Softonic review
A hassle-free, easy to use, and free media player
VLC Media Player is a free-to-use, robust, and feature-packed software that plays a wide range of audio, image, and video files. It can play multimedia files directly from extractable devices or the PC. Additionally, the program can stream from popular websites like Disney+, Hulu, Gaia, and Netflix. VLC Multimedia Player also accepts live video from PlayStation Live, Xbox Live, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. While most competing programs display advertisements, VLC Player does not, receiving support from a non-profit organization.
Packed with features and fully customizable
VLC Download is available on various platforms, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and more. As such, you can use the popular media player on several devices. With the simple and clean interface, the platform lets you customize the control panel to give the program a personal touch. You can choose from different skins, depending on your mood and preferences.
What’s the best part about using VLC?
VLC is a feature-packed program, which supports multiple customization options. For instance, you can use the skin editor to create a new look or choose from preset options instead. The application also lets you install extensions for a smoother viewing experience. VLC Media Player can import images from the ‘Photos’ app on your device, and synchronize with the Windows Media Player to display all the files in one place.
Since most users are concerned about privacy issues, VideoLAN has tried to make the app safe and secure. The multimedia player doesn’t use spyware or user tracking to read browsing history, emails, or location. If you’re tired of disruptive ads, lack of privacy, and needless subscription plans, VLC is an excellent choice to enjoy your favorite music, videos, and images on a Windows 10 PC without compromisng.
Does VLC support streaming content?
Most users experience issues related to buffering while playing large-sized video files on outdated media players. AVI files, for example, still need a fast processor to play the file without lags. However, with VLC, you can enjoy smart decoding, which runs videos faster, depending on the complexity of the animation or resolution.
Since the program supports streaming, it can recognize multiple software extensions. You can play files in MKV, FLV, WMV, SWF, and other formats with ease. Other multimedia players usually cause problems with specific codecs. On the other hand, VLC download comes integrated with the latest codec options to ensure a hassle-free viewing experience.
Compared to other software, the program ensures faster streaming to let you watch videos online. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support Cloud, and you'll either need to stream from a popular website or play files from the PC or extractable device. Nonetheless, the overall experience won't be disappointing.
How’s the video quality with VLC?
There are times when a video looks pixelated, pauses every now and then, or plays too slowly. Even when a video file offers great quality, the imaging still looks bad in some multimedia players. VLC, however, solves this problem with its offering of excellent features.
For instance, the many codec options and screen rations available on VLC address issues, like a small WMV or 3GP file appearing pixelated or out of focus on a PC screen. Similarly, other problems that VLC manages to solve is when WMH files don’t work properly in Mac PCs, given their design purpose for Windows Media.
When it comes to MP4 files, you will experience amazing quality with the VLC Media Player. These files are specifically designed for smartphones and PCs. Similarly, MPEG-4, which is the standard format for Blu-ray and DVDs, play easily on the VLC player. The program's ability to support a full-HD screen and ‘Surround Sound’ impacts the entire viewing experience for the better.
Lastly, the MPEG-4 file format offers exceptional video quality on VLC Media Player, so much so that you’ll definitely appreciate the crisp colors, amazing contrast, and excellent graphics quality. Moreover, with the hardware decoding features, VLC will leverage your computer’s processing speed to play videos and movies without lags or crashes.
What are the alternatives?
VLC Media Player has everything you’d need in an all-format multimedia player. However, you still might want to compare other players before settling for this one for your Windows desktop or laptop.
For instance, Winamp is a classic choice for Windows devices. It’s a customizable multimedia player, which has been around for generations. Unfortunately, the lack of updates is quite visible from the outdated interface. However, it’s still available for Android smartphones and Mac PCs, and offers cross-platform synchronization.
Another good option is Kodi, which is ideal for podcasts and video streaming on Windows, Android, and Mac devices. It even has a Personal Video Recorder for live television. The remote interface lets you connect to internet browsers and remote controls.
Last but not least, you could consider GOM Player. If you have an older Windows computer, this will be a much better choice. The program doesn’t take up a lot of system resources and loads video files faster than competing apps. Additionally, it lets you take screenshots and supports subtitles.
A much better choice than other options
The latest version of VLC Media Player is a versatile platform for different operating systems and devices. You can use the program to play videos and audio files conveniently. Moreover, it can reproduce multimedia files and support various codecs. Since the software comes with a simple and clean interface, you'll have no trouble putting it to use.
