MPlayer

Pros

• Plays almost any media file that exists without needing external codecs or extensions.
• Simple playback controls.
• Doesn't use too many system resources.
• Has advanced playback customization features.

Cons

• User interface looks dated and could use a refresh.

Mplayer is a media player app that is quite powerful, despite having a very basic looking interface. If you often use your PC to watch videos you've downloaded from the Internet, this program is a must have.

Built-In Support for Any Media Format

The most attractive feature in Mplayer is that it has the capability to open almost any kind of audio or video file in existence, no matter which file format it uses or how it was encoded. In today's world, videos distributed online come in not only different formats, but also use a variety of new encoding standards. This allows videos to be compressed so that they take up less space, all while retaining their quality and resolution.

The problem with this is that many media players, such as the one included in Windows, don't always come with support for the latest encoding standards used. This will cause them to either fail to play the video completely or require you to wait while the program downloads and installs the right codec.

With Mplayer, you're very unlikely to run into this issue. It has native support for over 192 video and 85 audio codecs, allowing it to play practically any media file you open instantly and without having to download any additional plugins, extensions or codec updates. If you have a media file that other players can't handle, try opening it up with Mplayer and there's a high chance it will work just fine.

Not Too Elegant but Very Powerful

Mplayer's interface could use a bit of work, as it's rather dull and will remind some users of the media player tool included with Windows 98. But what this program lacks in terms of elegance, it makes up in terms of ease of use and functionality.

All the main playback controls are at the bottom of the screen, so you'll immediately be able to figure out how to play and pause videos, enter fullscreen mode, adjust the sound volume, etc. There are also plenty of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to control the playback, which are explained in the menus and the help resources that come with Mplayer.

The software comes with advanced functions rivaling those of VLC Media Player. It supports subtitles, adjusting audio and video parameters for optimal playback and taking screenshots while a video is playing. Despite being so powerful, it isn't very demanding when it comes to system resources.

Another big advantage that Mplayer has over rival players is that it's completely free to use as long as you want. It doesn't display ads and isn't a freemium program that requires you to purchase the full version to unlock all of its features.

Pros

• Plays almost any media file that exists without needing external codecs or extensions.
• Simple playback controls.
• Doesn't use too many system resources.
• Has advanced playback customization features.

Cons

• User interface looks dated and could use a refresh.