The Best Video Players for Windows (2024) ultimate guide

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Many individuals opt to acquire third-party software for their multimedia needs, and this choice is rooted in practical considerations. This preference arises from the inherent limitations of the pre-installed video and audio players found on most computers, which have compatibility issues with a limited range of file formats. Consequently, relying solely on the built-in video player often necessitates the use of multiple players, each dedicated to a specific purpose, such as one for music, one for DVDs, one for general video playback, and yet another for streaming. The quest for the “Best Video Players for Windows” stems from the need to overcome these restrictions and achieve comprehensive multimedia file support.

You can add plug-ins and codecs to make things work better, but some movies might still not work. All of this takes time and takes up space on your computer, which slows down everything. When picking a video player for Windows, the most important thing is that it can play as many video and audio files as possible without requiring you to download any plug-ins. In this piece, we’ve found the best free video/media players that make it easy to play videos without having to know any codes or fix problems.

Best Video Players for Windows Comparison Table

Product Name	Supported Platforms	Price	Playback Formats	Notable Features	Download Link
CyberLink PowerDVD 20 Ultra	Windows	$99.99	Blu-ray, DVD, 4K, HEVC, HDR	8K video playback, VR headset support, TrueTheater enhancements	N/A
VideoLAN VLC Media Player	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	Almost all video and audio	Can play incomplete, unfinished or damaged video files	Download Now
KMPlayer	Windows	Free	Almost all video and audio	Supports 3D, 4K, UHD, and HEVC, Internal and external codecs	N/A
Zoom Player	Windows	Free (Standard)	Almost all video and audio	Multiple playback options, smart play, customizable interface	N/A
VLC media player	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	Almost all video and audio	Lightweight, simple, easy to use interface	Download Now
GOM Media Player	Windows	Free (Plus $14.99)	Almost all video and audio	Skinnable interface, playback speed control, audio capture	N/A
PotPlayer	Windows	Free	Almost all video and audio	Rich settings and customizations, support for 3D	N/A
5k Player	Windows, Mac	Free	Almost all video and audio	Hardware acceleration, AirPlay support, subtitle downloader	N/A

CyberLink PowerDVD 20 Ultra

Feature	Description
8K Video Playback	Enjoy high-resolution video content.
Dolby Atmos	Immerse yourself in a lifelike audio experience.
TrueTheater Enhancements	Enhance video and audio quality in real-time.
Ultra HD Blu-ray	Play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs on your PC.
VR Mode	Watch 360-degree videos with virtual reality support.

CyberLink PowerDVD 20 Ultra is an all-in-one program that can do more than just play Blu-ray and DVDs. It has the best video playback quality. It will help you put all of your video files in one place.

You will be able to get to all of your videos, songs, and photos anytime, anywhere, and from any device. This material will be available through wireless networks. It lets you play your media without any interruptions, and you can pick up where you left off. You can watch media while traveling. You can watch TV shows and movies on the go.

VideoLAN VLC Media Player

Feature	Description
Wide Format Support	Play various audio and video formats.
Cross-Platform	Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.
Customization	Customize the player with skins and extensions.
Streaming	Stream media files over the network.
Subtitle Support	Easily add and sync subtitles to videos.

There’s no way you’ve never heard of this very famous media player if you have a computer that plays videos and music all the time. The best free and open source video tool to start with is VLC. One could say that this is the best thing ever when it comes to ease of use and comfort.

The media player can play almost any type of multimedia file, including streams, DVDs, Webcams, and music. You can be sure that VLC will be able to play it. You also don’t have to download and install any extra tools to play a video file, since this software can handle any format.

KMPlayer

Feature	Description
3D Video Support	Watch 3D videos with stereoscopic output.
Internal Codec	No need to install additional codecs.
Multimedia Library	Organize and manage media files efficiently.
Screen Capture	Capture screenshots or record video clips.
Mobile App	Control KMPlayer remotely using the mobile app.

KMPlayer is another Windows 10 video player that is free and has a lot of features. We think that because it has so many features, it’s best for more experienced people. With this media player, you can play videos, handle video and audio playback with buttons and hotkeys, and change the video screen and sound with noise reduction and super high-speed mode. Chromecast lets KMPlayer send movies from your PC to your TV without any delay.

This media player lets you watch movies in up to 8K and play DVDs and Blu-rays. KMPlayer also works with a number of subtitle files and has a number of codecs built in. URL playback lets you stream movies from YouTube and other sites. You can then bookmark URL playback. It has great sorting features and lets you make mixes of both videos and music.

Zoom Player

Feature	Description
Smart Play	Automatically selects the best playback settings.
Color Control	Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation.
Zooming	Zoom in/out of video during playback.
Media Library	Organize and categorize media files.
Audio Equalizer	Fine-tune audio settings for optimal playback.

Zoom Player is great for power users who like to have full control over their software. This movie player has hundreds of ways to change how the user interface looks and how it works. There is a keyboard editor that can be set up and complex mouse controls. For an extra fee, you can even turn your Android device into a remote or use your Xbox 360 remote to direct playback.

You can watch music and videos and play DVDs and Blu-rays with Zoom Player. There are also many ways to change how videos and music play. We liked that this media player had a built-in Media Scanner that looked for media on your PC and instantly added it to your library. The Media Library in Zoom Player saves a lot of information about videos, such as the cast, rating, run time, release date, and more.

VLC media player

Feature	Description
Multiplatform	Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.
Streaming	Stream media files over the network.
Playlist	Create and manage playlists easily.
Video Filters	Apply various filters to enhance video playback.
Audio Effects	Adjust audio with equalizer and spatializer.

The VLC media player is a multimedia player that is open-source and works on several platforms. This application can play the vast majority of different types of multimedia files, in addition to Audio CDs, VCDs, and DVDs.

It is possible to view 360-degree videos with a resolution of up to 8K with this. It is one of the finest media players for Windows 10 64 bit and supports a broad variety of video compression algorithms, making it one of the top media players for Windows 10 64 bit.

GOM Media Player

Feature	Description
High-Quality Playback	Enjoy high-definition videos with excellent clarity.
Codec Finder	Automatically find and download required codecs.
Screen Capture	Capture screenshots or record video clips.
Playback Speed Control	Adjust playback speed according to preference.
Subtitle Support	Easily add and sync subtitles to videos.

GOM Media Player is a piece of software that is both free of charge and open-source, and it may be used to play videos. This software is compatible with a very large number of different file formats, including as MKV, MPG, FLV, and AVI, as well as a big number of extra file formats.

It is one of the greatest video players for personal computers, and it gives users the ability to watch 360-degree video. 360-degree video is a specialized form of video recording in which the footage is collected by cameras positioned in all directions.

PotPlayer

Feature	Description
Versatile Format Support	Play various audio and video formats.
3D Video Support	Watch 3D videos with stereoscopic output.
Scene Bookmarking	Bookmark favorite scenes in videos.
Customizable Skins	Personalize the player’s appearance with skins.
Advanced Settings	Fine-tune playback settings to suit preferences

Potplayer is one of the best media players for Windows 10 because it can play any movie format. You can get the most out of what you have because CUDA, Quicksync, and DXVA give you the best speed with the least amount of resources. Also, the Media Player works with different kinds of 3D glasses, so you can use your system whenever you want and still enjoy 3D.

It also lets you flip pages, put them side by side, or put them top and bottom, and it can output in a lot of different forms.
Text subtitles like SMI, SRT, SMI Ruby tags, SSA animation, Blu-ray, and Vobsub can be used with Potplayer. Also, the app is easy to use because you don’t have to worry about loading different codecs in order to use it.

5k Player

Feature	Description
5K Video Playback	Play high-resolution 5K videos.
AirPlay Support	Stream media wirelessly to AirPlay-compatible devices.
DLNA Streaming	Share media files over the network via DLNA.
YouTube Downloader	Download videos from YouTube directly.
Subtitle Support	Easily add and sync subtitles to videos.

Another suggested best video player for Windows 10 is 5k player, which works with DLNA and air lay. The app lets you watch videos in 1080p and 360 degrees. It also has a built-in hardware accelerator that makes it easy to process and watch movies. 5k Player is a tool that lets you organize files, edit files, and share video files with your friends and family.

It has a multimedia library. With Airplay, you can send music and videos from your Mac to your Apple TV and from your iPod to your Mac. As a free video player for Windows 10, you can add to your music collection by getting free music and movies, and you can also convert the videos to Mp3. The app also lets you listen to radio stations like BBC, GOLD, HEART, and others.

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