Choosing the best video player for Windows. The best video players for Windows, Android and iOS The best multimedia player for windows 7

Windows Media Player 12

A free media player has been specially developed for Windows OS. Windows Media Player, with which you can enjoy your favorite music, watch videos or view photos. Very simple and convenient control allows you to do all this in one program! The media player can be accessed from the link at the bottom of the page. The player is completely in Russian, offers the richest opportunities. The program integrates with Explorer libraries, supports numerous popular file formats (MPG, ASF, Real Audio, WMA, AVI, WMV, AVI).

Benefits of Windows Media Player:

• to play a file, it is enough to “drag” it to the playlist with one simple movement;
• from the Internet you can download album covers, additional information for songs;
• the ability to record video files or music directly from the program is available;
• connection, synchronization of files with game consoles, portable devices of various types are extremely simple;
• the player allows you to play audio compositions, films, photos in high quality, while special experience is not required to run the program and its individual functions;
• a 10-band, very convenient equalizer is available for users;
• you can use the mini-window mode;
• multimedia files can be cataloged, quick search functions, sorting by date, genres, albums can be used;
• various pre-installed plug-ins are used to improve the signal;
• quality of video, photo files can be adjusted (contrast, brightness, etc.).

Free Windows Media Player It is offered in Russian, its interface is simple, the control is intuitive. The latest version of the player allows you to watch videos, listen to your favorite music, radio and TV shows, and record them on your PC.

Windows Media Player free download

Download Windows Media Player 11 for free for Windows XP and Vista, the download link leads to the official website. We keep track of all program updates to ensure you have the latest version of Windows Media Player.

Let's say unequivocally that using a regular Windows 7 player, despite the fact that there are much better players, is wrong. We advise you to explore what are the best free players for Windows 7 and choose your own music solution and video solution and understand that no standard Windows 7 player comes close.

Top 10 Players

It cannot be said that any player from this list is the best player for Windows 7. Moreover, versatility in this matter is not the best quality. Therefore, we offer you a separate selection of the best video players and the best audio players. And they definitely will not be included, although they enjoy a certain popularity. For more information about the reasons, see this video:

The best video player for Windows 7

Those who want video to work in their browser for Windows 7 need to get . But without you, playback will not work, not only in, but in general on a computer.

The best audio player

Classic Media Player is also a music player, but for those who are looking for a truly best audio player, we recommend that you pay attention to the following utilities:

Option #1 - Winamp

It would be very strange if we were talking about the best audio player, and bypassed . It's not just a player, it's a real legend. a good player for Windows 7, while its interface is familiar to millions of users around the world. Fine sound output settings make this utility not just a music player, but also a powerful tool.

Universal version of a good player for Windows 7

We perfectly understand that not everyone wants to download a separate player for music and separately for video. Therefore, we have identified a leader among universal players. It turned out to be a player.

This utility is available in Russian, and allows you to equally conveniently watch videos and listen to music. Yes, the program does not have the same flexibility as, for example, Winamp, however, the utility allows you to get amazing sound quality without lengthy settings and video that does not slow down.

Alternatively, you can try installing . This is one of the most modern players.

After installing the best player for Windows 7, we recommend that you install and finish improving your computer, laptop or tablet by installing. But to make all this as safe as possible, we recommend installing the best one at the very beginning.

Fans of watching movies in good quality always need the best video player for Windows that works without problems and plays the maximum number of formats.

The standard program, installed by default with the operating system, does not always cope with its task, even with the installation of additional codecs. Therefore, the player should choose another, more powerful and easier to handle.

However, a wide range of such programs can confuse the user of Windows XP, 7, 8 or 10, and in order to better understand them, choose one of several proven and high-quality options.

VLC Media Player

The open source program VLC Media Player provides free features that are equal and even superior to those of the standard Windows player. And its user gets the following features:

• play any audio and video formats;
• include different subtitle formats;
• install the selected design (skin) by freely downloading from the official website of VLC Player.

In addition, when watching a movie, the simplified interface of VLC allows you to avoid annoying advertisements. In addition, most codecs are already built-in and do not require additional time to search and install.

You can download VLC Media Player from the official website http://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

KMPlayer

When looking for the best video player to use on your computer, you should also pay attention to the KMPlayer program, which plays videos quite smoothly and has advanced features for playing DVDs from media or from an image.

Installing new codecs for formats that are not supported by the default application is quick, and image sizes are easily adjusted depending on the aspect ratio of the monitor.

An important feature is the support of all existing resolutions, ranging from outdated and already used only on mobile phones 240p to 4K and even the new Ultra HD (8K).

The playback quality of even the highest quality video will be high - however, only with enough equipment power and Windows 10 or at least 7 installed.

Media Player GOM

A South Korean media player that can be downloaded for free from the web and works not only with Windows 7 and 8, but also with versions of the 1998 operating system.

The original design and logo in the form of a bear's paw is associated with the consonance of the name (Gretech Online Movie or GOM) with the Korean character of the bear gom.

The player supports most formats, including standard video, MKV and FLV. Among the additional features of the program is the control of the speed of video playback, sound capture and screen settings in the desired format.

GOM comes with a lot of codecs and types of design, but if they are not enough, you can download updates using the built-in search function.

MPC-HC

The abbreviation MPC-HC stands for Media Player Classic - Home Cinema. This player is another open source program with the ability to play different types of video files.

It is worth noting that, despite the relative simplicity of the MPC-HC, it is capable of playing large files and even clips of video from Blue-Ray discs - to view the entire video, you will need a more powerful program.

When working with the player on Windows XP, the VMR7 or VMR9 renderer is set in the settings. For later versions, including Windows 8, EMR is recommended. And the presence of a 64-bit version of the program allows you to further improve playback performance.

The MPC-HC is available for download from the mpc-hc.org website.

DivX Player

Using DivX Player makes it possible to watch high-quality digital video with support for all extensions. The free version of the player from the official site provides not only viewing, but even recording video from CDs and DVDs.

The resulting DivX files will allow you to create your own video database.

Although, it is possible to play AVI, MKV, MP4, MOV extensions and even transfer video to other devices, from a TV to a game console (using the DivX To Go function for this).

Digital video can be viewed with all DVD options (menus, chapter indexes, etc.). And, if the movie is stopped in the middle, the FF/RW option restores playback from the same place for any format.

The player also supports connecting other audio tracks to the video being played and viewing damaged files.

SMPlayer

Another good and at the same time also free, like most players for modern operating systems, the player has a simple interface and many built-in codecs. SMPlayer offers a number of interesting features:

1. YouTube support, which allows not only to play videos from this service, but also to view a list of new videos directly from the main menu;
2. Installing subtitles of the desired format with setting their size, color and position on the screen;
3. Adding bookmarks to the movie being played;
4. Search for subtitles on the Internet in order to download them and synchronize with the video sequence.

Official website where you can download SMPlayer for free: www.smplayer.eu

Zoom Player

High-quality program with support for dozens of different formats and playlists. The main functions are the same as the capabilities of the standard Windows player, but if you download and install Zoom Player on your computer, the following is added to the capabilities:

• image color correction and separate subtitles;
• watching DVD using the disc menu;
• changing the screen configuration;
• audio and video filters.

But the main advantage of the player, already expressed in its name, is the scaling of the image in order to remove the stripes from above and below, or simply to take a closer look at what is happening on the screen.

Which option to stay?

The playback versatility found in most modern players allows for easy viewing with virtually any program.

Small differences are only in the installed codecs, which are easily downloaded from the network.

And you should choose the right program depending on your specific requirements - the possibility of simple scaling, changing the format or direct connection to Internet services.

Advice! DFor the player to work properly, it is not enough to install it - the video will not play without modern drivers, which are not always included. And when watching a movie not on a monitor, but on a large screen, you will also need special software for HDMI.

The best video player for Windows! What is he? How to install?

You can watch movies with convenience through the best video player. In this video, we will consider which video player is better to choose.

Playing movies and music has always been one of the main tasks of a personal computer. This became especially true after the oblivion of the latest cassette HVS and a whole generation of DVD disc players. The computer has become a single center not only for work, but also for leisure activities. But, like any digital system, it cannot work adequately without special software, in our case, a video player.

The media player is one of the first essential programs after installing Windows on a PC. Despite the presence of a relatively good standard Windows Media Player, users choose software from third-party developers. There are several main reasons for this:

• more functions and features;
• extended range of readable formats;
• best appearance;
• more convenient control.

In our new article, we'll take a look at the top 10 video players for Windows and help you choose the best one for you.

The first player in our review will be KMPlayer. It was created by individual developers and employees of the PandoraTV video resource located in South Korea. The main feature of the program is its versatility and multifunctionality. It is available for free in two versions for Windows at 32 and 64 bits, on Mac OS, Android and iOS.

The first thing to praise this player for is its support for a huge number of audio and video formats, including: DVD, 3GP, VCD, AVI, MKV, FLV, WMV, OGG, OGM, WMA, MPEG-1,2,4, MP3, RealMedia, QuickTime. Due to the presence of its own set of codecs, KMPlayer does not freeze or slow down when playing media files, and also eliminates the need to look for and install a third-party codec pack.

KMPlayer (64X) is one of the advanced 4k/8k player for Windows with 60 FPS frame rate. Proper and full use of computer RAM eliminates the appearance of jerks, friezes and artifacts on the screen. The standard 32-bit version, on the contrary, consumes a minimum of resources to work correctly on weak platforms.

The program integrates the functionality of the YouTube service with which you can view Internet videos directly in the player and download videos to the PC's memory. You can capture your favorite frame or moment of the video with the function of capturing a screenshot and animation in GIF format.

The appearance of the interface is made in gray and black colors with white text to improve readability. Minimal hiding window frames are informative and do not distract the viewer from viewing. The default theme can be changed to another one from the list of available ones.

Advantages:

• a large list of formats;
• has its own collection of codecs;
• playback in 4k/8k resolution;
• support for reading Blu-Ray and DVD discs with subtitles;
• the player supports 3D video;
• completely free and in Russian;
• There is a version for weak PCs and laptops.

Flaws:

• KMPlayer (64X) is demanding on system resources;

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is a multifunctional player that supports network protocols and modern codecs. It is more focused on active people and professionals involved in streaming or creating servers. The player is published free of charge by the French company VideoLAN.

In terms of the number of supported formats, VLC Media Player does not lag behind competitors. The following video codecs are included in the software by default: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX®, MPEG-4, XviD, 3ivX D4, H.261, H.263 / H.263i, H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC and more a lot others. Thanks to the open source code of the software, the list of features can be supplemented by enthusiastic developers. The program also includes a simple video converter that supports the main formats for conversion.

While watching a movie, you can change display characteristics such as brightness, color saturation, contrast, blurring, and repositioning of the picture. The developers have not forgotten about the subtitles function - VLC Media Player displays subtitles in several languages.

The second purpose of VLC Media Player is to work with the network, namely: receiving and transmitting audio and video broadcasts. With this player, it becomes possible to create an alternative IPTV at home, listen to Internet radio stations, conduct one-way and group streams, or assemble a server for relaying streaming video.

The interface of VLC Media Player is made without any frills and decorations. The controls are reminiscent of those of Windows XP. However, you can make changes to the interface through separately downloadable extensions and open source code.

Advantages:

• availability of music and video codecs;
• free open source software;
• simple video converter with support for major formats;
• support for IPv4 or IPv6 network protocols;
• low system requirements;
• very simple and convenient Russified interface.

Flaws:

• the player's dull appearance is reminiscent of programs from the early 2000s.

Media Player Classic

One of the earliest and most popular programs for watching videos on a computer in the mid-2000s was Media Player Classic. Despite its advanced age, the player still retains its relevance, especially on weak and old machines. Its advantages include ease of management and low system requirements. Along with the regular version, there is a more advanced Media Player Classic Home Cinema with embedded support for 64-bit systems, a large number of supported video formats and a built-in Youtube service client.

Unlike the vast majority of competitors, Media Player Classic has its own set of codecs. Due to the support of hardware decoding, it provides high-quality playback of movies and music in common formats: MP3, MPEG, AC3, DTS, WMA, WMV, AVI, CDA, JPEG, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, MP4, MOV, QT, FLV, mkv. Media Player Classic Home Cinema additionally includes H.264 and VC-1 decoders with DXVA.

The player interface looks like the Windows Media Player of earlier versions, and this has its pros and cons. The advantage is the complete absence of additional settings and the simplest possible management. The downside is the roughness and unsightliness of the shell, the exact opposite of modern trends.

Advantages:

• two versions with support for hardware decoding;
• classic control and appearance;
• plays CD/DVD discs and Flash video;
• supports displaying subtitles;
• in the settings there is a Russian language;
• minimum system requirements;
• free open source software.

Flaws:

• boring outdated shell;
• the developer has discontinued support for both versions.

Light Alloy

The video player with Russian roots Light Alloy is being developed by Vortex Team with the aim of providing each user with all modern multimedia technologies free of charge. It is flexible in configuration, easy to use and can work on the Internet.

The developers have tried to unify Light Alloy as much as possible for the needs of any user. To do this, they supplied the player with a set of codecs for playing video files in AVI, DAT, MPEG, MPG, MOV, QT, 3GP, M1V, M2V, DivX, etc. It is also possible to read content on DVD and Blu-Ray discs.

To ensure the maximum level of comfort when watching movies, the program settings contain options for adjusting the brightness, saturation, contrast. The viewer also has access to secondary settings, such as changing the playback speed, turning on subtitles and 3D mode, and creating a playlist. Along with this, Light Alloy has an IPTV client for viewing streaming video from the Internet, and a plug-in for listening to Internet radio with a recording function.

The player has a mature intuitive interface with the original design of the control panel, which has a timeline for accurate rewinding. Those who wish can change the gray standard "skin" with another option - the developer's website has a large selection of themes.

Advantages:

• the presence of pre-installed video codecs;
• viewing streaming content from the Internet;
• capture screenshots in JPEG format;
• controlled by remote control;
• stylish and easy-to-use interface in Russian;
• there is a portable version without the need for installation;
• very low system requirements and good optimization;
• free Russian-language software.

Flaws:

• the developers stopped supporting the project.

GOM Player

A fairly well-known old-timer among media players, GOM Player was created by independent developers, and later by the South Korean company Gretech Corporation. Among the main advantages of the program are support for a large number of music and video formats, low system requirements, and a unique design style. The player is available for free use as a regular and advanced version - GOM Player Plus.

The main functionality of the program is based on the support of all leading decoders: FLAC, XVID, DIV1-6, DIVX, DX50, MP41-43, H263, DXGM, H264, MPEG1, MPEG2 and others. This enables GOM Player to play video files in the following formats: AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4, WMV, MOV, MPG, M1-2V, VOB, M4V, 3GP, OGG, FLV. This is not a complete list of all readable formats.

A nice feature of GOM Player is its unpretentiousness to the file code. The software is able to play damaged discs or individual files, trying to recover lost fragments. He can even underload clips and movies from the Internet - you will start watching long before the end of the download process. If there is a file with subtitles, the player will start displaying them correctly.

GOM Player is endowed with a practical interface unlike any other. Large buttons stylized as metal and the correct Russian translation make the player easy to use both from the mouse and from the touchpad. It is worth mentioning the possibility of binding keyboard shortcuts to certain functions. This option is especially convenient when working from a laptop.

Advantages:

• multi-format player with codecs included;
• GOM Player Plus supports 64-bit OS and 4K video playback;
• the standard version is not demanding on system resources;
• plays videos in virtual reality and 3D;
• reads underloaded and damaged files and disks;
• original bright interface with translation into Russian;
• free license.

Flaws:

• the developer has discontinued support for the regular version of GOM Player.

PotPlayer

This video player was developed by the South Korean telecommunications company Daum (later Kakao) as an alternative to the well-known KMPlayer. The main differences are in the support of advanced video processing technologies. The program is released free of charge for two types of operating systems with 32 and 64-bit capacity.

PotPlayer is not inferior, and even surpasses its competitor in the number of supported formats and codecs. It implements DXVA video codecs: H.265/HEVC, H.264/AVC, VC-1, MPEG2. Support for QuickSync and CUDA technologies provides high quality viewing of video files in all current formats with the possibility of hardware acceleration due to the resources of the video adapter. The video player recognizes most 3D glasses for watching movies with 3D effects.

The program shows itself perfectly as an audio player, and allows you to fine-tune the sound through a set of audio filters and an equalizer. In the settings, the user can select the sound adapter that will participate in sound processing. Music playback is accompanied by beautiful visualizations in the form of oscillograms.

The PotPlayer interface is simplified as much as possible and does not cause discomfort. Anyone can change the standard view to the preset ones in the theme settings list. There is a Russian translation of the text.

Advantages:

• support for modern video processing technologies;
• built-in DXVA codecs;
• displaying subtitles in different languages;
• makes screenshots and video captures;
• intuitive interface in Russian;
• free software.

Flaws:

• not found.

RealPlayer

RealPlayer is one of the oldest media players that is maintained by developers to this day. Since its release in 1995, it has undergone significant changes, while retaining its main feature - cross-platform and "omnivorous" video player. RealPlayer is published in four versions: Free, Plus, Premium and 100GB.

Multimedia RealPlayer allows you to watch videos and listen to music in all modern formats. In addition to playback, there is a function of direct and reverse conversion of video files (conversion occurs from any to any format). To save videos from the Internet, Real Player has a video grabber that works with leading video hosting sites, including YouTube. Also, the developers left the still relevant function of playing and burning CDs and DVDs.

The program will appeal to professional streamers - you can broadcast and receive streaming video on the Internet, or by connecting an Xbox or SmartTV. Real provides access to its own cloud services by allocating the amount of free space according to the subscription plan.

Outwardly, RealPlayer is no different from the interface of competitors. Despite the high quality of the interface, the developers “did not bring” the Russian language, which is quite rare in 2019.

Advantages:

• support for all commonly used formats of music, video and images;
• the program includes a video grabber and converter;
• Software for streaming from various platforms;
• own web browser focused on the RealCloud service;
• multiplatform player for PC and mobile devices;
• providing a choice of several subscription options;
• RealPlayer Free is absolutely free.

Flaws:

• there is no Russian-language interface.

BS Player

Undemanding but very functional BS.Player was created by Webteh in Slovenia. This is the best option for turning outdated office PCs and laptops into a home (or portable) theater. The developer offers a regular or advanced paid version of Pro with some improvements.

BS.Player has the necessary minimum of codecs for reading movies and music. The distribution itself does not contain a codec pack, however, after installation, the program checks the PC for their presence, after which it offers to automatically download and install the missing components. BS Player works with such popular audio and video formats: AVI, MPEG 1-2, MP3, XVID, MKV, ASF, WMV, M1V, M2V, WAV, MOV, MP4, MPV, OGG, AAC, SWF, M3U, VOB and others. The PRO version additionally plays DVD-video.

BS.Player is capable of playing audio and video broadcasts, such as Internet radio or streams. The YouTube service integrated into the shell allows you to view videos on the resource and save them to your computer's memory (HD quality is available for the PRO version).

Appearance BS.Player has a bright, creative interface unlike any other. You can change the default theme with skins from the developer's site. The program has been translated into the main languages ​​of the world, including Russian.

Advantages:

• low requirements for computer resources;
• good optimization for XVID video;
• add-on codec library;
• playback and storage of streaming video and music;
• equalizer with adjustable frequency bands;
• video decoding to RAM for less system load (in PRO version);
• control from the remote control is possible;
• support for multi-channel audio systems 5.1, 7.1;

Flaws:

• Player PRO does not have any special advantages over freeware counterparts such as KMPlayer or RealPlayer.

Zoom Player

Zoom Player is touted as one of the best replacements for Windows Media Player on a home PC. The developer and publisher of the product is the Israeli company Inmatrix LTD. By tradition, the developer offers us two versions with regular or advanced functionality (Zoom Player Max is paid).

The browser player can work with about 100 different video, music, image, animation and subtitle formats, but the user will have to install the codecs themselves. It automatically plays movies on DVD and Blu-ray discs, opens RAR and ZIP archives, creates and saves playlists in ZPL, B4S, M3U and WPL. For smooth viewing of video in high resolution (2K and 4K), support for DXVA hardware acceleration is implemented due to the processing power of the video card.

The player contains streaming functions, in particular, broadcasting and receiving video on the Internet (similar to IPTV), Internet radio and surfing on video hosts. Unlike the Free version, Zoom Player Max has its own file manager, quick access to the media library and a multimedia file scanner on the PC. One of the main features of Zoom Player is the function of scaling the TV picture, which eliminates distortion and hides frame flaws when viewing.

The player is controlled in three ways: with the mouse, hot keys and remote control. The interface looks lively, colorful, and vaguely resembles the standard WMP of the final versions. In addition to standard controls, the main panel displays sliders for color reproduction, equalizer, channel balance, and others. The appearance and order of the tools are configured through built-in and additionally downloadable plugins.

Advantages:

• one of the best players for home use;
• reasonable consumption of system resources;
• there is hardware support for video;
• many picture quality settings and a 10-band equalizer;
• receiving and transmitting broadcasts from the Internet;
• support for 4K video;
• remote control control;
• there is a Russian-language interface.

Flaws:

• no default codecs.

PowerDVD Ultra

Finally, I would like to consider one of the most powerful home video players for medium performance systems PowerDVD Ultra. The well-known Taiwanese IT company CyberLink has been developing its product since the late 1990s to the present day, positioning the player as a universal tool for reading any format of music and video. The standard cost of a license without discounts is 99€.

The first thing to praise this player is that it supports all certified video, music and image formats: UHD BD, 3D-360°, 360° Video, MP3, AAC, 3GP, AVC, AVI, DVR-MS, MP2, BMP, MKV, MOD, MOV, FLAC, JPEG, MP4, MPEG, MIDI, TIFF, MPV, WMV, ALAC, BD3D, BD/DVD ISO, AC3, HEVC. This is not a complete list of decoder formats that support hardware acceleration, which allows you to display heavy movies in 2K and 4K resolution.

Information processing algorithms allow you to view 3D-360° virtual reality video on a monitor, Smart-TV or through VR glasses without performance drops. Having a system with a minimum performance by today's standards, you will have access to movies on Blu-ray and DVD in high definition Ultra HD. TrueTheater quality enhancement technology will remove noise, picture defects and optimize sound volume. PowerDVD Ultra outputs Dolby and DTS-enabled audio to 5.1 and 7.1 audio systems.

The player works great with TVs, turning them into full-fledged home media centers. This requires connecting your computer to a TV via HDMI and turning on TV Mode when you start PowerDVD Ultra. The user gets access to any movies, TV shows and streams, as well as video hosting (YouTube). Any frame or segment you like can be saved to the memory of a PC or laptop.

Advantages:

• universal codec for working with all current media formats today;
• reading DVD and Blu-ray discs in high quality;
• hardware support for video with resolution up to 4K;
• sound output to multi-channel audio systems;
• output to the screen / TV broadcasts from the Internet, mobile and gaming devices;
• regular updates and technical support;
• Russian-language stylish interface;
• PowerDVD Free Trial is available for free temporary use.

Flaws:

• high price of the product;
• high system requirements.

Summarizing

In our article, we have presented a rating of the 10 best video players for a computer, based only on our subjective opinion. Having a general idea of ​​each program will make it easier for you to make your final choice. To make your choice even easier, we will compare the most suitable options in a particular situation.

For a laptop and a simple computer, Media Player Classic and VLC Media Player are ideal options. The first player performs the basic functions of playing music and video in acceptable quality, and will suit everyone without exception. The second is aimed at advanced users for watching Internet TV shows, broadcasting streams, and “raising” servers.

The optimal home option is KMPlayer and PotPlayer. They are free, and have the maximum set of functions that will come in handy for high-quality viewing of movies in 2K and 4K with support for multi-channel audio systems.

For the majors, we chose PowerDVD Ultra, which is the leader in its category. It is equipped with exclusive audio and video processing technologies not available in free software. However, all this costs a lot of money and requires decent technical characteristics from the system.

According to player statistics Windows Media Player used by more than 30% of users of the Windows system. Microsoft has eliminated almost all the shortcomings in the player, released a huge number of plug-ins, skins and visual reviews for it, which improve the quality of audio / video, the appearance of the player and expand its functionality.

Stay in touch! Windows Media Player can only be used if there is a license for the Windows operating system.

System requirements

• Operating system: Windows 7, Windows XP or Windows Vista (32-bit / 64-bit).