I would like to start a topic, perhaps could work well as a sticky for new users, that features reviews based on actual experience of software media players.

I would like to try to keep the list somewhat specific. I'll offer more detail as follows;

1. The player is open-source or free for personal use.
2. The player is not known to force the installation of any form of adware or spyware onto a user's computer.
3. There are no "nag screens" or "pop-ups" that harrass a user to buy some premium version of the player.
4. The player is not crippled. Meaning the player does not restrict full access to all of its features and capabilities to some commercial version that requires the purchse of any sort of license, key, serial, or activation.
5. There is no forced requirement for a user to give any of their personal information during the installation, setup, or use of the player to any public or private business or organization.

I'd like user to offer the following information in their posts to this list, if possible.

1. The name of the player.
2. What the player is capable of doing. i.e. Does it play only audio or only video? Does it play both? Will it play streaming media?
3. Is it a media player only? Does it offer being able to rip CD's, make MP3's, or the ability to convert from one file format to another?
4. A working download for the player.
5. A link to more information about the player in case any forum users would like to learn more about the player.
6. A basic short review of why they like that player over others, and if they know of any bugs in the player and/or possible fixes for them.

Please do not list players that only exist in a commercial format that require the purchase of the product itself or the purchase of a license to use the player legally.

Please do not list any "warez". i.e. don't list a player that is hacked, cracked, or patched to allow the illegal use of its fully unlocked capabilities.

My absolute favorite is jetAudio at:

http://www.jetaudio.com/

Features:

1) Name: jetAudio

2) Plays both audio and video, but does not stream as far as I know. You can play .wmv though, which are often used to stream.

3) Can burn CD's, can convert audio, and can record.

4) Working download and frequent updates.

5) www.jetaudio.com contains all info.

6) This is the fastest player I have found anywhere. Way faster than Microsoft or Quicktime or RealPlayer. Also is able to play virtually any media file extension as well as plug-ins. If not, just find and download the codecs, which I have never needed to do with this program. This program can play even foreign DVD's without the problems that are common to other players ! Also includes internet radio and music visualizers !

Note: There is a jetAudio plus but NO ADS are posted for plus, nothing annoying ! As for crippling, all features above are available, those that are not available are trivial things like Audio Mixing, Audio Trimmer, Lyric Maker, and other relatively useless things. For audio editing I would recommend Audacity, open-source, SourceForge audio editing program located at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Excellent topic. Ok here goes my input:

1. Windows Media Player 10
2. Plays anything and everything, audio, video, streaming video, and if you have the codec, it will play it.
3. You can play, rip, burn, AND convert.
4. http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/2...7/MP10Setup.exe
5. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...10/default.aspx
6. Not much to say about it, just very simple, I dont know of any bugs/glitches. Plays everything, if it needs a codec it will download it. Also if you play a song it will get information about that song(album title, artist, etc etc and you can even click on a link to buy the album). Also no ads or spyware, and there's an option where when you minimize it, you can control everything on the tab, i've included a screenshot.(my fav. feature!)



All the silver(bottom part) is what you see on the tab part when its minimized and you can bring up the extra information about whats playing if you want(the black part) also if its a video it you can make it show the video that small(in the black part).

I don't think there's a "Best Player"... with all in one features.

I use different progs 4 video/audio playback, conversions, etc.

oh I concur!

I use WMP for EVERYTHING.

Wow, someone actually endorses MS products.

JetAudio basic isn't bad, but somewhat bloated and doesn't have MP3 encoding capability. WMP won't play all my formats properly (not to mention I hate $MS DRM crap) so won't touch it except for occasional streaming.

Like CHP, I don't have one particular favorite I use. As far as free players....I like Media Player Classic (hacked/modified version of 6.4 so guess doesn't qualify?), VideoLan Client, Zoom Player and WinAmp 5. However, I mostly use WINAMP 5.08 professional and Zoom player WMV Pro for playing audio/ video respectively. Both use little resources, great plugin support...4.4MB and 1MB downloads respectively, but won't comment further since they are considered "commercial" versions.

Hi,

I would choose

Media Player 10 (read Flyers reply, pretty good description!)

As second Player the VLC Player opens nearly everything.

I agree there isn't a good universal media player... except of Windows Media Player 9 or 10 (this baby has many good things in it but also some bad flaws).

So: I use MPC (this one is unreplaceable), VLC media player (nice and good for DVD playback and video previewing - although MPC does the same thing vey well), BSPlayer for movies and Foobar and Apollo for audios.

I also have trouble settling on one particular player. My current choices:

Audio - Quintessential Player

Web Summary
-----------------
QCD has a fully skinnable interface that covers a powerful plug-in architecture. QCD's flexibility allows it to be as simple or as feature rich as you like. QCD has full support for most audio formats, includes crossfading, gapless CD Audio playback, a powerful batch tag editor, and excellent CDDBv2 integration. QCD incorporates dozens of unique and powerful features to increase the enjoyment of playing your music. QCD is FREEware. It contains NO spyware, adware, or crippleware. Use it, share it, extend it.

My Review: Nice sound quality w/plenty of tweaking features, skins too small for these aging eyes w/some functions difficult to locate.

Video - Zoom Player

Web Summary
-----------------
Zoom Player is a robust Media and DVD Front-End Player. Zoom Player was designed to be simple at first glance while being remarkably dynamic and flexible when used to its full potential. Zoom Player works in two modes. A Media mode which can play any file supported by DirectShow (any file which plays in MediaPlayer) and a DVD mode which uses pre-installed DirectShow DVD filters to play DVD content. While some of the settings may seem intimidating, you can rest assured that the on-line help covers each function in detail. Be it Keyboard, Mouse or Remote Control, Zoom Player was designed for you. Freeware.

My Review: Very nice player but havn't utilized enough to form a sound opinion.


Currently testing - DeepRipper & Media Monkey.

Just started testing - both products are freeware & appear to have nice features.

If I had to choose one player for everything:

1) JetAudio
2) WinAmp

Slim

I'm also going for the "different task = different programms" approach.

Video
VLC - This player is capable of opening everything, except real-streams. Well, providing the codec is installed.

Audio
Foobar - This player is simply slim and it got a whole heap of sensible extensions. If you don't like it's archaic look there a extensions for that too. If you have installed Nero on your PC it can burn audio CD's as well, using the Nero-burningengine.

I'm not sure about the next one. It's a CD-Ripper. I don't know if it's legal to rip the CD's you own in the US. In Germany it is, as long as you don't break a so called "copy-protection". If I'm violating any laws, just delete the following part.

EAC - IMHO simply the best CD-ripper available. It's not actually freeware as the author likes everyone who uses it to send him a postcard, so it's cardware

Maybe not the best, but some interesting alternatives (that's because i don't like to follow the mainstream... ): musikCube (integrated CD ripper) and 1by1 (small&powerful) for audio files and SubEdit Player (great support for subtitles! my fav video player) for video files.

Very nice responses... I think i'd have to agree that there really is no *best* media player for everything. However, I also think that bogging down a system with 10 or more different players is a waste of hard drive space, especially if certain players(i.e. RealPlayer, Quicktime Player), only get used for one or two file formats.

Although it doesn't always do perfectly, especially on handling copy protected or password protected streams, I've found that Media Player Classic + Real/Quicktime Alternatives does pretty well. It also has DVD support without needing any extra software, like WinDVD or PowerDVD. However, it is limited....as mentioned it doesn't handle protected streams that well, and it has no playlist or visualization features....so users who like eye candy players might not like it as much.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli

QCD(Quintesential Player) is another of my top picks. It's free, has a TON of plug-ins that can be used to enhance its capabilities, including support for WinAmp visualizations and DSP plug-ins. It also has a plug-in that allows it to use Sonique visualization plug-ins. For Mac lovers, it also has one of the most authentic looking iTunes skins of most players that i've used. It just takes digging around the net a little to find it.

http://www.quinnware.com/

It seems that a lot of people have been endorsing Microsoft's Windows Media Player 10. I agree it does look nice, and it offers better functionality than their 9 series......but you can ONLY use it with XP or better, you have to block it with a firewall or hack it with an anti-spy program like XPantispy to make it not "call home" to Microsoft servers. Who knows what information is really sent out in those usage/bug/crash reports??

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...10/default.aspx

I also must admit I too find it frustrating to have to go from one player to the next in hopes of eventually finding something on my hard drive that will play some file I find on the net. It seems to me that most of the issue there(since almost any media player supports the popular file types) is that a lot of webmasters are for some reason still using outdated, rare, and obscure file formats.

I actually found a website the other night that played streaming video using the Vivo codec. Vivo is a company that hasn't existed in years! It got bought out by Real, but the RealPlayer won't play Vivo files....how does that make sense? Easy, its another scheme for Real to make more money..they make a Vivoactive player, but their is no trial or free version. The only way you can get it is by spending quite a bit of money to first buy the full RealPlayer and then buy the VivoActive playera as an add-on.

What i'd most recommend, since most websites have a contact info link or page...is that anytime you come across a website that *ONLY* provides their media content in Real or Quicktime or Windows Media format, that you take a few seconds to email their webmaster about wanting them to use a cross-platform file format that doesn't require any commercial player to be able to use.

Done And Done

I'll have to agree with H_TeXMeX_H. I just tried JetAudio and it is awesome. I use it for everything now, except for CD ripping since (as Flyer pointed out first) in doesnt't support Mp3 encoding... but Oh well I use AudioGrabber to rip my CDs, its a awesome completion to this great media player.

My fav is Kaffeine on Linux. It can play all video and audio formats, is fast and uses little resources. BUT... Only on Linux. Would be great if this was converted to Win32.

i currently use a 50meg codec pack in conjunction with real alternative..and all that..... basically WMP 10...it pisses me off though...

i am running twin monitor and draging over 2 secondary monitor stuffs it up 80% of the time!!!

owel...

ne1 know the best program that plays...rm, avi, mpeg/g, and OGM???
that will work on twin screen

Travis

Not sure, but you can try VLC (VideoLAN Client)

... or Zoom Player.

i use MPC very good.it almost support all types!
but it only in chinese version mpc 5
well,vlc is good.

today i also find a chinese/english version.
the latest version is MY MPC 5.05RC1.

My Choice:

1. MPC for viewing allmost every video (mov,qt,rm,mpg...) rather then WMP9 that resource hunger "
2. VLC for those uncomplete movie i d/l for BT/emule/kazaa
3. DVD PowerPlayer for DVD of course but i only recommended version 4 (XP) don't ever try the latest version, it has no improvement of quality (at least in my eye) & it slow down my PC :-/
4. WimAmp (version 2.95) for MP3, i use footbar before & it is good, but i'll stick to the WinAmp 2.xx old version since i'm use to it =)
5. For encoding i use a diffrent s/w CDex (MP3,Ogg,Wav) , WinAvi (MPG, DVD, RM, MOV)
6. For burning VCD, DVD, CD , Nero can handle all my jobs

*ps. newer version doesn't mean better, old version can do all most everytings i needed. New version suck most of the time, u know wat i mean if u are still using ancient PC like me.

Newer version only provide more useless function & more resource hunger & dont tell me it can do 2 thing at the same time for ex. WMP can't encode CD & play MP3/MPG at the same time, u need to use a diff program, so if there were a better s/w that can handle the job better, why we need that funtion? Just my opinion.

Try to use VLC Media Player, all known codecs are included, that means you can play hardly every movie.
It is free, easy to install. It has a simple surface, that means it is what it should be, just a player and not something from space

yes, The BS Player is excelent for multi screen set up, it has a completly seperate control pannel, alot like most software dvd players, it comes with its own codecs, and plays just about anything, it has a free and a pro version, i have been using the free for quite some time and it doesnt have any limitations, or splash screens (it does have a thing that tells you it is bsplayer in the corner for the free player and it also says the name of the command you hit ie. "play" or "stop" when you hit play, stop or some other button, but you can turn these off in the settings so it really isnt an issue) i use this player for broadcast, anouncements, and presentations in my church. it comes off very professional because noone except the video crew ever even knows there is a media player there, and it runs smoothly, it has video speed/picture/color etc control options far superior to windows media player, as well as subtittle support, for forign language films etc. i dont think it's open source at all, so it might not meet the standards this post was looking for but i would say its better than most of the media players that have been posted in here (vlc is pretty good to, but it geeks out on rarer file types and it doesnt have a separated video control pannel so its not as good for multi screen, and windows media player with ace mega codecs pack or some other codec pack can be good, wether its new media player or the classic, but same problems as the video lan player). Hope that helps

K
o
F

Feel sorry for those use QCD ya nice getup but when you install it has adware in it but in there disclaimer sez they dont hmm .. hope ya got anti-spyware for those who use it

My Play of choice i would have to say is Sonique !! by far ahead of its time.. when sonique 2 came out even better.. ya some of ya say there is no site for it anymore but the creators are tryin to get it re-released..
if yall dont know where to go for Sonique and ya are fan .. i got fan site up with the ok of the creators http://members.tripod.com/~ultimtewarrior2.../sonweb2_1.html enjoy

I use a combination of three myself. I have the XP media edition version 2005 OS, so it has a well equipped media player with lots of bells and whistles. I also use Winamp for its ability to change itself in so many ways to your own taste. plugins and skins as well as visualations rule compared to mp player ten. I also have Nero 7 which does a very sweet job with videos and dvds.

Having said that, I think the best one is the Media player Classic with all its built in after market hacks. It is so versatile, it will get music out of a piece of wood, given enough time to find the codec. Lol.

BSplayer has gone downhill since its introduction. So many junky clunkers out there to get in trouble with, good luck if you are still picking one.

Oh yeah, remember you get what ya pay for. Winamp Pro is a sweet deal for the few bucks it cost.

winter

oyeah i have read carefully all the replies and suggestions but i think we have to try the media player 11 wich seems to be awesome....

For me its got to be Winamp or Vlc player which plays almost every format except the .rm or real media ones

Windows media player 11, its realy the best, I love it

Actually, for me, i prefer the cool one.
Winamp n realplayer is too slow to open. Maybe some of u dun care if it is just 4 to 6 second slower
than othe player. But i do.

I prefer WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 11!

It just so fast to open to.
Black design and slightly COOL!
No Pop-up saying u to buy premium versium and so on.
Because its BETA!
Even beta i dun see any lack of it.
And more? Just try it-
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/comm...ediaplayer.mspx

try it! i like it very much!
if i give;
5 mark for mediamonkey,
9 mark for realplayer,
9.5 mark for divx,
then i give 11 mark for windows media player 11!!!!
eventhough the full mark is 20...

one time I use media player to watch QQLive,but it can't play many times,so sad...

Well, i use Media Player and Jet audio to listen songs but for burning, formatting and other these kind of tasks ,I prefer to use Nero Burning.

Hi,
its been a while since my last posts.
Thats why my preferences for a player changed a little.
My favorite one is now the Crystalplayer Pro, for the audiostuff Im using Foobar 2000.
WMP wont play everything I want.

I have been using Windows media player - 10 for audio and video both, its really good. Can't say whether its top of others media players but best for me.

Try to download Winamp it's free..I also use that..


Regards


Albert