Which is the best media player for Windows? It is a big question for many PC users. The search for the best media player for Windows is a big task because every player comes with a different set of features. Some players come with pre-loaded codecs and in some, you need to manually install them. Also, some players come with 4K and 5K media player capability and few are them still stuck to the HD playing support.
Media is the most important consumption that you might be using the Laptop or PC. Media Players have been popular in the past as some didn’t support a couple of codecs while some lacked in functionality, while some lacked in the way it presented the features. But in 2018 things are changes, and almost all the Media Payers offers the same feature list. Today let us have a look at the 12 Best Media Players available for Windows, which can help you to choose the best one for your PC.
1. VLC Media Player
VLC from the past couple of years have been the popular media player device. This is a free and open-source media player that is available for all to use. Even in the days when Windows XP was being used, VLC used to provide the most of the codecs so that we can use each and every type of files. In recent times, VLC was able to gain the reputation of the go-to player for each and every file type.
With the same reputation, VLC was forced to force other media players to develop keeping the same thing in the mind. Another main reason for VLC being famous is its fast and snappy design language, even the codes of VLC players are available openly so third-party development is also possible. Since Windows XP the application is available and even on the latest iteration of Windows 10, it works butter smooth.
Its simplicity is the main asset for the VLC. It is pretty fast in the opening and finding the media. VLC Media Player also lets you customize the player according to your preferences. It is considered as the best Windows Media Player alternative with fully packed features.
2. ACG Player
This is the best application in terms of UI which can be classified in the Media Player list. This application is a lightweight media player which have a number of features such as the audio and video effects, music visualizer, art font subtitle, gesture control, etc. If you are using a really old PC then this is for you, and also if your PC is not able to run this lightweight program also there is also another version available named as Ax – Lite.
3. GOM Player
Gretech Online Movie Player is the complete name of the player and is a completely free alternative to the embedded Media Player or the Media Center on Windows. From the start, GOM player was able to play most of the popular video formats. It even came with a number of features such as AB repeat, Media Player Capture, Speed Control, Audio and video effects, etc. There is also an option for changing the skin and more. This app is also available for all the versions of windows.
4. Media Player Classic – Home Cinema
As the name suggests, this media player is a classic media player which have all the classic elements in the UI. This is developed on top of the Media Player Classic which was discontinued back in the days. This version is lightweight and much better to use with respect to the earlier version of the Media player.
5. KMPlayer
This one is the latest of them all and is specifically made for Windows 10. It comes with the ability to stream the videos and audios from online sources. There is also support for 3D, 4K and UHD resolution videos. The KM player can even play the Dolby supported videos. One of the downsides of the player is that it is not available for the older version of windows, though you can install the UI is not completely supported. There is even an option for editing the subtitles in a particular video which is a unique touch to the application.
6. PotPlayer
They have been competing with the top of line VLC and Windows Media player from quite a few whiles, in the recent past, they have been able to overtake them and get in their league. Now PotPlayer is being used by a number of people’s day to commence their daily media work. The application has a number of features and customizations, it also supports CUDA, QuickSync, and DXVA. The hidden truth about the PotPlayer is that it supports even more codecs than VLC and is the true media player to support 99% of codecs.
7. DivX Player
Being written in the best media players for windows when Windows XP and Windows Vista were laying the bricks. It is the first media player to offer support for HEVC playback in free. With HEVC support you can easily enjoy the UltraHD playback without any issue. DivX player is mostly optimized for video files such as MP4, MKV, Avi, etc. The player is also DLNA compatible which makes it in a better place. There is a unique feature named chapter points with which you can jump to the points which you liked in the video to show to your friends.
8. Kodi
If you are familiar with the name XBMC then it is the same just the name is changed to Kodi. This media player is at the top of the customizability list. This can be used on either a laptop or desktop to get the experience of a media centre. Windows Media Player went missing as Windows 10 got updates, and it is just like the Media Center. It is capable of playing most of the video and audio formats, and even have the functionality to use Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, etc on your PC. Do note that Windows Vista and earlier are not supported.
9. Plex
This is an alternative to Kodi and which will clear your most of the doubts, this is also the same kind of media centre, where you can view videos, TV shows, Movies, Photos, personal videos, music, etc. There are even support for hi-fi music and video formats. If you use Chromecast then it does supports the same. With this, you can streamline your video content library and have the fun to watch videos on a feature-rich video player, or you can say a media centre.
10. 5K Player
As the name suggests 5KPlayer capable to play all the different types of media formats, even the top of the line formats which are 5K compatible. The application is even able to fetch videos directly from YouTube, Facebook, MTV, etc and watch them. All the popular formats such as MP4, MOV, M4V are supported. It also helps play music files that are in AAC, AC3, WMA, FLAC and ALAC file formats. It is one of the best media players for Windows with 5K playback support. The application is again not compatible with Windows Vista and earlier.
11. SM Player
This is another application which will help you to play videos on the Windows platform. Mostly all the codecs are supported by this software. This player is also highly customizable which gives you the option to customize it as per your need. Although the stock UI is really easy to use. There are different formats which are supported by software such as WMV, MP3, DVD, VOB, 3GP, OGM, MKV, ASF, AVI, etc. If you are a person who views many different videos in a hurry, then you can directly close the player and go, and it will bookmark to the location you have already watched the video and will resume from the same place. The player is supported by almost all the operating system, but do note that Windows 98 and Windows 2000 have their own limitations.
12. Kantaris Media Player
Kantaris is another open-sourced media player which is based upon the VLC Media Player. Being based on the best of the player it has to be the best again, but the main reason it is in the list is that it even has its own functionalities which are way better than the VLC media player. It gave the most unique UI with two different tabs where on the one you can watch the video, while on the other tab can browse for the next one. You can even play videos from the RAR files directly which gives it a really unique touch. This software is also supported by Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
These are the few of the best Media Players which are capable of rivalling against the Windows Media Player from Microsoft. Which is the best among the 12 according to you, also if you are using any other media player and feel that it is better than the one we have listed then do let us know in the comment section below.