Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo. Streaming platforms are completely monopolizing the distribution of audiovisual content today . However, people continue to download series and movies to watch offline from wherever they are.
If you are one of those who are reluctant to let this way of consuming audiovisuals die, then you must be a player of the players . These are an indispensable tool to maximize the experience of watching offline content.
Some are better than others, but the big advantage is that you only need one and in Windows the options are very varied. In this article we are going to present you a list with the best 20 players for the Microsoft operating system .
Index:
What kind of video formats are there and how can we play them on our computer with Windows?
Over the years, various formats have been developed to integrate audio and moving images into the same file. Currently, more than two dozen formats can be identified, although the most used are still 4 of them, which are:
AVI
This is a format created by Microsoft in 1992 to deal with the MP2 that DVDs used at the time. This idea was intended to provide users with a lighter file that could store higher quality images and that could be reproduced without any physical format. The objective was achieved and this was improved to the point that it remains one of the world references .
MP4
MPGE files are those created by the Moving Picture Experts Group, a group of experts formed by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). The MPGE4 was born in 1998 as an evolution of the classic MPGE2 that was used on DVDs of the time. Like its predecessor, this allowed audio and video to be integrated into the same file, while retaining better quality in a lighter file.
MKV
Matroska or MKV is an independent format derived from a completely decentralized open source project. Its name has its origin in Russian dolls of the same name, since like these, this account inside with more formats that make up your file . While this is a bit heavier than the previous two, it has been a favorite of the film and television industry since 2002.
MOV
He continues to live on his reputation of being the official format of the Apple MacOS QuickTime player , but the reality is that it is no longer used as before. It was launched in 2002 and allows audio and video to be integrated into a file that, although it is of good quality, is usually very heavy. That is why Apple decided to dispense with it and opt for MP4 to share audiovisual content .
* Note: In addition to these 4 formats, there are others such as the FLV, 3GP or WMA , although these are no longer widely used. However, you would like to know that all of them are accepted in the players that we are going to recommend.
What features should the best video player for Windows have?
Before going to the list, we want you to know some features that you should keep in mind to make sure you are downloading the best possible player. So learn what are the essential functions that a quality media player should have .
Multiple formats
To begin, it is important that the player you choose has support to read all the audio and video formats currently available .
Connectivity
There are currently many devices from which we can consume audiovisuals . Therefore it is important that the player we choose can connect with all of them to allow us to enjoy our favorite content from anyone.
Organization
In addition to being a player, it is important that you have organizational features so that it becomes a multimedia center in which we can easily organize and find all our videos.
Streaming
When we are looking for a player, what we want is that it can work offline, but it is also important that this can connect to streaming platforms and can play all its content online . This way you make sure you are choosing a versatile player that will help you with everything.
Personalization
Finally it is important that you can customize various aspects of the player to make it yours. The most important in this regard is being able to change the appearance , as well as creating custom playlists.
List of the 20 best video players compatible with Windows PCs 10, 7 and 8
In this list of 20 players there are all kinds of them, both free and paid . What we can assure you is that they are the best of the best you will get in this operating system.
Media Player Classic
It was the second most powerful player after VLC. It has support for all HD formats and qualities. However, it seems that the project is abandoned since the last update was made in 2017 and there are no announcements of a recent update.
Despite this, it is one of the best alternatives for Windows because it retains interesting features such as its drivers to open DVD menus, or its ability to edit subtitles , the real problem with it is that it has no support for 4K.
GOM Media Player
In addition to having support for all formats and qualities 4K or higher, it allows you to visualize in 360 ° VR, being one of the few and the best currently to do so. However, to enjoy this feature you will have to pay your PRO version license . But don’t worry, in case you don’t, you’ll still have a powerful player that won’t give you problems with audio codec downloads.
ACG Player
If you are looking for a player that gives you more than just a content viewer, this is undoubtedly the best option you have. In addition to allowing you to view content in 4K and have support for all audio codecs , as well as formats, it also has a multimedia editor that you can use to learn basic aspects of the audiovisual edition . It is completely free, although in return you will have to endure a bit of publicity, although this is not very invasive as in other players.
VLC Media Player
This is the one that for many is on the throne of being the best existing player in Windows . This is a completely free open source project that puts at your disposal features of paid players and even better.
To start, you can read all formats and play them in 4K quality , it also allows you to watch videos in 3D and even in 360VR . It has all the audio codecs, especially the most complex ones used in the film industry.
KM Player
A basic player that doesn’t have much to show off but also nothing to envy others on this list. It has everything the average content consumer needs today. To start, can read content in 4K, which will give you the best image quality currently available
It has support for all formats and even allows you to view 3D content. In addition to that, has other special functions such as equalizer to improve audio and all the necessary drivers so you can change the language to dubbing and subtitles in case the file in question allows it.
PotPlayer
PotPlayer is a player that has little time in the market , but also perfectly meets the needs of the average user. The interesting thing about this, beyond the multiple formats it reads and the excellent 4K definition that you can get with it, is the fact that it can be synchronized with the main streaming platforms such as YouTube, Netflix and the like. In addition to being an offline player, this is also an online player, a feature that is quite profitable for the consumer.
Kodi
This is the best multimedia center you can get on your Windows computer. Its player has no waste since with it you can see all the formats in the best possible quality, but the really profitable is its TV Streaming network that has raised so much controversy in recent years .
This is because it offers various channels with content from private television networks. However, it has solved its legal problems and today it is the best you can install on your computer if you really love to consume audiovisuals
DivX Player
A player that goes beyond the ordinary and offers you functions that have no waste. Beyond being able to play all formats in 4K quality , is the fact that you can synchronize with Streaming platforms, so that you can watch online content from it.
This makes it a multimedia center where you can quickly organize and access all your content from a single interface. In addition, also has support for DLNA connectivity, allowing you to link to Chromecast and similar devices .
5K Player
As its name presumes, this player will allow you to view content in the best possible image quality. In addition to this, it has support for viewing all formats, including those that contain 3D images , which puts it in a privileged place on our list.
Parma Video Player
This is another basic player and very simple to use thanks to its intuitive and pleasant design interface. In addition to this it has certain features that make it position itself as an excellent option . One of them are its equalizers for the audio channels of each file, as well as the quality of being able to accelerate and reduce the speed of content playback easily.
RealPlayer
A player that tries to innovate and offer some different characteristics to those offered by others. Therefore, in addition to allowing you to reproduce all existing formats in the best possible quality, it also has the quality of being able to store content in the cloud , so that you can access them from any other device whenever you want . Of course, this is a premium feature that is only available in its paid version of 5Eur , which gives you a total space of almost 400 GB of cloud storage.
UMPlayer
Cooked as Universal Media Player , this player will give you hours of happiness and entertainment thanks to its various functions that will make the experience of consuming audiovisual content from it more enjoyable. Like programs like VLC.
This is a completely free open source project that allows you to play all existing formats currently in 4K quality, as well as those in 3D and even 360 ° VR videos . That without forgetting that it can also be perfectly synchronized with the main streaming platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. In addition, it allows you to change its design by downloading various skins or skins on its official website.