Every computer or laptop user is faced with which media player to choose the best for watching movies and videos. At first glance, it might seem that there is nothing complicated here, but this is not so. There are a lot of players at the moment, and each has a certain functionality. Also, do not forget about ease of use, because the easier it is to control the player, the more you will like it. In today's review, we will consider some of the most popular media players and get acquainted with their capabilities.
Gom player
It’s worth starting a review of media players with one of the most popular today - GOM Player. The program has been released for quite some time. The popularity of the player came at a time when additional codecs were required to play certain video formats. Everything that was needed was immediately built into the GOM, due to which it could play absolutely any video.
At the moment, there are 2 versions of the media player - free and paid with the prefix GOM Plus. The main differences between the paid version are the changed graphical environment, the absence of advertising and the best optimization for most computers. Plus owners are also offered ongoing technical assistance and various promotions in the future. It costs GOM Plus 1400 rubles. (25 dollars), but at a discount it can be bought for 840 rubles. (15 dollars). Honestly, the free version is enough for everyday use, so paying money is not necessary at all.
Opportunities
Now it’s worth a bit to get acquainted with the capabilities of the player. As already mentioned, GOM Player has all the codecs you need to play any video. Also download additional codecs will be offered during the installation of the program. As for ease of use, everything is in order here. You can rewind the video using the left and right arrows on the keyboard. The up and down arrows are responsible for increasing and decreasing the volume. In addition, you can adjust the sound with the mouse wheel. For pause and playback, traditionally the space bar is responsible.
There is subtitle support. Interestingly, when playing any movie, GOM Player offers to download subtitles and at the same time automatically recognizes the name of the movie. Another interesting feature is the support of remote control. A smartphone will be used as a remote control. Everything is configured quite quickly and easily. Finally, it is worth noting the ability to adjust the sound using the equalizer, carry out color correction, adjust the size and position of the subtitles, as well as take screenshots by clicking on a special button.
Windows Media Player
The next media player in the list is a classic application that is on any computer - Windows Media Player or WMP for short. In fact, not everyone prefers and loves this player, primarily due to the fact that its functionality is somewhat cut down and not all types of videos can play it. Some formats will require separate codecs.
Player functionality
So, the most important minus of WMP is that it is inconvenient to use. The media player has very poorly implemented controls. For example, if you start a video and press the spacebar, nothing will happen. In other players, the video would immediately pause, but not here. To make it possible to stop and start playback using the "space", you must first click on the corresponding button with the mouse. The same applies to rewinding - first you need to click on the time slider and only after that you can use the arrows on the keyboard. With volume control, the situation is similar. The result is that it is easier to use a mouse than a keyboard.
Further, regarding the additional settings. I want to say right away that there are few of them. If you right-click anywhere in the video, a small context menu will appear just with these settings. Of interest here is only the item “Additional Features”. Most of the parameters in it do not work, you can use only the "Video Options", where it is proposed to adjust the color scheme.
If we talk about which media player to choose - WMP or GOM, then preference should still be given to the second. It is more convenient to use and much more functional than Windows Media.
Classic Media Player (MPC)
Another equally popular media player on today's list is Media Player Classic (MPC). Unlike Windows Media Player, MPC has much more functionality and features. The player is distributed free of charge, so anyone can download it on the official website. There is no need to worry about codecs - the player already has everything necessary.
Functionality
Using MPC is very convenient, although its control is slightly different from other players. For example, the up and down arrows are responsible for the volume level, left and right allow frame-by-frame rewinding. In order to rewind a few seconds of a video, you need to press the key combination “Ctrl + left / right arrow”. At first glance, it’s not very convenient, but in any case it’s better than WMP. By the way, you can adjust the sound with the mouse wheel.
Also, when you click the left mouse button, you can stop playing the video, and when you press it again, resume it. On the keyboard, these same manipulations can be performed using the "space". In addition, MPC allows you to increase and decrease the speed of video playback by clicking on special buttons. They are located at the bottom left next to the rest of the controls.
Also, Media Player Classic allows you to upload a subtitle file manually or in automatic mode. To do this, the subtitle file should be in the same folder as the video. As for the settings, there are a lot of them, and it will take time to deal with them all. But you can not do this, since everything works very well on standard parameters.
As for which media player to choose for the computer from those presented so far, the best option would be GOM and MPC. Windows Media is inferior to both in almost everything. Well, let's move on to the next program.
Potplayer
If we are talking about which media player to choose for a PC or laptop, so that it is easy to manage and at the same time functional, then it is definitely worth looking in the direction of PotPlayer. Previously, the same program was called Daum PotPlayer, but over time, the developers removed the first part and left only the second. This player is distributed free of charge, it does not have additional types of licenses, which means that the functionality for all will be the same. PotPlayer already has all the codecs you need, so you don’t need to look and download anything on the Internet anymore.
Program features
In appearance, the layout of some of the elements and buttons of PotPlayer is a bit like the GOM. The player has a very convenient control using the keys on the keyboard. The arrows are responsible for rewinding and control the volume level, and the “space” - for the beginning of playback and pause. As for the mouse, the wheel can also be used to adjust the sound, and double-clicking with the left button mimics the functions of the space bar.
The menu that appears when you click on the corresponding button in the upper left corner is a bit like a classic media player, only there are much fewer points. Nevertheless, there is everything you need: control, playback, subtitle settings, video, audio, etc. The same menu can also be opened by pressing the right mouse button.
Of the interesting features, it is worth noting the extensive capabilities of the menu "Record frames" and "Record video." The first allows you to take screenshots from the video, storyboard, save each frame in a separate image, combine several screenshots into one and much, much more. The second menu allows you to record video, that is, you can record and save some interesting moment in the movie.
Well, and, of course, you can not say about the button in the form of a gear, which is located at the bottom right. When you click on it, a small control panel appears, which very much resembles the one that was in GOM Player. The set of functions here is about the same, only the video and subtitle settings are somewhat more extensive.
PotPlayer is a great option that will suit absolutely everyone. Simple and attractive design, good functionality, ease of use - what else is needed?
Light alloy
If none of the above players are satisfied for any reason and the search for the answer to the question “which media player to choose” continues, then perhaps you should pay attention to Light Alloy. This player is very well known to users of computers running the Windows XP operating system. Since in those days there wasn’t much choice in the players, LA was very cool. He allowed to play any of the videos existing then, and without delays and brakes. Perhaps this was due to its own video engine and a package of codecs that were installed with the player.
Currently created the latest version of the media player for Windows 7, 8 and 10. Support for XP and Vista is not provided. You can download the player from the official site for free.
Functionality
Since Light Alloy was developed by a Russian developer, the media player interface is in Russian. The controls here are very similar to what Media Player Classic has. You can pause playback using the “space” and left-click. The arrows, as always, play the role of adjusting the sound and rewinding. This player has an interesting function - if you right-click on the window in which the video is playing, then all the controls, the frame and even the time line will disappear. Only one image will remain.
You can get into the player’s settings using the gear button or by right-clicking on the control panel. Actually, the second method is more convenient and faster. There are no interesting settings for video in LA, everything is the same as in the previous versions - setting brightness, contrast and saturation.
There is a separate button for downloading subtitles. Left-clicking turns subtitles on and off, and right-clicking allows you to select the desired file. There is also a separate button for screenshots. It allows you to take either single shots, or perform a storyboard.
In general, Light Alloy is a very pleasant player that is easy and pleasant to use. If we talk about which media player for Windows 7, 8 and 10 to choose from those already presented, then it is worth paying attention to MPC, PotPlayer and, probably, Light Alloy. Everything is clear with WMP - the player is very inconvenient in all respects, but as for the GOM, this player, although good, but the built-in advertising in the free version spoils the impression a bit.
Finally
It's time to take stock of today's review and answer the most important question: which media player is better? It is impossible to say unequivocally, because each of the presented has its pros and cons. Some may like the look and feel of PotPlayer, while others may prefer Light Alloy or MPC. For some, it will be important to have a lot of settings, but someone, on the contrary, will choose the necessary minimum. Everyone has different requirements, so everyone should choose the best player independently.