Vlc Reader For Mac

Posted : admin | On 29-05-2021

There are a lot of video players out there, but you probably only need one. You might even be able to make do with the one that comes pre-installed with macOS.

But if you are searching for an alternative, there are a few top quality free options that have everything looking for. These apps let you play just about any format you come across, build playlists, grab subtitles, convert files, and even stream from a variety of sources.

The Best Video Players

These are the first apps you should download if you’re after a rock-solid tool for video playback and other media. They’re all free, and they should play most formats you come across. It doesn’t hurt to have all three at your disposal, just in case.

Set up VLC for VLC Remote. It only takes a few steps to set up VLC to work with the VLC remote. You should be able to enjoy using VLC remote in just a few minutes.

VLC Media Player

Is VLC the best media player on the planet6 More VLC Media Player Features You Must Try6 More VLC Media Player Features You Must TryVLC is a media player more powerful than you might realize. Are you using it to its full potential? Here are some pointers.Read More? Possibly. It plays just about everything you throw at it, whether it’s a file, a stream, or a disc image of a DVD or BluRay. Compressed files are decoded using GPU, which takes the strain off your CPU so you can efficiently watch video while performing other tasks.

VLC also includes plenty of advanced features, like the ability to stream to devices across a network or transcode video files to other formats. You can fine-tune your playback using video controls, adjust the speed, correct out-of-sync subtitlesHow to Fix Out-of-Sync Subtitles in VLC Media PlayerHow to Fix Out-of-Sync Subtitles in VLC Media PlayerIt's easy to increase or decrease subtitle delays in VLC Media Player, which can fix subtitles that aren't synchronized properly.Read More or audio tracks, take snapshots, and mess around with video effects if you’re so inclined.

Best for: VLC plays it all and can handle most common video playback tasks. It’s lightweight, and comes with a few advanced features like network streaming and powerful playback controls.

mpv

There used to be a bit of debate over which media player reigned supreme: VLC or Mplayer. The Mac fork of Mplayer, known as MplayerX, recently had malware bundled with its installer5 Easy Ways to Infect Your Mac With Malware5 Easy Ways to Infect Your Mac With MalwareYou might think it's pretty difficult to infect your Mac with malware, but there are always exceptions. Here are five ways you can get your computer dirty.Read More. Another fork known as Mplayer for Mac Extended has since been discontinued, as has the other alternative mplayer2. Fortunately the open source project mpv makes a great replacement.

Based on a fork of the original Mplayer and defunct mplayer2, mpv provides a great alternative to VLC in a sleek package. Open source and completely free, the app includes OpenGL-powered video output, GPU video decoding, and simplified command-line options for power users. There’s technically no “official” graphical user interface, so on-screen controls are a little sparse, as mpv is easy to embed into other applications.

Best for: Lightweight video playback of a vast number of formats, with OpenGL support. The only real alternative to VLC you’ll ever need.

QuickTime Player

I know what you’re thinking, QuickTime might not count as a “universal” video player on the basis that it’s an Apple first party app and lacks the codec support of VLC or mpv. That may be true, but in the right circumstances it’s a surprisingly competent player and comes with a few handy features that are worth keeping in mind.

In addition to playing videos, QuickTime Player can also convert them to formats that are perfect for your portable devices. It’s the quickest free way to make screen recordings on your Mac, and you can even record iOS devices by connecting your iPhoneHow to Record Your iPhone ScreenHow to Record Your iPhone ScreenHere's how to screen record on iPhone with the built-in screen recording tool, as well as some great third-party apps.Read More or similar via Lightning cable.

Best for: Watching videos when you have nothing else installed, recording your screen or iOS devices. Find it in the Applications folder of any Mac or launch it quickly with Spotlight7 Good Habits Every Mac User Should Get Used To7 Good Habits Every Mac User Should Get Used ToToday we're going to share our favourite good Mac habits, while desperately trying to forget the bad ones.Read More.

Also Consider

The players listed above are the cream of the crop, but if you’re dissatisfied you might want to check these out next. Despite being capable players, there are slight issues with all of them as noted in the descriptions below.

DivX

DivX made its name with a simple video codec, and the company’s freemium player is the only on this list which isn’t open source. Fortunately it does pretty much everything the average user would need. The company doesn’t state exactly what codecs the player is compatible with, but it will likely play most files you throw at it.

In addition to playing video the free DivX player also functions as a media server for DLNA-compatible uPnP devices6 UPnP/DLNA Servers for Streaming Media to Your Devices6 UPnP/DLNA Servers for Streaming Media to Your DevicesUPnP devices are able to see and communicate with one another, and one of the best uses for this technology to stream media around the house.Read More, a media converter, and Chromecast-compatible streaming source. You’ll also find the other standard options for playback including playlists, support for multiple audio streams, the ability to resume playback on re-opening a file, and 4K support.

Despite not being a first choice, playback was smooth on even high bitrate 1080p files.

Drawbacks: The free version is limited and includes adverts. It also doesn’t appear to be optimized for Retina displays, despite seemingly still being under development.

Miro

Just like UMPlayer Miro is free, open source, and promises to play a whole host of video formats. It’s also got some interesting extra features like support for converting and syncing with Android and Kindle devices. This converter can also be used to export videos to other formats, including those suitable for (presumably older) iOS devices.

The app favors a unified approach to media consumption. There’s support for streaming services like YouTube and Internet Archive in the app (it’s just a browser window), and you can even buy music within the app. It can also double up as a podcast player and torrenting app, but you probably won’t want to use it for either.

Drawbacks: Works with macOS Sierra, but it hasn’t had an update since 2012. Larger files can cause playback issues. The website also bugs you to donate money on downloading, which is odd considering development seems to have ceased. Not optimized for Retina displays.

UMPlayer

UMPlayer is another free, cross-platform, and open source approach (noticing a pattern yet?) which comes with over 270 video and audio codecs for playing just about everything. That includes a wide array of compressed formats, DVD images, Windows files like .WMV and .WMA, and even YouTube videos.

The app also includes a few niche features like the ability to find and download subtitles for the current file, re-sync subtitles and audio, and a skinnable interface. This particular fork of Mplayer may look a bit dated, but it’ll do in a pinch.

Drawbacks: Though it still works on modern operating systems like macOS Sierra, UMPlayer hasn’t had an update since 2010. Larger files can cause playback issues. It’s not optimized for Retina displays either.

Which Video Player Do You Prefer?

Whether it’s one of the large projects I’ve listed above or a small obscure fork of Mplayer, everyone has an opinion of what the best video player is. So let us know which you prefer in the comments below.

Tell us what your favorite video player for Mac is, and we might just add it to the list.

Image credit: video tape B-Format (DRs Kulturarvsprojekt)

Original article by Steve Campbell.

Explore more about: macOS Sierra, Media Player, QuickTime, Video, VLC Media Player.

  1. Movist the best video player

  2. I totally miss MPlayer OSX Extended (http://www.mplayerosx.ch/) on the list! It's simple, great and is able to create a playlist just like VLC.

  3. I totally miss MPlayer OSX Extended (http://www.mplayerosx.ch/) on the list! It's simple, great and is able to create a playlist just like VLC.

  4. I kind of like Movist...

  5. Yeah I'll also cast a vote for MplayerX. Excellent and fast mediaplayer with lots of features and keyboard shortcuts! Always first priority :)

  6. The windows media player components are just the flip4mac application. Microsoft stopped wmp support for Mac OS X years ago. I doubt the old windows media player for mac will run on a new mac.

    Mplayer didn´t work well on the mac ever.
    There´s a new built 'mplayer osx extended' that is slightly better.

    But the best video player for Mac still is VLC and nothing else.

  7. I use VLC... Best and even better than Perian+QT!

    • VLC is my go-to video program. It's hard to beat.

    • Well, the benefit of Perian is that it adds support to QuickTime which is the Go-To-Tool for everything Multimedia in OSX.
      This means all those files will perfectly play in QuickLook, Cover Flow, etc…

      Personally I switched to Perian a while ago (because I love the clean QuickTime look) and for everything else it's MPlayerX

  8. Perian + QuickTime is just perfect

    • Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check that one out!

  9. MplayerX is also GREAT! I use it every day!

    • Nice! Thanks for the recommendation!

    • it is crappier than smplayer

Although VLC player is free and comes with various features, you may look for a VLC alternative due to problems such as the annoying 'Rebuilding Font Cache' thing and unfriendly UI. Here I list 21 good VLC player alternatives which are even better than VLC. So instead of scouting the Internet for the substitute player, why not pick one from the list? Read on and find out which one suits you best.

Before getting started, you can take a look of the below omnipotent video tool: Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate), which not only converts over 1000 video formats, but also provides a variety of versatile features, including the built-in player that play any video/audio files, video editior customizes your videos as you like, etc.

Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate)- Reliable VLC Alternatives to Play Video Smoothly

  • Convert video to over 1000 formats, including MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, MOV and more.
  • Play any video/audio files within the built-in video player.
  • Edit, enhance & personalize your video files.
  • Burn and customize your DVD with free DVD menu templates.
  • Download or record videos from 10,000+ video sharing sites.
  • Versatile toolbox combines fix video metadata, GIF maker, cast video to TV, VR converter and screen recorder.
  • Industry-leading APEXTRANS technology converts videos with zero quality loss or video compression.
  • Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista, Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6.
Security Verified, 5,942,222 people have downloaded it

Part 1. 9 Common VLC Alternatives for Windows

  1. XBMC Media Center
  2. RealPlayer
  3. KMPlayer
  4. UMPlayer
  5. DivX
  6. BS.Player
  7. GOM Player
  8. Media Player Classic Home Cinema
  9. SMPlayer

1. XBMC Media Center

This freeware program is also open source, combining a ton of formats into one easy to use player. This will play DVDs without having to download codecs, and you can change the playback options easily. Stream videos online, too. You can load XBMC on any number of operating systems, including OSX and Linux. Connect your Android device and use it as a remote control, too. XBMC is on several social media platforms and Wikipedia in case you need any technical assistance.

2. ‎RealPlayer

RealPlayer is a popular media player over the Internet. It supports various popular formats including WMV, WMA FLV, AVI, MP3, MP4, 3GP and more. In addition to this, it can convert your video files into different formats and download streaming content online, What’s more, you can share your clips with friends on Facebook. But if you want to get more features, you should pay $49.99 to get the RealPlayer Plus 16.

3. KMPlayer

Adobe reader for mac

KMPlayer is a free and lightweight media player for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7. The support of a wide variety of music and video codecs makes it a real alternative of VLC player. Besides, you can customize it as you like, for example, you can slow down or increase playback speed, select parts of a video as favorites, do A-B repeats, choose your favorite skins and color schemes, etc.

4. UMPlayer

UMPlayer is an easy-to-use media player. It supports most popular formats. You can also search videos on YouTube, play online TV and radio. Besides, it gives you the option to download subtitles automatically from opensubtitles.org.

5. DivX

DivX is another good alternative to VLC. It can play most popular video formats. Besides that, you can use it to watch streaming videos in DivX, AVI and MKV formats through the web player. It also provides the file converter, with which you can create and backup content or convert them into DivX or MKV.

6. BS.Player

This program is a power sipper, so it won’t tax your processor, but it still has a ton of features. It's capable of playing a wide range of video formats, and it has chapter and subtitle ability. You can even adjust the subtitles to look how you want them to as well as change the languages, even during movie playback. If you are watching a widescreen movie on a 4:3 monitor, you can utilize the pan and scan feature to be able to see the whole thing. Hotkeys are programmable for your favorite features.

7. GOM Player

This freeware player lets you play with the settings to achieve just the right mix for you. Compatible with Windows 8, it gives you back your DVD player that was lost when Windows stopped coming with WMP. You can even load an app that lets you use your Android and iOS portable devices as remote controls. While the program is free, it does come with some additional programs bundled in, so like with KMPlayer, be sure you watch the boxes during installation. GOM can play the major video formats and several of the streaming formats, too.

8. Media Player Classic Home Cinema

If you loved Windows Media Player, this program is for you. Designed to have the look and feel of WMP version 6.4, it’s a good program for DVD playback that doesn’t take up a lot of space on your computer. It does not have any additional programs bundled in, so you can install and go, and it works well on older computers, too. You can customize it how you wish, add toolbars, and zoom in on your favorite film. Not only can you play DVDs but you can also play videos in the common formats like Real Video and AVI.

9. SMPlayer

This program is free, and powerful enough to handle almost all of your videos, regardless of format. It comes with all the codecs it needs bundled in. It has a built-in ability to remember where you left off in a movie, and what settings you were using, so you can pick right up where you left off. SMPlayer is built on MPlayer, so if you’ve used it before, you’ll be familiar with SMPlayer. You can download subtitles for your film, and you can search for and watch YouTube videos on SMPlayer, too. There are cool filters you can test out, and you can change the playback speed in case you’re out of time but you want to finish the movie.

With any of these programs, you can take your favorite movies anywhere with you and enjoy nice video playback and sound. Enjoy!

Part 2. VLC Media Player Replacements for Mac

For Mac, we have shortlisted these 4 alternatives for VLC Player.

  1. MPlayerX
  2. Movist
  3. QuickTime Player
  4. DivX

1. ‎MPlayerX

Some call it as a superior alternative to VLC Media Player.

Features

  • Open source Media Player.
  • One of the easiest ways to control the playback.
  • 1-Click for online video facility available.
  • It detects and converts the encoding method of the subtitle file automatically and seamlessly.

2. ‎Movist

A very powerful name in the MAC, which is a great Media Player and among the favorite for many of the users!

Features

  • It is often called as the real alternative to VLC for MAC.
  • Simple and powerful Media Player for MAC.
  • Simple and straight forward options available for all kinds of adjustment in the interface.
  • Perfect for playing various files, when other media players keep on crashing.

3. ‎QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is currently the default media player. It is, thus, the most familiar Media players for Mac Users.

Features

  • Wonderful compatibility while playing videos from hard disk drive and internet both.
  • Play speed can be set from 1/2x to 3x the normal speed.
  • QuickTime Player allows you to view Internet video, HD movie trailers and personal media in a wide file formats across.
  • Provides the option to view remarkably high quality videos.

4. ‎DivX

DivX player is just another powerful player for Mac, which is used for HD videos playback like all native DivX videos, MKV and HEVC.

Features

  • Easy to use interface.
  • Can also be used as a video converter.
  • Award winning Software.
  • Capable to run internet’s most popular formats, including AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4 and more.

Part 3. 4 Popular Alternative to VLC Media Player for iOS Device

The deeply researched list for 4 popular media players for iOS are as follows.

  1. iMedia Player
  2. Titan Player
  3. Infuse 3
  4. OPlayer Lite

1. ‎iMedia Player

The Media Player that has no ads while playing video. Some of the features are as follows.

Features

  • Allow videos to play at .5x, 1.5x and 2x normal speed.
  • Support for subtitles.
  • Drag and drop of any movie file is great.

2. Titan Player

Another great Media Player for iOS.

Features

  • Doesn’t have any ads while playing Video Files.
  • Facility provided to prevent the flipping while the phones rotates by using a button to lock the screen.
  • Perfect for keeping most private, incriminating and other videos away from everyone’s access.

3. ‎Infuse 6

The best among the players for iOS, Infuse has some of the lovely features, which makes them a great deal for this platform.

Vlc For Mac 10.6.8

Features

  • High-performance playback.
  • Full 64-bit support, which results in approx 20-40% better performance.
  • DTS-HD Audio library available.
  • Networking capability available, thus making this a powerful home media tool.

4. ‎OPlayer Lite

Oplayer Lite is among the great names for iOS Media Players.

Features

  • Boost the Media capability of your phone to a great extent.
  • Stream videos and Audios over internet.
  • Play almost all popular video formats like WMV, AVI, MKV, RM, RMVB, XVID, mp4, 3GP and MPG.
  • It supports Apple Watch.

Part 4. 4 Widely-used VLC Alternatives for Android

Here’s a list of 4 widely-used players for Android device.

  1. MX Player
  2. BS Player
  3. GPlayer
  4. Dice Player

1. ‎MX Player

The most popular choice for Android Users! In fact, this is even on my Phone. One of the best Media Players for Android!

Features

  • Supports all file formats.
  • Motion Controls.
  • Streamlined user interface.
  • Kids lock Option available.

2. ‎BS Player

Another Media Player, one among the top five and serving as a great alternative for VLC Media Player for Android!

Features

Reader
  • Lovely user interface.
  • Kids lock facility available.
  • Swipe and gesture controls.
  • Ability to watch videos in the floating window.

3. ‎GPlayer

One of the best Media Player meant for Android apart from VLC Media Player and MX Player.

Features

  • Wonderful Support for multiple floating windows.
  • Support large number of file formats including MKV.
  • Sync Play feature available, which allows you to watch the same media with your friends over Wi-Fi

Kindle Reader For Mac

4. ‎Dice Player

Flash Reader For Mac

Another great name in the Android Market! Have some of the great and incomparable features, which many other players don’t contain.

Adobe Reader For Mac

Features

Free Adobe Reader For Mac

  • Powerful pack of lovely features and options.
  • It Provides facility to watch media files over the network.
  • It supports FTP, HTTP, Windows Share and WebDAV.
  • In fact, it is a perfect choice for network streaming.

Here’s the complete list of all 21 media players, which can be adopted as an alternative for VLC Media Player. It depends on the choice of the individuals, which one to adopt. The choice entirely depends on the personal preference of individuals. But, choosing the Media Players among them will be a wise decision to make and perhaps the best one to make.