Media players with active development in 2007

[Amour]

In 2007, which media players are being actively developed?

Active players:
* Media Player Classic (MPC) : latest (http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli2) (official from clsid) 6.4.9.1 20071015 (16th October 2007) (newer than official (http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli) from gabest 6.4.9.0 - 20th March 2006)
* MPlayer : latest (http://mplayer.de.gg/) (Celtic Druid & Lord Mulder) SVN-r25088 (18th November 2007) (newer than official (http://www.mplayerhq.hu/) 1.0-rc2 - 7th October 2007)
* The KMPlayer : latest (http://www.kmplayer.com/forums/) beta 2.9.3.1417 (25th November 2007) (newer than stable 2.9.3.1214 - 25th January 2007)
* GOM Player : latest (http://www.gomplayer.com/) 2.1.8.3683 (31th October 2007)
* Winamp : latest (http://www.winamp.com/player/) 5.5 (10 October 2007)
* Zoom Player : latest (http://www.inmatrix.com/files/zoomplayer_beta.shtml) 5.50 Beta 1 (13th August 2007) (newer than stable (http://www.inmatrix.com/) 5.00 - 28th December 2006)
* SimpleCenter : latest (http://www.simplecenter.com/) 4.2 (somewhen July-November 2007)
* Quintessential Player (QCD)(QMP) : latest (http://www.quinnware.com/) dev build 119 (1st August 2007) (newer than stable 4.51 11th May 2004)
* JetAudio Basic : latest (http://www.cowonamerica.com/) 7.0.3.3016 (8th June 2007)
* Passion Audio Player : latest (http://www.passionplayer.com/) 2.4 (03.04.2007 or 04.03.2007)
* AlShow : latest (http://www.altools.net/) 1.62 (a few months old)

Early stage:
* Kantaris : latest (http://www.kantaris.org/) 0.2.5 (11th November 2007)
* MovieSpot : latest (http://www.softset.ro/moviespot_ro.html) 0.7 (09.10.2007 or 10.09.2007)
* Nemesis player (NSP) : latest (http://www.nsplayer.org/) 1.1 beta (end of March 2007)

Active, but ...
* VideoLAN Client (VLC) : latest (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) 0.8.6d - 30th November 2007 (nightly (http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/) 0.9.0), but no support for codecs
* Songbird : latest (http://www.songbirdnest.com/) 0.3, but based on VLC.

Active, but ads or 30-day trial, ...
* BSPlayer : latest (http://www.bsplayer.org/) 2.25 (somewhen October-November 2007), but latest ad-free 1.37 is discontinued
* Media Center & Media Jukebox : latest (http://www.jrmediacenter.com/) v12.0.329 (somewhen September 2007) & latest (http://www.mediajukebox.com/) v12.00.10 (somewhen October-November 2007), but 30-day trial & 5-month trial
* ALLPlayer : latest (http://www.marbit.com.pl/show.php?cat=allplayer&page=index.php) 3.0 (5th July 2007) and 2.4 (5th December 2006), but latest free is V2.3.1 (21th February 2006) ?
* Crystal Player : latest (http://www.crystalplayer.com/) 1.98 (somewhen Mai-August 2007) but trial and previously non-active 1.97 (20th March 2006)
* Vidlizard : latest (http://www.vidlizard.com/) 1.25 (23th May 2007) but trial and previously non-active (24th November 2005)
* Windows Media Player (WMP), Quicktime, RealPlayer, PowerDVD, WinDVD, iTunes, Adobe Media Player (AMP) : no comment

Non-active players:
* Light Alloy : latest (http://www.softella.com/la/) 4.1 (28th December 2006) + trial with nag screens
* The Core Media Player (TCMP) & The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP) : latest (http://www.tcmp.org/) 4.11 was in January 2006 & latest (http://picard.exceed.hu/tcpmp/test/) 0.72RC1 was in 2007 but discontinued
* ViPlay3 : latest (https://sourceforge.net/projects/viplay3) was in January 2006
* TrayPlayer : latest (http://www.atmaxsoft.com/trayplayer.html) 1.01b was in July 2005
* RadLight : latest (http://www.radlight.net/) 4.0 Final was in 2005
* GdivX : latest (http://www.divxity.com/) Zenith 1.1 was in 2004 (where is the Zenith 1.2 from?)
* mv2player : latest (http://mv2.czweb.org/) v 07 RC2 was in 2004
* Sasami2k : latest was in 2001

Additional players:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_media_players

Any missing player for Windows?

[unskinnyboy]

OK, not in your list and the Wiki comparison and what comes to mind:

ALLPlayer (current version 2.3).
The Core Media Player (TCMP) (current version 4.11).
Crystal Player (current version 1.97).
Media Jukebox (current version 8.0.400).

Why is BSPlayer listed as inactive? It is being actively developed, no longer ad-free doesn't mean inactive.

EDIT: OK, GOM Player too. Current version 2.1.0.3383.

[Amour]

Thank you for the help unskinnyboy!
I changed BSPlayer to “Active but something's wrong...”.

[SeeMoreDigital]

The development of MediaPlayer Classic is still going....

Indeed only a few days ago I installed this build (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=920943#post920943) from Celtic_Druid

And don't forget this lot (http://ffdshow.faireal.net/mirror/Media%20Player%20Classic/).....


Cheers

[Amour]

Ok for MPC: then Celtic_Druid should probably create MPC-tryouts. :D

[m99]

Shouldn't this be sticky?

[joseph5]

Any missing player for Windows?ViPlay: http://www.urusoft.net

[tekNerd]

MovieSpot (http://www.moviespot.as.ro/)

[gfh]

Light Alloy: latest 4.1 (4.1.6105) 2006-12-28 from official page (http://www.softella.com/la/index.en.htm)

[SeeMoreDigital]

By-the-way, the development of VLC player is still going too....

Nightly builds of 0.8.6 and 0.9.0 can be obtained from here (http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/)


Cheers

[LoRd_MuldeR]

By-the-way, the development of VLC player is still going too....

Nightly builds of 0.8.6 and 0.9.0 can be obtained from here (http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/)


Cheers

I can't get the nightly builds of 0.9.0 to work properly. There always is that nasty "DOS Box" and in options window there are no controls. Furthermore latest 0.8.6 build seems to be equal with official 0.8.6 release...

[WeaponX]

I figured out how to get the gui of the VLC 0.9.0 nightly builds to come up.

When the dos box come up, after running vlc.exe, you have to immediately hold down both the Ctrl key and the G key to bring up the gui. You only need to do this once every time you install a new build.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

I figured out how to get the gui of the VLC 0.9.0 nightly builds to come up.

When the dos box come up, after running vlc.exe, you have to immediately hold down both the Ctrl key and the G key to bring up the gui. You only need to do this once every time you install a new build.

Well, the problem is not the GUI, the problem is that the "DOS Box" remains there and that the options window doesn't work...

[Amour]

Thank you everybody, I made a few updates.


ALLPlayer (current version 2.3).
What about 2.4? I can't read Polish.
MovieSpot (http://www.moviespot.as.ro/)
Isn't it too early? Apparently they only made one version so far (0.55).

[tekNerd]

Isn't it too early? Apparently they only made one version so far (0.55).
Yes, I guess you are right. But since is open source....

[HeadBangeR77]

ALLPlayer isn't freeware - it's a strange product indeed : if a new version comes out (like the latest 2.4, what indicates it is still being developed) you got to pay for it. Older versions however, are totally free-of-charge.

Not a bad player imo, still using it from time to time. I like the way it handles subtitles (with no additional tweaking they are displayed under the main movie picture, while in fullscreen mode - ffdshow needs letterboxing in order to do this).

[Amour]

Good to know, HeadBangeR77.

[HeadBangeR77]

Good to know, HeadBangeR77.

I could provide more info on this player, if anyone were interested. Strange, the prog itself is bilingual (polish and english), while there is no english info on the website - seems to me the author doesn't want to go "international" :p OSD in fullscreen mode is very functional, imo.
Thanks for adding it to your list.

cheers /HeadB.

[foxyshadis]

Not a bad player imo, still using it from time to time. I like the way it handles subtitles (with no additional tweaking they are displayed under the main movie picture, while in fullscreen mode - ffdshow needs letterboxing in order to do this).

MPC does the same thing. That's just because the letterboxing is added at the renderer stage instead; obviously you have to letterbox it at some point to write the subs underneath. VSFilter acts the same as ffdshow for the same reason.

[HeadBangeR77]

MPC does the same thing. That's just because the letterboxing is added at the renderer stage instead; obviously you have to letterbox it at some point to write the subs underneath. VSFilter acts the same as ffdshow for the same reason.
Ta, now I really understand how it works :) It's logic, I just didn't think about it. :o
It's just the matter, that for an average Joe, the one player will place subtitles under the main movie image, when possible, as a default, the other needs some tweaking. That could be too much for an average Joe, especially when that Joe is a women (no offence, m'ladies, please - ask my girlfriend ;) )

I use MPC for watching movies as well - I just don't use its own reender for subs, only ffdshow in its stead. My 'workaround' for TV-Scale YV12 conversion in case of VMR9 renderless is to run the player either in overlay or in VMR7 windowed, force YUY2 (much less color bleeding than YV12), and the extra CPU power (which would be taken by high quality YV12 => RGB conversion) I can use for some filters to enhance the overall quality.

Sorry for OT - as to ffdshow, I couldn't force RGB24, it would always default to RGB32, no matter what I checked in the settings (?) - is it some kind of bug, foxyshadis?

[tekNerd]

I see MovieSpot has a new home[http://www.moviespot.lx.ro/] and a new version.
I really thought he died...the videoplayer, I mean.

1°. It crashes everytime for me. Nothing to do with. Too bad.

2°. I talked with the developer, made me another build and works now.

[Amour]

Thank you tekNerd, I updated the list.

[Peuj]

Some news update about Media Player Classic:

* from Gabest first, the project is not dead:
http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1690818&forum_id=281014

* and a new build from drevil_xxl:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=966161#post966161

Orginal version: http://www.mytempdir.com/1242716
UPXed version : http://www.mytempdir.com/1242751

from LoRd_MuldeR storage: http://mulder.dummwiedeutsch.de/home/?page=guestbook&app=mpc&file=latest&mirror=brhack

[themostestultimategenius]

Jetaudio 7's beta is out. It has a library function now. =)

[Amour]

Zoom Player is now considered (by myself) as a non-active player. List of Active players updated.

[burfadel]

I prefer Media Player Classic myself, however there are two complaints that I have, and its also from people who just want a good player as well.

I know the idea of MPC is to have a bare basic player with full support for everything, and it works great at that, but the interface is too dated and is turning new users off it. You can updated the interface to a Vista styled, or attractive interface buttons etc without taking away the spirit of the programme, nor wasting CPU, nor wasting memory or file size!

This new version could be called 6.5.0.0 and go from there. It confuses people having a hundred different versions called 6.4.9.0

Like new build could be called 6.5.0.1 ... 6.5.0.352! 6.5.1.129 etc etc. at least that way there is a clear distinction about the build number.

I know this is a fair bit of work! but it would be a great push forward for this great media player!

The enigma of the name and the interface is severely holding its use back. I've had to convince people that its a different player. Most people just think 'why use the old Window media player when I can use WMP 11!'!.

An interface change (simple but attractive), numbering change, and name change to MPC player I think will change quite a few people over to using it.

And yes, people do choose aesthetics over player quality, and they do think Media Player Classic is the old outdated WMP and that they might as well use the new one, and yes there is confusion over the numbering since the internal number of the last 1000 builds are all 6.4.9.0!

[joseph5]

Most people just think 'why use the old Window media player when I can use WMP 11!Because it's better?:p
I agree with the interface thing, it should at least have a possibility to use skins.

[aba101280]

A short question concerning the MPC. In the ZIP file you get from 07/03/25 there is one mplayerc.exe and lots of filters in it. Do I have to integrate that as external filters in MPC or have that been integrated as internal one. Sorry if that's an fool question but I haven't found anything about it.

EDIT: http://forum.inmatrix.com/index.php?showtopic=5996
Theres an alpha release of ZoomPlayer 5.5 for Vista. Just for information

[Leak]

A short question concerning the MPC. In the ZIP file you get from 07/03/25 there is one mplayerc.exe and lots of filters in it. Do I have to integrate that as external filters in MPC or have that been integrated as internal one. Sorry if that's an fool question but I haven't found anything about it.
Those are just MPC's internal filters compiled as external filters that can be registered with regsvr32 one by one to use them in other DirectShow applications...

When you're only using MPC, you don't really need them.

np: Star You Star Me - Burden (Simple Things)

[CruNcher]

For debuging testing, and yes even playback i have to say KMPlayer (based on MPC ?) made great steps especialy the possibility to directly change the renderer without restarting the Player is a nice thing and the OSD that works in VMR9 (renderless) and still allows DXVA is great :) . Another Unique feature is to select the Source Filter for alot of container formats or even define it yourself via wildcards wich i think is really unique, allways missed that feature in MPC.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

For debuging testing, and yes even playback i have to say KMPlayer (based on MPC ?) made great steps especialy the possibility to directly change the renderer without restarting the Player is a nice thing and the OSD that works in VMR9 (renderless) and still allows DXVA is great :)

http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=462894

[sheppaul]

Before making a wild assumption, just try it. It is hard to believe the player is based on MPC. Though the player ships with several filters of gabest's, the player looks like genuie works from scratch. Also, there is an article in their forum contrary to the announcement of gabest.

[clsid]

A lot of things in KMPlayer are strikingly similar to MPC. It also seems to be using code from ffdshow and FFmpeg.

[sheppaul]

Nowadays most video players have similar features each other. The player seems to use the libavcodec and several libraries from ffmpeg project etc. But it seems not to be used in a source code level as the libraries can be replaced or removed. And the player seems to be coded in borland delphi.

[clsid]

The fact that the libraries are external doesn't matter. If the libraries are based on GPLed code, then the modified source must be published upon request.

[sheppaul]

I've searched the forum. The libraries are not modified according to them. It makes sense as the binary of the library can be replaced. There seems to be its own wrapper of the libraries for connection to the player. Are there any reason of not publishing the code of the libraries upon request? Are there an explicit announcement they will not publish the modified code on request? Actually, it is not the point as the most libraries used in the player are all decoders. I don't think it is possible to manage the code of decoders individually considering its complex and vast source. In the early version of the player, it is said to use the pre-compiled binary of the library by codec package provider. I don't find any reason for them to distribute the libraries together if the shipped libraries are a real violation as it is not indispensable to launch the player. (The player itself can be executed as a standalone directshow app. just like zoom player.)

[clsid]

The source filter code is based on code from the guliverkli project and is contained in KMPlayer.exe itself. So it violates GPL.

Nevertheless, it's a pretty good player.

[sheppaul]

clsid, I've examined it closely and can confirm that the player has its own splitters. The filters from guliverkli project are all compiled as a standalone directshow filter (it is recognizable as all the filters name of gabest's are written clearly in preferences).

Are you sure to compare the the operation of the built-in splitters of the player with that of gabest's? It definitely has a different structure. For example, all KMP splitters have a stream switcher of subtitle and audio within the source filter itself which is rather similar to haali's splitter. You may be able to confirm what I'm saying. Some of the source filters integrated with splitters such as RealMedia/MOV splitters are much betters than gabest's.

[Amour]

Sorry for being late. Here are the news:

* switch MPC from drevil_xxl to clsid one.
* ALLPlayer has new URL, but I don't know which one is the latest free version.
* Crystal Player is back from the deads (with trial).
* Light Alloy is dead.

[MikusR]

Zoom Player
Apr 18 2007 - v5.50 alpha 1
Aug 13 2007 - v5.50 beta 1

So it's not dead

[Amour]

Thanks. I've included a link for the beta download.

[Amour]

Today's update:
* updating new versions of course
* moving Alshow from “But...” to “Ok”, because I don't see registration required anymore
* moving Vidlizard from “Non-active” to “But...”, because new version but trial only
* removing vx30 (http://www.vx30.com/) from the lists, as it's only encoder or streaming
* adding Kantaris, Passion Audio Player, Quintessential Player, SimpleCenter.