VLC and other Recommend Freeware Video Players
 

Was just in discussion with someone about the need for this program

http://www.videolan.org

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVD, Audio CD, VCD, and various streaming protocols.

Specifically if you like me, have begun hardrive backups, it is an excellent tool to play VOB's in example..

• Simple, Powerful and Fast
• Plays everything, Files, Discs (DVD, CD, VCD, Blu-Ray), Webcams and Streams
• Plays most codecs with no codec packs needed:
• MPEG-2, H.264, DivX, MPEG-4, WebM, WMV player
• Completely Free, 0 Spyware, Ads or User Tracking
• Works on most platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Unix...
• Media Converter and Streamer

A few more alternatives include:

1. Media Player Classic HC (Home Cinema edition) @ http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/
2. GOM Player @ http://player.gomlab.com/eng/download/
3. KMPlayer @ http://kmplayer.en.softonic.com/

Use these -- don't install crappy codec packs on your computer. Those are so 1999.
Codec packs mess up computers more than anything else, and are wholly unnecessary.

VLC's media conversion is very buggy -- I'd not use it.
Avidemux is much better for that.
Only use VLC when you have something really quirky, like DolbyE audio (very rare).

MPC-HC vs VLC:

I use MPC-HC and VLC daily.
- VLC plays H.264/MP4, Divx/XviD and MPEG-2 best.
- MPC-HC plays FLV files better than VLC does.
- VLC is better at DVDs.
- MPC-HC is better with Blu-ray and HD-DVD.


@Savage: moved this to video tech. :)