Videos icon

Videos

Videos, formerly known as Totem, is the official video player for the GNOME desktop environment. It provides a straightforward and efficient way to play various video and audio files directly on your Linux system. Designed for integration within the GNOME ecosystem, it offers a familiar and seamless user experience. Developed by The GNOME Project

License: Open Source
Available for:
Linux

About Videos

Videos, building upon the robust foundation of Totem, serves as the default multimedia player for the GNOME desktop. It is specifically tailored to integrate effortlessly with other GNOME applications and the overall desktop environment, providing a cohesive user experience. While it primarily focuses on video playback, its capabilities extend to handling various audio formats as well.

One of the key strengths of Videos is its emphasis on simplicity and functionality. The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for users to open and play media files without navigating complex menus or options. Key features include:
  • Comprehensive Format Support: Thanks to integrated codec support, Videos can play a wide array of video and audio file formats out of the box, minimizing the need for users to install additional plugins or codecs separately.
  • Seamless GNOME Integration: Designed as part of the GNOME project, Videos seamlessly integrates with the Nautilus file manager, allowing users to easily open files by double-clicking them. It also respects GNOME's theme and style guidelines for a unified look and feel.
  • Essential Playback Controls: Provides standard playback controls including play, pause, stop, seek, and volume adjustment. It also offers full-screen mode for an immersive viewing experience.
  • Subtitle Support: Users can load and display subtitles for videos, with options for adjusting timing if needed.
  • Image Capture: Includes a feature to capture static images from the currently playing video frame.
Videos is a lightweight application, focusing on core playback functionality rather than extensive advanced features. This contributes to its speed and efficiency, making it suitable for users who primarily need a reliable player for their media files within the GNOME environment. Its ad-free nature further enhances the user experience.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Seamless integration with the GNOME desktop environment.
  • Clean and intuitive user interface.
  • Supports a wide range of video and audio formats out of the box.
  • Lightweight and efficient, suitable for various hardware.
  • Ad-free viewing experience.

Cons

  • Limited advanced features compared to some alternative players.
  • Customization options are relatively basic.
  • May not be the best choice for users outside the GNOME ecosystem.
  • Lacks extensive library management features.

What Makes Videos Stand Out

Official GNOME Media Player

As the default player for the GNOME desktop, it offers unparalleled integration and a consistent user experience within that environment.

Focus on Simplicity

Provides a clean, intuitive interface prioritizing core playback functionality.

What can Videos do?

Review

Videos: A GNOME Native Multimedia Experience

Videos, the official video player for the GNOME desktop environment and heir to the Totem legacy, presents itself as a straightforward and reliable option for multimedia playback on Linux systems. Designed with the GNOME philosophy of simplicity and integration in mind, it aims to provide a seamless experience for users within that ecosystem.

Upon launching Videos, users are greeted with a clean and uncluttered interface. This minimalist design is a deliberate choice, focusing on the primary function of playing media files without overwhelming users with numerous options or complex menus. The standard playback controls – play, pause, stop, seek, and volume – are readily accessible and intuitively placed. Full-screen mode is easily toggled, allowing for an immersive viewing experience.

One of the significant advantages of Videos is its integration with the GNOME desktop. This is most evident in its interaction with the Nautilus file manager. Users can typically double-click on a video or audio file, and it will open directly within Videos, demonstrating a smooth workflow. The application also respects the system's theme and styling, contributing to a unified look and feel across the desktop environment.

Under the hood, Videos leverages integrated codec support, enabling it to play a wide variety of video and audio formats out of the box. This reduces the burden on users to manually install and configure additional codecs, a common pain point with some other multimedia players. Support for modern codecs like H.265 (HEVC) and resolutions up to 4K (dependent on hardware capabilities and system performance) ensures compatibility with contemporary media content.

Subtitle support is a standard feature, allowing users to load external subtitle files to accompany their videos. While advanced subtitle customization options might be limited compared to some feature-rich players, the core functionality for displaying subtitles is present and functional. The ability to capture images from a video frame serves as a useful, albeit niche, feature for users who need to quickly grab a still from their media.

Performance-wise, Videos is designed to be lightweight and efficient. Its focus on core playback helps it launch quickly and run smoothly, even on systems with more modest hardware. Hardware acceleration support further enhances playback performance for compatible systems, leading to reduced CPU usage and smoother video rendering.

While Videos excels in its native GNOME environment and its focus on simplicity, it does have limitations. Compared to some cross-platform or more mature multimedia players, it may lack extensive advanced features such as built-in media conversion, advanced audio controls, comprehensive library management akin to dedicated music players, or features for streaming from online sources (beyond basic Shoutcast radio support, which is less emphasized in modern versions). The absence of features like a built-in torrent client, CD ripping capabilities, or deep integration with services like Last.FM Scrobbling suggests that its scope is primarily limited to local media playback.

The user interface, while clean, offers limited customization options in terms of skinning or extensive layout adjustments compared to highly configurable players like VLC or MPV. For users who prefer a highly personalized look or have specific interface requirements, this might be a drawback.

In conclusion, Videos is a competent and reliable media player that fulfills its purpose effectively within the GNOME ecosystem. Its strengths lie in its seamless integration, ease of use, and ability to handle a wide range of formats with minimal configuration. It is an excellent choice for users who primarily need a simple, efficient, and native player for their video and audio files on a GNOME desktop. However, for users requiring a comprehensive suite of advanced features, extensive customization, or capabilities beyond local playback, they may need to explore alternative multimedia solutions.

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