Do you have a habit of downloading movies and videos and then playing them offline on your computer/laptop? Which video player do you use? Or are you looking for a good video player to play videos on your laptop?
If yes, then don't worry because you have ended up in the right place. This article will give you a list of the best video players for your Windows 10 PC or laptop, these video players are compatible with several other operating systems too, and while covering these video players, we will also answer some of the most common questions about them.
So, let's get started.
What is a Video Player?
Every media player has a different goal. A video player is a type of media player that plays video from various sources like DVD, videos from pen drive, streaming services, downloaded videos in different formats, etc. Many of these video players can also be used to play audio files. For example, VLC can play both audio and video formats. In case you do not want to download any software, then you can also explore online video player available on the Internet these days.
Following is the list of both the open-source (free) and commercial (paid) software that provides video player services:
1. VLC media player
The VLC media player is a free, open-source, cross-platform multimedia player. It is a packet-based media player that plays almost all video content.
Features:
These are the following major features of the VLC media player
-
It does not contain spyware, ads, or user tracking.
-
It provides an interactive zoom feature that allows magnifying into the video during playback.
-
This software can be used on tablets, mobile phones, PC, and more.
-
It allows extracting still images from the video at the original resolution.
-
It provides some filters that can distort, rotate, split, deinterlace, and mirror videos as well as create display walls or add a logo overlay during playback.
-
It supports MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MKV, WebM, and more.
-
It can be installed or run directly from a USB flash drive or other external drives.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
To download the VLC media player, click here.
2. Zoom Player
It is the most Flexible and Customizable Media Player for the Windows PC that uses smart play technology and media formats to play clips instantly.
Features:
These are the following major features of Zoom Player
-
It is easy to switch to advanced mode.
-
It is two players in one.
-
It is very upgraded friendly software.
-
You can install over the previous installation without any stability issues.
-
It is fully scalable.
-
It supports the latest media formats and interfaces including, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV, FLV, and MOV.
-
Its interface is designed for use with five simple keys (up/down/left/right/select).
-
Its simplicity makes it ideal for people to use.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Windows.
To download Zoom Player, click here.
3. GOM Media Player
It is a free and open-source application that is widely used to play videos, even broken AVI files, and also is used to find missing codecs using a codec finder service.
Features:
These are the following major features of the GOM Media Player
-
It supports 360 videos (360VR).
-
It is available on mobile (Android/iOS).
-
It has a user-friendly design.
-
It has the ability to play broken AVI files.
-
It provides multiple media file support.
-
It allows capturing the screen directly from the video.
-
It has several embedded video and audio codecs, so it can play immediately without installing any external codecs.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Windows.
To download GOM Media Player, click here.
4. MediaMonkey
It is software that is widely used for organizing and playing videos. It records and downloads movies and podcasts to enhance video support and playback facility.
Features:
These are the following major features of MediaMonkey
-
It provides unlimited MP3 encoding.
-
It can sync music files with the most portable audio device.
-
It automatically looks for the album name and other metadata.
-
It supports music playback using MP3, AAC, etc.
-
It has support for third-party plugins to extend the base functionality.
-
It plays videos from CDs, a hard drive, or a network.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Android, and iOS.
To download MediaMonkey, click here.
5. Cisdem Video Player
It is a 100% FREE Video Player for Mac that plays just about any media file including 5K and Full HD 1080P video.
Features:
These are the following major features of
-
It plays virtually any video & audio file you throw at it.
-
It plays most codecs with no codec packs needed.
-
It loads subtitle files automatically and adds external subtitles.
-
It can convert and auto-fit video for the output device.
-
It converts video for playing on popular devices.
-
It provides fast speed and high quality without any audio and video sync issues.
-
It allows taking snapshots from playing videos to save as image files.
-
It can play 5K movies smoothly with no jerks & tearing of the video.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Mac.
To download Cisdem Video Player, click here.
6. DivX
DivX is a video media player that allows playing videos like AVI, MP4, DivX, and MKV. It also allows playing UltraHD 4K resolution video.
Features:
These are the following major features of DivX
-
It is easy to access videos from Google Drive and Dropbox.
-
It is an Ad-Free software.
-
It converts and plays videos with DTS-HD audio.
-
One can enjoy theater-quality AC3 audio.
-
Improve the sound quality of audio in DivX Player for Windows
-
It provides additional features in DivX Pro
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Windows.
To download DivX, click here.
7. All Player
As the name suggests it is a media player that is available in numerous languages like English, French, Italian, Russian, and Japanese. It is a cross-platform software that comes with parental control.
Features:
These are the following major features of All Player
-
It automatically downloads subtitles in all the languages.
-
It allows you to search and watch all the movies and TV series.
-
It also provides free internet radio.
-
It can support dual TV or monitor.
-
There is a possibility of reading subtitles by the speech synthesizer.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Android, and iOS.
To download All Player, click here.
8. 5Kplayer
5Kplayer is software that supports 360 videos and 8K videos and also helps in managing video collections.
Features:
These are the following major features of 5Kplayer
-
It supports 300+ free online video sites.
-
It supports hardware acceleration.
-
It enables you to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc.
-
It allows users to stream MKV, MP4, and 3GP clips.
-
It can stream video music from iPhone iPad to computer, or from computer to Apple TV.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, iOS, and Mac.
To download 5Kplayer, click here.
9. SMPlayer
SMPlayer is a free and open-source media player with built-in codecs that can play virtually all video and audio formats and is available in more than 30 languages, including Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian, etc.
Features:
These are the following major features of SMPlayer
-
It doesn't need any external codecs.
-
It remembers the settings of all the files you play.
-
It is capable of playing almost all known video and audio formats.
-
It allows playing YouTube videos or downloading subtitles.
-
It comes with several skins and icon themes, so you can easily change the look of the player.
-
It includes many advanced features like video and audio filters, change of the playback speed, adjustment of audio and subtitles delay, etc.
-
It uses the award-winning MPlayer as a playback engine, which is one of the best players in the world.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows and Linux.
To download SMPlayer, click here.
10. PotPlayer
PotPlayer is software that provides the maximum performance with the minimum resources using DXVA, CUDA, and QuickSync. Also, it supports various subtitle formats.
Features:
These are the following major features of PotPlayer
-
No need to install different codecs all the time when using the player.
-
It supports OpenCodec so users can easily add whatever codecs they want.
-
It helps to bookmark the scene.
-
It supports devices like DVD, HDTV, and TV.
-
It provides smooth, seamless video play.
-
It supports Direct3D9 Ex Flip Mode and Overlay.
-
It previews the scene with snapshots.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Windows.
To download PotPlayer, click here.
11. Plex
Plex is a software that allows you to play TV shows, movies, personal videos, and many more and also helps to share videos with different people.
Features:
These are the following major features of Plex
-
It streams over 130 channels for free.
-
It streams over 20000 movies and shows for free.
-
It allows enjoying Live TV & DVR
-
It scans and organizes your files, and automatically sorts the media in your Plex library.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Android, and iOS.
To download Plex, click here.
12. Elmedia
Elmedia Player is an open-source media player that offers advanced streaming options. It can add different audio tracks on top of your movie clip and provides advanced sound control settings that will not interfere with your other apps.
Features:
These are the following major features of Elmedia
-
Files can be streamed to Chromecast, AirPlay, and DLNA devices.
-
It can fetch the audio track separately from the video.
-
Not only does it offer extensive subtitle support, but it also lets you decide how they will look during playback.
-
It can configure subtitle files to load automatically in your preferred language.
-
It provides an extensive database directly from the player.
-
By the deinterlace option, you can get rid of stripe defects on low-quality video.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Mac.
To download Elmedia, click here.
13. RealPlayer
RealPlayer is software that automatically organizes your video library with the world's first AI-powered media player. It saves time and instantly accesses the precise scenes with the people you want to see
Features:
These are the following major features of RealPlayer
-
It allows downloading videos without streaming.
-
It is a faster, streamlined, and more intuitive UI.
-
It is easy to manage and organize your PC media collection.
-
It can play and burn audio CDs of your favorite videos, podcasts, and music.
-
It converts videos to all popular formats, including videos to MP3.
-
It is easy to find and remove duplicate videos.
-
You can download it in the background while watching.
It has only one supporting platform i.e., Windows.
To download RealPlayer, click here.
14. Kodi
Kodi is a free and open-source media player application that allows users to play and view most videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files from local and network storage media and the internet.
Features:
These are the following major features of Kodi
-
It allows you to install third-party plugins that may provide access to content that is freely available on the official content provider's website.
-
It can play all your music including MP3, FLAC, WAV, and WMA formats.
-
It allows you to watch and record live TV all from an easy-to-use interface.
-
It allows you to completely change the whole appearance of the interface with skins.
-
It works with a number of popular backends including MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR, Tvheadend, and many more.
-
There are Add-Ons for popular web services, applications, and scripts.
-
It allows you to control your media in your way.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Linux, Mac, Raspberry Pi, Android, and iOS.
To download Kodi, click here.
15. MPV
MPV Player is software that has powerful scripting capabilities that can make the player do almost anything. It supports a wide variety of media file formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types.
Features:
These are the following major features of MPV Player.
-
It has an OpenGL, Vulkan, and D3D11-based video output that is capable of many features loved by videophiles.
-
It has a controller to manage the speed of the video.
-
It has a small controller on top of the video for basic control.
-
It can quickly open any clip.
-
It can play high-quality video.
It supports various platforms, such as Windows, Mac, and Linux.
To download MPV Player, click here.
Now, let us try to answer some of the most common questions that often come to our mind while choosing a video media player.
Which video player is best for Windows?
These are the following best video players for Windows:
-
VLC media player
-
Zoom
-
5Kplayer
-
Kodi
-
DivX
-
PotPlayer
Which video player is best for Mac?
These are the following best video players for Mac:
-
Quicktime Player
-
Cisdem Video Player
-
5Kplayer
-
Kodi
-
Elmedia
-
VLC media player
Can I capture the screen from the Videos?
Yes, many media players allow you to capture screens from the video. For example,
Can I watch YouTube videos, Live TV, etc?
Yes, many media players allow you to watch YouTube videos, live TV, etc. For example,
What are the common features of video players?
These are the following common features of video players:
-
It can easily change the skin of this player.
-
It supports MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MKV, WebM, and more.
-
It provides tools to jump to your favorite scene.
Conclusion
I hope from the above article it is clear what video players are, open-source video players (free) and commercial (paid) software that provides video player services, the features of the video player, whether it allows capturing screen from the video or not, etc.
And no you can make a smart decision to choose any video player and use it every day. You can also try multiple if you want to explore different video players.
