Windows Media Player 11 : Good Alternatives To Use

[legacyfan]

is there any good recommended replacements for windows media player on windows 11? I've been working on moving away from microsoft made software and would like some idea on what to use now if anyone could help with this it would be much appreciated

Edited March 11, 2024 by legacyfan

[mina7601]

VLC media player.

[D.Draker]

Even though I too like the French VLC media player very much, don't forget about the other famous player - MPC-HC, not to be confused with the infamous, cheap knock-off MPC-BE, that can't evn properly handle HD streams.

MPC-HC also works very good with the new gen. BluRay UHD.

[D.Draker]

Here you can obtain the latest MPC-HC versions. Some later beta versions might be too bright,

https://github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc/releases/

 

[UCyborg]

Can't speak for others' definition of "best", personally I've been sticking with PotPlayer for several years.

[tekkaman]

 

Quote

Can't speak for others' definition of "best", personally I've been sticking with PotPlayer for several years.

@UCyborg

I use an old repack from DVBsupport on Windows XP. Is the installer from the official site clean with no spyware or adware ?

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by tekkaman

[UCyborg]

VirusTotal report of the current 32-bit version installer:

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/7834a5a24a193f1c67de899b32da73c3ba30f75d75bc79aca1cb5bed2e49eba3

And 64-bit version:

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/88d6bc4a0d7500130f4e4dc87a99ebd56755ac8c6b7c13866c1c20a87c730c91

Edited August 19, 2023 by UCyborg

[Vistapocalypse]

Title should read WMP. (WMC was Windows Media Center, which was discontinued with the release of Windows 10.) I used VLC on Vista, but PotPlayer was often mentioned in the Windows XP forum.

[legacyfan]

1 hour ago, Vistapocalypse said:

Title should read WMP. (WMC was Windows Media Center, which was discontinued with the release of Windows 10.) I used VLC on Vista, but PotPlayer was often mentioned in the Windows XP forum.

the title has been fixed now

[Vistapocalypse]

I would not suggest iTunes for Windows unless you want to sync with an Apple device or shop at the Apple store. It is a large installation and not as good as it once was. 

[j7n]

The same players that worked in previous versions of Windows probably still work on Win11. Media Player Classic is a good one. Ultimately all video players have the same ffmpeg guts these days and only differ in the graphical interface. VLC has a Linux/Qt feel to it, and is unresponsive on Windows. MPC-BE simply is an earlier fork of the project, and is similar to Homecinema pre-v1.6. BE still makes separate DirectShow filters, where portions of the player can be added to the system without installing the whole ffmpeg/libav monstrosity.

I wouldn't use a universal video player for playing music. They tend to not be gapless, and lack precise tweakable DSP. Use Foobar2000.

[Dixel]

On 11/19/2023 at 6:41 PM, j7n said:

MPC-BE

MPC-BE - in this day and age still having troubles with sound, for example DTS-HD MA and TrueHD or even DD+, whereas MPC-HC doesn't, I can use MPC-HC with my receiver.

[D.Draker]

From what I know, MPC-BE developer intentionally blocked the bypass of any HD sound on anything older than win10. Of course it's artificial.

Those formats are from the Vista era, Vista is capable of them.

[Dixel]

Then could it be the thing that HD sound is also broken on win11, since the developer is fixated mostly on win10? I read reports of the sound troubles on 11, too.

[D.Draker]

3 hours ago, Dixel said:

Then could it be the thing that HD sound is also broken on win11, since the developer is fixated mostly on win10? I read reports of the sound troubles on 11, too.

It sure does, 11 is still somewhat new for such home projects like MPC-BE, so my recommendation for the OP is MPC-HC.