Windows Media Player: A Review and its Best Alternatives

Last Updated on 2022-06-15 Chris
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Since we have been using Windows, we know about Windows media player. In our early days, we often tried Windows media player to watch movies or listen to music. A Windows media player download is needed for entertainment in the older version of Windows. Windows media player is our central point of discussion in today's blog, and we will let you know about the best alternatives as well.

Windows media player is a multimedia software that allows you to watch videos and movies using it. Windows media player download is a simple process, and if your computer does not have a pre-installed Windows media player, you can go for the download. Media player for Windows 10 was a great hit as, without much hassle, you can easily enable Windows media player to your computer to watch videos. After its launch, users have experienced Windows media player update, and in every update, users have gone through a new feature that enriches the watching trail.

We will discuss in detail the Windows media player. Keep scrolling!

What is a Windows media player?

what is windows media player

Windows media player is a multimedia software that allows you to watch videos and movies on your computer once you download it. As it's a Windows media player, it is compatible with all the latest versions of Windows, and Windows 10 media player comes with it as included feature. Users need to enable the feature to access the media player for Windows 10.

The features of the Windows media player

The features are added with Windows media player update, and every new specification made it what it is today. Let's check them out.

  • It supports various video formats
  • It has library functions
  • It offers a core playback option
  • It offers disc burning and ripping functions
  • It has a portable device sync option
  • It offers shell integration

Which file formats does Windows media player support?

Windows media player is a simple multimedia software that offers a limited video watching experience. It supports limited file formats such as AVI, MOV, Xvid, DivX, etc. Listening to audio supports WMV, AAC, 3GP, WMA, etc. With the latest Windows update, you do not need codecs for Windows media player.

Windows media player download process

The latest version of Windows media player is called Windows media player 12. Windows media player can be accessed from Windows devices. In Windows 10, the media player is included, and you need to enable the function following a few clicks. Let's look at how you can install Windows media player 12 on Windows 10 computers.

Follow the clicks: Tap on Start button > tap on Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Manage Optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media player > click on Install.

Windows media player is a free media player for Windows 10, including Windows 10.

Though it is not that advanced software like its competitors, it has drawbacks. Among them, Windows media player won't play DVD is mostly raised issue by users and ask why does my DVD not play on Windows media player?

The answer is Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro does not have a DVD play option. But Windows 10 PC comes with an optical disc drive to play DVD. If your PC does not have the facility, you can buy it from the Microsoft store.

Additional tip: Windows 10 PC can read DVDs with the help of an optical disc drive. But it is not compatible with Blu-ray.

At present, users do not use software with such drawbacks. Especially when advanced media players are available at your fingertip, let's know the best alternatives of the Windows media player to enjoy every bit of entertainment at your convenient place.

The top 5 alternatives of Windows media player

PlayerFab All-in-One

If you're searching to use an advanced media player equipped with all the features you want, PlayerFab All in One could be the best option for you. It offers all the technologically high-end features that make watching videos or movies more exciting and quality time spent.

The Features of PlayerFab All in One

  • It can read local videos, DVD, blu ray, UHD disc, and various streaming videos
  • It provides FHD 1080p video quality and EAC3 audio quality
  • It supports multiple kinds of video and audio format with ease, including 4k UHD in HDR10 effect
  • It has Hi-Res audio output support and exceeds up to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
  • It supports 3D playback for 3D content.

Price: It cost $169.99. But if you're an existing Pro user of Dvdfab, then you'll get the package at $69. A free download option is available.

Pros

  • You can skip ads during the playback
  • You can manage your local library
  • It can backup and import DVD and blu ray to your library
  • It has GPU acceleration that supports hardware decoding of AMD, IQS, and NVIDIA CUDA

Con

  • Users have been enjoying the media player, and we haven't received any issues from them

VLC media player

windows media player vlc media player

The VLC media player is an open-source multimedia player that supports various file formats. VLC media player for Windows 10 enables you to watch movies and listen to your favorite music. VLC is available for Windows, macOS X, Linux BeOS, etc. And it's also supportive for Android phones and tablets. DVD VLC media player for Windows 10 also supports Blu ray.

The Features of VLC media player

  • You can use VLC as a video downloader for YouTube-like social media
  • It works as a video converter
  • It can play internet Radio and Podcasts
  • It functions as a graphic Equalizer for your music
  • You can activate audio normalization if you prefer slow and soft music

Price: It's free, but you can donate $5 to support them

Pros

  • It offers the features that suit your needs
  • You can connect it to a video stream
  • You can operate and control through keyboard shortcuts

Cons

  • Without opening the folder, you cannot play songs
  • It doesn't provide to customize program's interface

Kodi

windows media player kodi

Kodi is a great free and open-source home theater cum media player software. It supports various devices. With Kodi, you can play all the popular audio, video, internet radio, and TV shows. You can access a third-party add-on to watch video channel movies etc., for free and paid, both modes without commercial break. It's a free media player for Windows 10 users.

The features of Kodi

  • It supports music playback formats like FLAC, mpc, wav, and Video Playback
  • It offers 1080p full HD resolution to view movies and videos
  • It has superior video codecs for movie playback
  • It offers an extended library management option
  • It provides a picture slideshow, audio visualization, and custom skin for a great watching experience

Price: It's free

Pros

  • You can add videos from YouTube
  • You can track your movie database and TV shows
  • You can create your own custom list of videos

Cons

  • It asks tags to play your song
  • It has privacy and security issue

5k Player

windows media player download 5k player

It's a powerful media player that supports downloading online videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc. It has a built-in video editor to cut, join, or merge video clips like basic editing of the videos. It supports several video and audio file formats, and it offers an equalizer to adjust the soundtrack.

The Features of 5k Player

  • It supports the majority of popular video and audio file formats
  • It supports downloading videos from various social media platforms
  • Its built-in video editor provides basic editing options
  • You can apply special effects or remove a few parts from the video you're watching
  • It has a large free skin to change the visual appearance of the player's interface

Price: It's free

Pros

  • It's compatible with Windows and mac
  • It supports Airplay and DLNA wireless stream
  • Its hardware-accelerated option provides free music and video player

Cons

  • The UI is outdated
  • The video and audio player is old fashioned

MediaMonkey

windows media player download mediamonkey

For Windows users, MediaMonkey would provide you with some great features and smoothen your video and movie-watching experience. It allows you to edit and reset the album name ID tags; the artist’s name helps you track the music library easily. It offers a built-in editor for primary editing. It's compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android smartphones and allows you to listen to an MP player.

The Features of MediaMonkey

  • It works with the DLNA server and allows you to watch movies and videos or simple listening songs
  • Its built-in equalizer to preset any music based on your favorite genre
  • It can sync with various devices
  • You can create a bright and manual playlist
  • Its sound quality and library management is impressive that helps organize the whole media collection with a few clicks

Price: It is free

Pros

  • You can use it as a desktop or app version
  • It offers systematic management of your media collection
  • You can add audio tracks from social media platforms or your friends' collection

Cons

  • It's not multi user friendly
  • Often mislead with wrong metadata and tags

The above-stated media players offer great features that perfectly match your watching and listening habit of videos, songs, movies on your PC. If you have questions and want more information about Windows media players, check out the FAQ in the next read. Also, you can check the post best paid and free DVD player for Windows 10 to try more DVD players.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to reinstall Windows media player if mistakenly deleted?

Follow the steps:

Click Start button > type Features > Tap Windows features On or Off.

Scroll down and expand Media Features > Tap on Windows Media Player check box > click Ok.

Now Restart your device and have Windows Media Player reinstalled.

How do I get a Windows media player to play a DVD?

If you have an optical disc drive, insert the DVD into the drive and hit the play button, and it will start playing. But, if it does not play, then follow the steps; open Windows media player > Player Library > Tap on the disc name on the navigation pane.

Name the best Windows media player for mac?

VLC media player, GOM media player, DivX are the few best names of Windows media players for Mac.

Concluded Part

Windows media player is the best option for beginners and those who are not tech-savvy. Its functioning allows you to watch and listen to your favorite music and movies with a few updates. Those using the Windows old version need a Windows media player download. And if you want an advanced media player that provides you streaming experience, you can select any of the media players we mentioned.

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