenGL, D3D11, and Vulkan-based video output that is capable of many features. With popular high-quality algorithms, it can display frame timings, interpolate, and perform color management.
Best For: Advanced video rendering techniques
Supported Video Formats: MP4, MP3, and MKV
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: Free
6 KM Player
Due to a user-friendly interface, KM player is considered an excellent video player for PC. It is known for playing all video formats, including ultra-HD with 4K resolution. Apart from that, it contains high-quality codecs to provide better video quality. KM player provides full control over playback such as post-processing effects, resizing, and codec configuration.
Best For: Professionals who look for advanced features.
Supported Video Formats: MPG, MPV2, OGV, WMV, MOV, EVO, FLV, 3GPP, AMV, SKM, etc.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: Free
7 AllPlayer
With countless features, this video player for laptops is popular worldwide. The reason is its operational resemblance with mobile devices rather than the traditional Windows environment. Besides, it can download perfectly matched subtitles with the collaboration of subtitles services like Opensubtitles.org. For easy sharing with friends, it generates URL links to media.
Best For: Parental controls and Subtitles
Supported Video Formats: AC3, MPG, 3GP, MP4, AVI, FLV, MOV, FLV, WAV, OGG, etc.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: Free
8 Real Player
Do you want a full-screen theater and uninterrupted cinematic experience on your PC? If yes, this tool will prove worthwhile, as it supports ultra-HD quality videos. Moreover, it can automatically organize your videos with artists' faces on them. Users can browse duplicate videos, remove them, and create video playlists.
Best For: Video library organization and playlist creation
Supported Video Formats: MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, WAV, MKV, etc.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: $4.99/month (Premium)
9 Miro
Individuals consider Miro, an open-source video player that streams movies and shows on TV. It doesn’t require you to install separate players; it can play videos and audio of any format. Additionally, it allows you to download media from Amazon, YouTube, and podcasts. When two Miro devices are under the same Wi-Fi network, they can transfer music and video files.
Best For: Fast torrent downloading.
Supported Video Formats: MPEG, Flash video, AVI, QuickTime, DIVX, etc.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: Free
10 Plex
Technically, Plex is a streaming service with an extensive media collection of movies, TV shows, and videos. It lets you organize your personal collection of TV shows, movies, and new music. With this media player, you can watch media offline and screencast videos on a bigger display. This QuickTime movie player for Windows supports almost all video formats to play.
Best For: Movies, series, and music streaming
Supported Video Formats: AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, DIVX, etc.
G2 Rating: N/A
Price: $4.99/month, $39.99/year, $119.99/lifetime
03 Summary: Best Video Players/Media Players for Windows
Analyzing and encoding all the above information abruptly in the brain is difficult. So, here is a summary of the earlier explained best video players for a clearer picture of the tools.
Player |
Video File Format Support |
Playback Customization Options |
Video Quality Limit |
Pricing |
Video Downloading |
VLC Player |
Indeo Video v3 (IV32), Sorenson 1/3, MPEG-1/2, Cinepak, Real Video, MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-4 ASP, WMV 3/ WMV-9/ VC-1. |
Yes |
8K |
Free |
No |
GOM Player |
MPG, MKV, FLV, TS, and AVI. |
Yes |
8K |
$22/year License (GOM Player Plus Business) |
No |
Pot Player |
MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV, FLV, etc. |
Themes, Skins, and Playback speed customizations |
4K |
Free |
No |
Media Player Classic |
VCD, DVD, SVCD, Blue-rays, and DVB TV signals. |
Only playback speed and keyboard hotkeys |
8K |
Free |
No |
MPV Player |
MP4, MP3, and MKV |
Only playback speed customization |
4K and HDR |
Free |
No |
KM Player |
MPG, MPV2, OGV, WMV, MOV, EVO, FLV, 3GPP, AMV, SKM, etc. |
Personalized player screen and color themes |
4K |
Free |
No |
AllPlayer |
AC3, MPG, 3GP, MP4, AVI, FLV, MOV, FLV, WAV, OGG, etc. |
Adjust colors, contrast, brightness, monitor details, OSD sizing |
4K Ultra HD |
Free |
Download subtitles |
Real Player |
MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, WAV, MKV, etc. |
No |
8K |
$4.99/month (Premium) |
Download videos online |
Miro |
MPEG, Flash video, AVI, QuickTime, DIVX, etc. |
No |
Not given |
Free |
Download videos from Amazon, YouTube, etc. |
Plex |
AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, DIVX, etc. |
Premium users can access multi-color themes |
1080p |
$4.99/month, $39.99/year, $119.99/lifetime |
No |
Edit Video with AI for Video Playing
04 How To Create an Attractive Video To Play Anywhere: Using Wondershare Filmora
It is quite evident that Filmora has all the functionalities to make your videos perfect. Although it has an intuitive interface, the following are steps to guide you in making an appealing video:
Step 1 Create a New Project on the Latest Version of Filmora
Launch Filmora and hit the “New Project” tab from its main interface. As you tap “New Project,” you will access the editing window to navigate towards the “Import” button. Using the “Import” button, bring your content to the media panel to drag and drop to the timeline section for editing.
Step 2 Generate Music With AI by Assigning Desired Parameters
Go to the timeline toolbar, click the “Audio” icon, and select “AI Music” from the left panel. Hit the “Start” button and get the AI music generator screen to choose a music mood. Choose the “Mood,” “Tempo,” and “Music Duration” through their respective sections and proceed.
After assigning parameters, press the “Start” button to get the results on the right side. Later, hit the “Download” or the “+” icons to add video to the video in the timeline.
Step 3 Make the Video Attractive With Filters and Stickers
To make the video appealing, move toward the media toolbar and pick the “Stickers” or “Filters” icon. Next, browse one and click the “Download” icon on your preferred one. Following that, press the “+ (Add)” icon on the filter or sticker to move it to the timeline. You can drag the corner of the added assets to apply it to the specific portion of the video.
Step 4 Export the Video in Your Selected Video Format
Apart from filters and stickers, you can edit and polish videos from various aspects. When you are done editing the video, navigate to the top-right and press the “Export” button. You will get another window to choose the “Format” by extending its list. Finally, hit the “Export” button and get the video in the format you desire.
Conclusion
To summarize, selecting a video player is challenging because of countless choices online. Therefore, this article tries to help by providing comprehensive details of top-tier video players for PC. You can pick one platform based on your needs and enjoy immersive video watching. If you need to create videos, you should consult Wondershare Filmora. It can help you create videos effortlessly with AI features and provides you with high-quality previews.
FAQs About Windows Video Player/Media Player
- What is a video player?
A video player is fundamental software designed to facilitate the playback of digital content. It is used mostly on smartphones and computers to enhance viewing experiences. Video players include playback options like play, pause, rewind, display time, fast forward, etc.
- Is VLC Media Player still considered the leading video player in 2024?
VLC media player is a good candidate in the video player realm but can’t count as a leading one. Although it supports all video formats, it can prove clunky compared to newer media players. Moreover, many emerging video players focus on users' advanced needs, making VLC players an older choice.
- Is there a better video player than VLC?
There isn’t a single better video player, as your needs will determine which one you need. You can look for a player that supports most formats and offers high-quality playback and customization options. In this regard, one can count Pot Player and MPV players as good options. Additionally, using Wondershare Filmora for video editing and previewing would prove worthwhile.
- Are there any benefits to purchasing a premium video player for Windows?
Free and open-source video players offer almost all the core functionalities of media previewing. However, if you need specific features like parental control and subtitle editing, purchasing a premium player is justified.
- How do I determine the best video player for my needs?
If you are confused about determining which platform is better for you, create a roadmap. Consider your needs regarding playback quality, file format support, and media library management. Besides, analyze what level of simplicity you need and which operating system you have. While looking at these needs, you can determine a suitable video player instantly.
- Why do some videos fail to play on my PC, and how can I fix it?
Playback issues on your PC might be caused by several factors, such as damaged video files, compressed video, or a lack of a codec to support the video format. To resolve this issue, update the software, install the required codec, or switch to another video player.
- What is the most common video format used today?
MP4 is among the most common video file formats that balances high-quality videos with small file sizes. Moreover, it is compatible with most OS and online video platforms.
- Does Windows 11 come pre-installed with any media player?
Yes, Media Player is a built-in video player for Windows 11, like Windows Media Player in Windows 10. It was released in 2022 for Windows 11 and supports the preview of common media formats.
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