Windows Media Player vs VLC Media Player : Which is Better?

Windows Media Player icon

Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player for Windows XP offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures and recorded TV. Developed by Microsoft

License: Free

Apps available for Windows

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VLC Media Player icon

VLC Media Player

A free and opensource very popular media player. VLC Media Player supports a wide variety of media formats and known for its stability. Developed by VideoLAN

License: Open Source

Apps available for Mac OS X Windows Linux Android iPhone

Windows Media Player VS VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is an open-source, versatile media player that supports numerous formats and offers extensive customization options, making it ideal for advanced users. In contrast, Windows Media Player is more user-friendly and integrates well with the Windows operating system, but it has limited format support and fewer advanced features.

Windows Media Player

Pros:

  • Integrated with Windows OS for seamless usage
  • User-friendly interface that appeals to casual users
  • Good performance with Windows formats like WMV and WMA
  • Supports streaming media
  • Provides basic media library management

Cons:

  • Limited format support compared to VLC
  • Less customizable than VLC
  • Does not support as many advanced features

VLC Media Player

Pros:

  • Supports a wide range of audio and video formats
  • Open-source and free to use
  • Cross-platform availability (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.)
  • Highly customizable with various plugins and skins
  • Includes advanced playback features like frame-by-frame playback

Cons:

  • May have a steeper learning curve for new users
  • Some advanced features may be overwhelming
  • Occasional issues with certain file formats

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