Which video player is better than VLC?
VLC Media Player, an open-source multimedia player that is free and able to play almost all the multimedia files like CDs, Audio, DVDs and VCDs, has been popular with users in recent years, because it is compatible with all the operating system such as Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS etc.
Nevertheless, some of you might be looking for a few alternatives for VLC Video Player that offer slightly different features. Well, you're in luck because you've come to the right place!
In this post, you're going to learn 6 best VLC alternatives available in the market and how to edit videos easily with VLC's hidden features.
So, let's get started.
- Part 1: Popular 6 Alternatives for VLC Media Player
- Part 2: VLC's Hidden Feature – Basic Video Editing
- Part 3: How to Edit Videos with the Best Video Editing Tool - Filmora Video Editor
Popular 6 Alternatives for VLC Media Player
There are plenty of video players applications swarming the App Store. There are free apps, cheap and costly ones. After comparison, we have selected 6 alternatives softwares for VLC Video Player that are best for you. Keep reading and find out which ones below.
#1: 5K Player
5K Player is a media player created by DearMob Inc. This player has a smooth interface that allows you to play UHD videos with add on features such as AirPlay streaming, downloads, data management etc.
Supported File Formats: 4K, SD, HD, UHD and 1080p with satellite radio and DVD player.
Price:Free
Pros:
- All formats supported.
- Video downloading facility.
- Able to stream videos on mobile with airplay function.
Cons:
- Data collection without consent.
- Might be cumbersome to use for beginners.
#2: PotPlayer
PotPlayer is a media player developed by Kakao, a South Korean company. You can add multiple codecs after installation to PotPlayer to enhance its capabilities accordingly. This player is inbuilt with advanced tools and features that would satisfy most of the customers.
Supported File Formats: CUDA, DXA, 3D output formats, QuickSync etc.
Price:Free
Pros:
- 3D and 360 degree support.
- A lot of skins available.
- Several subtitles format supported.
Cons:
- A loads of advanced settings is quite difficult for beginners.
#3: RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a one of its kind media player that was released in 1995. RealPlayer is a great tool that is versatile and can help you with so many things including copying videos, burn DVDs and CDs with video stream facility. There are many features in RealPlayer and many of them are cool like you can connect your smartphone to your TV and watch your favourite movie without much efforts. RealPlayer is available for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.
Supported File Formats: DVD, VOB, 3GPP, MPEG, MKV and almost all the formats are supported in the paid version.
Price:Free; Plus plan(PC only) for $39.99; Premium for $4.99/mon; 100 GB for $9.99/mon.
Pros:
- You can easily connect it to Dropbox and Chromecast to save your media files.
- The design and interface is fantastic.
Cons:
- There are bugs sometimes.
- The ads are irritating on the free version
#4: MPlayer
MPlayer is an open-source free video player that was developed in 2000 to play videos on Linux when XAnim stopped their development back in 1999. Right now, with major development in the codes, MPlayer is available to use on all the operating systems.
Supported File Formats: Almost all including DVD, RoQ, AVI, ASF/WMA, MPEG, VOB etc.
Price:Free
Pros:
- The shortcut keys are easy to operate.
- The themes are nice.
- There are no outside codecs required to play any kind of media file.
Cons:
- It doesn't support directory playback.
- There is no built-in visualizer.
- There is no such guide on usage and configuration.
#5: Winamp
Winamp is a media player that is most familiar with the kids of '90s because it was developed in the 1990's and since then it never disappointed the users. The best part about this media player is the customizable design that makes it more wonderful and every kid has tried the skins and skins on their very first desktop. It is available for Windows, macOS and Android for now.
Supported File Formats: Winamp supports almost all the file formats including ADI, CDA, FLAC, FLV and much more.
Price:Free
Pros:
- A lot of skins and plugins to choose from.
- The interface is very smooth and simple.
- It supports ample of audio formats.
Cons:
- There are no updates about its development these days.
- The file download file size is heavy.
#6: SMPlayer
SMPlayer is an open-source and free media player that especially attracts Linux users due to its versatility. Some wonderful features could be combined with your audio and video files. The best use of SMPlayer is to use it as projector visualizer where you can see the visuals using a projector.
Supported File Formats: It supports all the media formats including mp4, Mkv, DivX, avi and much more.
Price:Free
Pros:
- Free to use source code.
- There are useful modules such as subtitle search and YouTube integration.
- A lot of filters and effects to choose from.
Cons:
- It shows errors sometimes.
- During installation additional software appears for download.
VLC's Hidden Feature – Basic Video Editing Tips
VLC Player is not only one of the most popularly used media players in the world because, but also has some incredible hidden features like editing videos, o editing MP3 files, zoom video, crop video clips. Yeah! There are a lot of video/audio editing tips hidden inside VLC platform you might be unaware of. Now we will help you to explore some of the most cool features out of this big list.
Creat Video/Audio Effects:
In addition to using vlc to crop videos, you can also use it to creat audio and video effects. To do this, you just need to open VLC media player and hit the Effects and Filters option from dropdown menu. Further, select video effect or audio effect and then creat effects you want.
Rotate Videos
Using the video rotate feature you can easily rotate your video in any direction. Go to Tools and navigate to Effects & Filters, and you would see the options as given below in the image. Learn more about how to rotate a video with VLC Media Player.
Merge Videos
You can easily merge and play video files on VLC media player, however, the format should be the same for all the files that you want to merge. Go to Media and select Open multiple files and you will see the option to add your videos in the file section. After adding the files that you want to merge, go to the options given below in the image and your videos will be merged easily.
If you think VLC's video editing functions are too basic, or you want to know other more advanced and professional video editing software, but you have no idea about it. Then we recommend an excellent video editing software for you - Filmora Video Editor!
Filmora Video Editor
- It is one of the best video editing software designed for both beginners and professionals.
- It can help you to trim, combine, crop, split, add music and text to video.
- It has powerful effect function, you can apply filters, PIP and other effects to your videos.
- Export video to the format you like or to YouTube and other platform.
- ...
Free Download Free Download
How to Edit Videos with the Best Video Editing Tool - Filmora Video Editor
Step 1: Import video files
This is the very first step that you will use when embarking on the process of cropping video files. Adding files will be through dragging them and dropping or using the menu bar to click "+" then "Add files".
Step 2: Edit the video
With Filmora Video Editor, you can split, trim, crop, edit, etc. a video according to your needs. In addition, Filmora can also apply over 200+ stunning video effects, overlays, transitions and filters to your video.
Step 3: Export video
Click "Export" to save the files. You can save the file to specified format, burn to DVD, or upload the file to your social account as you like.
Conclusion
In this article, we read about VLC media player and several alternatives that serve you like VLC but with more features. There are a lot of features that this guide has and we guarantee you that it would be difficult for you to remember all the features that you have just read. It's nothing less than a hidden treasure that you have found today and you can utilize it any way you want.
If you want to try another more professional video editing software, then try Filmora Video Editor! It won't let you down!
Free Download Free Download
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FAQs
The 6 Best Alternatives to VLC Video Player + VLC Hidden Features? ›
6. (VLC Alternative for PC) - Wondershare UniConverter. Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best VLC alternatives for Windows and Mac, which not only supports over 1,000 file formats but also provides a variety of versatile features, including the built-in player that plays any video files in 4K or HD quality.
Is there a better player than VLC? ›6. (VLC Alternative for PC) - Wondershare UniConverter. Wondershare UniConverter is one of the best VLC alternatives for Windows and Mac, which not only supports over 1,000 file formats but also provides a variety of versatile features, including the built-in player that plays any video files in 4K or HD quality.
Is PowerDVD better than VLC? ›PowerDVD is the best choice for a VLC Media Player alternative out of the five we reviewed. It supports an extensive range of audio and video formats, offers screencasting and Blu-ray support, and will play 3D and 360° videos.
What is the video player for Mac like VLC? ›- Elmedia Player.
- QuickTime.
- 5KPlayer.
- MPlayerX Media Player.
- Movist.
- IINA.
- DivX.
VLC supports almost all file formats, eliminating the need to download additional codecs. This makes it a reliable choice for you who frequently use different media files. VLC also allows you to optimize video and audio playback based on the device you are using.
What is the disadvantage of VLC? ›Drawbacks or disadvantages of VLC communication
➨There are challenges to integrate VLC with wifi system. ➨Other drawbacks with VLC system are atmospheric absorption, shadowing, beam dispersion etc. ➨It requires both source and receiver should be in LOS. Hence non-LOS communication is difficult to be achieved.
If you're all about being able to play many formats without issues, VLC is your top choice. However, if you're looking for a friendly interface and easy navigation, 5K Player is best.
Is VLC still the best media player for Windows? ›As for our recommendation, if you are looking for a simple and convenient media player, we recommend you to go with the popular choice, which is none other than VLC Media Player. It is also arguably the best video player for Windows 10.
Is PowerDVD free to use? ›100% secure & free. No payment info required. Click here to restart the download if it didn't automatically start. Once your download is complete, run the PowerDVD downloader to complete the installation.
Does PowerDVD cost money? ›$54.99 $4.58/ mo.
What are the benefits of Elmedia player? ›
Thanks to Elmedia Player you can effortlessly stream your local files to Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TVs, and other AirPlay or DLNA-certified devices. Alternatively, this video player application will receive streaming media with excellence.
Why is VLC not in App Store? ›Unfortunately, due to some licensing issues, VLC player for Mac isn't available on the App Store (although the iOS version is). With a simple Google search you'll find that lots of third-party websites offer you VLC for Mac downloads — but beware!
Will VLC play QuickTime movies? ›Yes, VLC plays MOV files without problems. However, there might be some issues concerning the older MOV files encoded with the Apple QuickTime codec. VLC player might not support these files if you try to open them on Windows.
Why was VLC Media Player banned? ›According to the source, the Indian government said the ban related to third-party groups and “bad actors” interacting with the website and using it to share user data with other countries.
Why is VLC so laggy? ›Change Power Plan to High Performance. Enabling a strict power profile on your Windows computer can cause apps to run slowly. As a result, videos in the VLC media player may lag or stutter. To avoid such performance issues, you can change your computer's power plan to High Performance mode and see if that helps.
What is the safest site to download VLC Media Player? ›VideoLAN.org: This is the official site to download VLC media player for free. CNET: This is one of the trustworthy websites offering the VLC player for free. It provides you the latest version of the software. Softonic: On this website, you can enjoy a free and fast VLC player download.
Is VLC Media Player a security risk? ›But the good news is there is no any reported cases of vulnerabilities in VLC exploited by malicious files or leading to system harms.
Does VLC track data? ›VideoLAN does not collect any data, nor any telemetry, when VLC is being run.
What is the best player to play HD videos? ›VLC is an outstanding 1080p video player for all platforms. Supporting a wide variety of codecs, VLC can easily open video and audio files in formats like MKV, AVI, MP4, MXF, Blu-ray, DVD-Video, VCD, CD Audio, MP3, AAC, and more. It supports playing 1080p and 4k videos, and convert HD or FHD videos with high quality.
Which is better PotPlayer or VLC? ›In short, if you want a simple media player that can play almost anything, VLC Media Player is a good choice. But if you require more advanced features like a screen recorder or 3D support, PotPlayer is the way to go.
Which Android media player is better than VLC? ›
Similar to VLC Player, KMPlayer has enjoyed its status as a popular alternative video player for both Windows and OSX. The Android version features support for various codecs and casting support with much more. This includes direct streaming from cloud storage applications, including Google Drive and Dropbox.
Can VLC play everything? ›Simple, fast and powerful
Plays everything - Files, Discs, Webcams, Devices and Streams. Plays most codecs with no codec packs needed - MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, MP3... Runs on all platforms - Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Unix, iOS, Android ...
As VLC is open-source software, it has a business model that is mostly financed through donations. Of course, not all people donate to such open-source software but, not only individuals donate to such projects but also large corporations.
Does VLC support 4K? ›The VLC Media Player, in its latest version 3.0, comes with better support and capabilities for playing 4K UHD videos. Therefore, the first step to fix VLC 4K media playability issues is to download the latest version of VLC 3.0 Media Player and try it out to watch high-definition videos without any disturbance.
Does CyberLink cost money? ›Users can download a free video editor and use all the premium features found in PowerDirector for 30 days. After that, the premium features are still available to try, you just can't export without purchase.
Is there a free DVD player for Windows 10? ›Free DVD player options are also available. You can download a free trial version of Windows DVD Player to check if it's compatible with your device before you buy it. Select the Free trial button on the Windows DVD Player page in Microsoft Store.
What is CyberLink Media Player? ›CyberLink PowerDVD is a media player for movie discs, video files, photos and music.
What is the difference between CyberLink Power Media Player and PowerDVD? ›PowerPlayer 365 is a lightweight software player on PC that focus on media library sharing and video file playback features. PowerDVD 365 is a disc-oriented fully-packed player that supports not only media file playback, but also video disc playback (e.g. Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD-Video).
Can you rip DVDs with PowerDVD? ›You cannot use PowerDVD Copy to copy music CDs or data DVD discs. Power2Go is a disc-burning program for burning video/photo discs, music discs, data discs, and even bootable discs. The disc copy function of Power2Go is for copying a source disc to an identical duplicated disc.
Can PowerDVD burn CDs? ›PowerDVD 22 40% OFF
To burn an audio music CD or MP3*/WMA music disc, do this: In the new task window, click the Music Disc option and then select the type of music disc you want to create (Audio CD, WMA CD, MP3* CD, WMA DVD, MP3* DVD). The Music Disc window displays. 2.
How much does Elmedia cost? ›
Elmedia Player is available for download from its own webstore, the Mac App Store, and Setapp. There is a free version as well as a pro version. To unlock the pro features (listed below), users will pay $19.99 – unless they are using Setapp, which is a subscription service.
Is Elmedia player safe to use? ›As we've mentioned, today's users will have no security concerns with Elmedia Player thanks to the Elmedia team providing constant updates that both improve functionality and performance to ensure that security features are as up-to-date as possible so the app is always safe to use.
What is the difference between QuickTime and Elmedia? ›QuickTime, on the other hand, has a more limited set of supported audio and video formats. It can play popular formats like MP4, MOV, and M4A, but it may not be able to play less common formats. Elmedia player supports a wide variety of audio and video formats, including MP4, AVI, MKV, and more.
Is VLC a Chinese company? ›The VideoLAN software originated as a French academic project in 1996. VLC used to stand for "VideoLAN Client" when VLC was a client of the VideoLAN project.
Is VLC still banned? ›The VLC Media Player website, which was banned in India, is now accessible for the Indian consumers as the Central government removed the block. The ban was lifted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Why is VLC not closing? ›Open "Run a command" window by pressing Alt + F2 or run the following from a terminal: Try killall vlc to send SIGTERM to all instances of vlc (Tell em to terminate themselves). If this does not work, try killall -s 9 vlc to send a SIGKILL (Tell the system to kill the processes).
Can VLC convert MOV to MP4? ›However, VLC can help you convert MOVs to MP4. Simply launch VLC, open the media menu, and select Convert/Save. You will see a new window where you can add files. You will need to select the Convert/Save option and then choose Video - H.
What video files can VLC play? ›MPEG (ES,PS,TS,PVA,MP3), AVI, ASF / WMV / WMA, MP4 / MOV / 3GP, OGG / OGM / Annodex, Matroska (MKV), Real, WAV (including DTS), Raw Audio: DTS, AAC, AC3/A52, Raw DV, FLAC, FLV (Flash), MXF, Nut, Standard MIDI / SMF, Creative™ Voice.
Why wont my VLC play MOV files? ›As MOV is a container format, some video or audio codecs in MOV files are hard to be recognized by VLC especially on the Windows computer. Based on that, you are highly suggested to convert MOV to MP4, AVI, WMV, etc. to VLC to play successfully on both Mac and Windows computer.
Has VLC been hacked? ›Cybercriminals have been discovered abusing the popular VLC multimedia player to deliver Cobalt Strike beacons to targets in Australia.
Who owns VLC Media Player? ›
VideoLAN is a non-profit organization which develops software for playing video and other media formats. It originally developed two programs for media streaming, VideoLAN Client (VLC) and VideoLAN Server (VLS), but most of the features of VLS have been incorporated into VLC, with the result renamed VLC media player.
Is VLC bad for PC? ›If you have notice, after one hundred percent of volume, the sound quality gets bad and result in distortion of sound. And that will affect laptop's delicate speakers. So, it is OK to use VLC but don't go beyond one hundred percent volume. That will damage your laptop speakers.
Which player is best for 4K video? ›- Top 1. EaseUS RecExperts.
- Top 2. VLC Media Player.
- Top 3. CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra.
- Top 4. Cisdem Video Player.
- Top 5. Kodi.
- Top 6. DivX Player.
- Top 7. GOM Player Plus.
- VLC Media Player.
- Xtreme Media Player.
- MX Player.
- Kodi.
- CnX Player.
- Wuffy Media Player.
Windows Media Player is included with Windows 10 desktop.
Why does VLC keep freezing? ›If your videos freeze, stutter, or are not playing in VLC Media Player, first update the player to the latest version. The updates improve support for new HD codecs, advanced formats, HDR, H. 265/HEVC, 4K & 8K playback, 360-degree videos, VP9 (HD videos at lower bitrates), and others for decoding and encoding.
Why is VLC not playing videos smoothly? ›Step 1: Run VLC, click "Tools" > "Preferences" on the menu bar. Or you can press "Ctrl + P" directly. Step 2: Click the "Input/Codecs" tab, change Hardware-accelerated decoding from "Automatic" to "Disable", and finally click the "Save" button.
Is VLC still a thing? ›VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files, and various streaming protocols.
How can I make VLC play better? ›- Check the File Format. ...
- Disable Hardware Acceleration. ...
- Change Power Plan to High Performance. ...
- Disable In-Loop Deblocking Filter. ...
- Change the Caching Value. ...
- Reset the VLC Preferences. ...
- Update or Reinstall VLC Media Player.
MPC and VLC are excellent choices for a media player. They have their pros and cons, so it really depends on your needs as to which one you should choose. If you need a lightweight media player, MPC is more suitable. If you need a media player with many features, VLC is better.
Is VLC owned by China? ›
So, what's the Chinese connection of the VLC media player and why its users in India really need not fret much. No, the VLC media player is not a China-based software. It is an open source software from France-based group.
Can VLC play 4K? ›The VLC Media Player, in its latest version 3.0, comes with better support and capabilities for playing 4K UHD videos.
What is the best MKV player? ›- #1) PowerDVD.
- #2) AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player.
- #3) VLC Media Player.
- #4) Aiseesoft Blu-ray Player.
- #5) GOM Player.
- #6) Elmedia.
- #7) DivX player.
- #8) PlayerXtreme.
Go to https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html in your computer's web browser. Click Download VLC. It's an orange button on the right side of the page.
What is the best version of VLC to download? ›VLC-2.1.
It had better efficiency and device management support. It fixes around 1000 bugs that were in older versions.
Remember these three letters: VLC. VLC is a free, open-source media player that plays almost every audio and video file format in existence, plus CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray. And you can trust VLC because it has been around since nearly the dark days of the internet, way back in 1996.
What codecs are available for VLC? ›MPEG (ES,PS,TS,PVA,MP3), AVI, ASF / WMV / WMA, MP4 / MOV / 3GP, OGG / OGM / Annodex, Matroska (MKV), Real, WAV (including DTS), Raw Audio: DTS, AAC, AC3/A52, Raw DV, FLAC, FLV (Flash), MXF, Nut, Standard MIDI / SMF, Creative™ Voice.