Multimedia Player Alternatives/substitutes

FormalDaHyde · Joined: Jan 02, 2005 Posts: 1511

Some PC users are totally happy with using Windows Media Player (aka WiMP) and QuickTime and RealPlayer for viewing movie files.
I am NOT one of those PC users:
*WiMP (Versions 9/10) leaves me uninspired.
*QuickTime is way too proprietary.
*RealPlayer {IMHO} is scumware.

I usually don't even bother with media files that are QuickTime or RealPlayer based.
If you wish to not support these 3 players (and their makers); there are FREEware solutions/alternative for each one of them. If you download K-Lite Codec pack (FREEware), each MultiMedia Player alternative can be selected to be installed in your system.
On the other hand, if you wish to experiment with some other MultiMedia programs of the FREEware kind, then you may want to download one (or both) of the following FREEware substitutes:

Quote:

BSPlayer FREEware MultiMedia Player
From the beginning of development of BSplayer six years ago, our aim was to create best media player for everybody. Our continuous efforts paid off and now we can proudly present BSplayer version 1.0. According to download numbers, we estimate this versatile media player is being used by 23 million users around the world, which makes it the most popular media player on the market today. Positive feedback from around the world tells us that BSplayer users are satisfied with our product and we will continue to develop and enhance this player. We centralized distribution and limited it to our official page only, allowing us to collect statistical data and country where users are from. France is on number one, Spain is second and U.S. is third on our list of top downloaders.

New and improved, packed with features, BSplayer is the best media player on the market today. Main advantages of the player are high quality playback, support for wide range of media files and it is low in CPU and memory consumption.

Main features of BSplayer are:
* Support for all popular media formats
* Support for new file formats such as Matroska and OGM with embedded chapters, subtitles and multiple audio streams
* Pan-scan and custom pan-scan option
* Support for multiple audio streams and switching between them
* Support a lot of subtitles formats (MicroDVD, SubRip, Subviewer...), custom subtitles position, color, font, transparency...
* Support switching between multiple (different language) subtitles
* Fast forward and fast rewind option
* Frame stepping
* Frame capture
* Bookmarks support
* Chapters support
* Equalizer
* Multilingual
* Fully skinnable
* Custom aspect ratios
* WinLIRC support
* Almost every action can be assigned to user selected key (even two keys) and different keys can be assigned for full screen and windowed mode
* Every action can also be assigned to WinLIRC button
* Support Winamp DSP plugins
* Multiple audio stream switching
* Command line support
* Playback of incomplete AVI files and locked files (files in use, files still downloading or recording)
* BSI/INI files support and dynamic DirectShow filters loading (so everything can be burned on CD and played without installing anything)
* Plugin support
BSPlayer FREEware Version 1.22 Build 817 program is 2.2MBytes in size and is skinnable.
Download from http://www.bsplayer.org/index.php?p=download&lna=1

Quote:

Imagen FREEware MultiMedia Player
Imagen was initially developed for playing HAV files, later extended to support numerous other media formats. Imagen has a unique capability to play sequentially numbered images like they are a single video file. Image sequences are frequently generated by digital cameras, capture devices, 3D rendering software, etc. Use this player for quick preview before converting your images to more efficient video formats like MPEG, AVI or HAV.
Supported formats:
* AVI, Windows Audio Video Interleaved
* BAY, Bayer Image
* BMP / DIB, Windows Device Independent Bitmap
* FLC / FLI, Autodesk FLIC/FLIC-Pro
* GIF, Graphics Interchange Format
* HAV, High quality Audio Video
* JPEG, Joint Photographic Expert Group
* MOV, QuickTime (not all types)
* MPA / MP2 / MP3, audio MPEG-1/2, Layer I/II/III
* MPEG, Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG-1
* OGG, OggVorbis Audio
* PCX, Zsoft Paintbrush
* PNG, Portable Network Graphics
* PNM / PPM, Portable Image
* RAS / SUN, Sun Raster Image
* RGB / SGI, Silicon Graphics Image
* TGA, Truevision Targa
* TIFF, Tagged Image File Format
* XPM, X-Pixmap
* WAV, Windows Wave Sound
* WMV, Windows Media (not all types)
Imagen Version 2.2.2. program is 1.2MBytes in size!
Download from http://www.gromada.com/imagen.html

My default MultiMedia Player is set for BSPlayer. I am about to start experimenting with Imagen player.
I would like to know what other Gnomes are presently using in their systems and/or any other suggestions and opinions that you would like to share with us.

usasma · Joined: May 06, 2003 Posts: 5007

I'm not really into video or audio - so my choices are:

Windows Media Player 10
Real Player Alternative
Quicktime Alternative

They do what I want, when I want it.

Oh, BTW, I use FoxIt PDF Reader (also free) because it does what I want, when I want it also Smile

yman · Joined: Oct 10, 2008 Posts: 1

I'm using for a while BsPlayer and , in my opinion, is the greatest player because is equipped with a extensive subtitle options which enable the users to watch video content with subtitles from many popular subtitle formats. I got it from [url]here: BsPlayer

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1094 Location: Central FL, USA

I have one customer who is a corporate CEO and has to view lots of different types of "Media" on his desktop PC.

Recently, he had a DVD that was sent to him that he could not view.
I was called in to resolve the problem.
I updated his Windows Media Player to the latest version, then Deleted Quicktime, RealPlayer and a couple of others whose names I can't even remember.
Then I installed the latest version of the FREE "K-Lite Codec Pack".

Problem solved, job done and the DVD is now fully readable.

I use the same "K-Lite Codec Pack" on my own computer and I view, read and play everything that comes along.

So many of those other "Players" are really CrapWare and are constantly trying to access the internet. I can't stand that behavior from any program.

Cheers Mates!
The Doctor Cool

PhotoCarp · Joined: Sep 06, 2007 Posts: 32

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2402

Media Player Classic with K-lite codec pack
QT alternative
British version of Real player - none of the ad nonsense.

On my husband's computer VLC and the K-lite codec pack.

pcrattail · Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 406

Welp I use
.......
Media Player Clasic with KLite
QT Alternative
Real Alternative
..... for my online viewing .... (all found at the same site ..BTW)...

I use the File/DVD/TV Players from Multi-Media-Center from my ATI install
(plays DVDs / VCDs / AVIs / MPGs and TV ).

Those about do it all.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1094 Location: Central FL, USA

Hey Brain!
You still trying to take over the world?

With Media Player 11 and the latest K-Lite Codec Pack,
there is virtually Nothing that can't be viewed.
NO OTHER viewers or players are required.

K-Lite CP is like an AV program, constantly being updated.
So don't load it once and think you're set for life. That ain't a
gonna happen! Rolling Eyes

But after I got onto K-Lite, I was more than glad to uninstall all those other "Players" . They just aren't needed any more.

If you DO use Adobe Reader, be sure to run MSCONFIG after every update and shut off the Adobe Reader Updater..........it gets installed by default when you install any update to the reader program.

Do the same thing when updating Java, Quick Time and Real Player.
They all install an automatic update scheduler in your startup folder.
That qualifies as "Crap-Ware" and should always be DE-Selected so it doesn't run in the background all the time and try to access the internet.

Happy Holidays Everyone!
The Doctor Cool