Download Now
What's the top media
player? Opinions differ, but if you mean one that's open-source
freeware, plays more files than the others, can be totally customized
and configured to suit, and is not only updated frequently but also
regularly offers new features and options created by a huge community of
programmers and users, the answer is VLC Media Player.
Our
default media player for years, VLC has managed to stay ahead of the
competition in features and performance, if not always looks, though
that's easy enough to fix if you want to. VLC and its source code are
maintained by the all-volunteer VideoLAN Organization.
VLC is
quick and easy to install. You can make VLC your default media player
for various (or all) file types, but if you just want to try VLC without
giving up your current player, you can skip the file associations. We
clicked the familiar orange-and-white traffic cone icon to open VLC's
famously plain interface, which is also a model of efficient layout
design (and completely customizable, in any case: clicking the skinned
player option in VideoLAN's Start Menu folder opens VLC in a sleek new
view).
Effects? VLC has 'em: Audio, Video, and Synchronization
effects, including a graphic equalizer with many presets; totally
customizable dynamic range compression; an audio spatializer tool;
AtmoLight video effects; interactive zoom; logos and overlays; and even
special effects like blur, wave, water, and mirror effects. VLC's
minimized interface hides the player's controls until you need them, and
a raft of hot keys make it easy to toggle between views and to quickly
access any of VLC's features. Playback quality is as good as it gets.
We've used VLC to play MP3s, WAVs, CDs, DVDs, Flash video, and other
formats. As for support, few programs of any sort can match VLC's Help
files and wikis, and its dedicated community of users, forums and other
online resources.
From myriad file types to playlists to codecs
and video capture, if it's useful to have in a media player, VLC has
probably got it or soon will. VLC plays everything:
Download Now