Best Small Free Standalone Flash Video Player

[Monroe]

Ok ... I have been using KMPlayer for several years but for some reason it won't play flv files. I used to use VLC Media Player which played everything including flash files. However, after someone mentioned KMPlayer and I tried it for playing DVDs and other files, I liked it more than VLC ... but KMPlayer doesn't play flash files for me. I think someone else also mentioned that awhile back in a post somewhere that they had the same problem. So I have been hunting for a small free standalone flash player ... I downloaded two earlier today ... they were supposed to work with Windows 98SE, actually all Windows but they didn't work with my 98SE setup. I have downloaded others last year but wasn't satisfied with the video quality and such. I thought I'd post for some suggestions from what others might be using, just for flash videos. ... thanks

..... Well, I finally figured out my problem with KMPlayer not playing flv files ... the file itself was bad. I came up with another flv file and KMPlayer played it with no problem. I also installed an older version of VLC Media Player and it wouldn't play that one file also. I had that flv file on my hard drive since early last year to use to test flash players, no wonder none of them ever worked. ... dumb me and a false alarm ... KMPlayer works just fine for everything and probably most of the standalone players I tried also worked. Never gave a thought that the flv file might be bad.

Edited January 15, 2011 by duffy98

[submix8c]

Not sure if this will work (FLV players).

Now look at the bottom of that screen for -

Here's for a SWF player and here for the VLC Media Player (you say you already have that).

[Monroe]

submix8c ... thanks for the reply ... I solved my flv problem but I like the web site you supplied for a flash player. That site has all those portable software programs ... I will probably find some useful downloads there ... thanks.

[Foxbat]

I just tried the FLV player on the first link. It works until full screen or 2x is clicked, which will cause the computer to appear to hang as it saps 100% CPU. The installer offers to install bloatware, but that can be unchecked. It also phones home to check for updates, which can be turned off in settings.

Some time ago, I embarked on a quest in search of a good FLV player that would work on Windows 98SE as the ones available were too simple or required Win XP. After several months of searching, I finally found one that met my needs. As a bonus, it also displays headers, encoder, bitrate, etc, and it's 400 KB. The rest is taken up by the installer but all you need is the executable. This is best FLV player I know of so far, as I stopped looking since then.

I'd post a link but my post count is too low. Google Fortop FLV player, and it should be the first hit.

[Monroe]

Thanks Foxbat for posting about Fortop FLV player. I have spent some time searching around for a good stand alone flash player (maybe 2 yrs) but the ones I have found always have "extra" baggage or things I don't want or they want to phone home or they are several MBs in size. Just wanted a simple small size player ... I like that player.

Edited January 19, 2011 by duffy98

[herbalist]

Have you tried Adobe's standalone flash player (projector)? Version 9,0,289,0 runs fine on 98 and is 3.27MB. Version 10,1,102,64 is 5.30MB and it appears that it may work with KEX set to 2000SP4 or XP-SP2 compatibility. I just downloaded this version and have only tried it with a couple of local files, which played fine. The browse menu isn't displaying names on my setup yet. Might be due to my font selections or RP9 settings. The files are the projectors/players themselves, not installers. Both are available at

http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html

Might be worth a try.

Rick

edit.

Version 10,1,102,64 will play flash videos from web links on 98 with KEX set to 2000SP4 compatibility. Full screen mode also works, at least it is for me.

edit.

link above fixed

Direct link to standalone version 10

Direct link to standalone version 9

Edited January 20, 2011 by herbalist

[Monroe]

herbalist ... decided to check out the standalone flash player you mentioned but I'm not having much luck with the link ... keep getting "Sorry, this page is not available" ... when I Google the "adobe standalone flash player", I seem to be getting links to the browser flash plugin as a "complete standalone installer" ... trying to locate the standalone version for Win 98SE (v9.0.289.0) ... thought I'd see how it plays a flash video. If you have another link for that version, I'd like to hear from you, maybe others are interested also ... thanks again, good to hear from you.

[iamtheky]

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/142/tn_14266.html

maybe one of the older ones like flash player 2?

[submix8c]

The latest version in the archive (flashplayer9r260_win_sa.exe 11/17/2009)... archive is 258mb, so be forewarned...

edit - I'm wrong - look for the "9.0.280 and higher" - has the highest (archive is 22mb)

(flashplayer9r280_win_sa.exe 07/30/2010)

edit2 - DUH! herbalist is apparently a lot smarter at finding stuff than some of the rest of us... just had to click on the right stuff... (double-duh!!!)

Edited January 21, 2011 by submix8c

[herbalist]

Page link in above post fixed.

Added direct links to the standalone executables.