Windows Media Player vs VLC Media Player

Struggling to choose between Windows Media Player and VLC Media Player? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Windows Media Player is a Audio & Music solution with tags like media-player, audio, video, microsoft, windows.

It boasts features such as Plays audio and video files in various formats like MP3, WMA, WMV, AVI etc., Media Library to organize music and video files into playlists and categories, CD ripping and burning, Internet streaming of audio and video, Sync media files with portable devices, Skins and visualizations for customized interface, Plug-ins support to add features, Screen saver functionality during music playback and pros including Comes built-in with Windows OS, Supports a wide range of media formats, Easy to use interface, Media Library for organization, Internet streaming capability, Sync with portable devices, Customizable with skins and plug-ins.

On the other hand, VLC Media Player is a Video & Movies product tagged with opensource, crossplatform, media-player, video, audio, codec-support.

Its standout features include Plays a wide variety of media formats including discs, devices, streams and playlists, Supports many codecs and file formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, Ogg, FLAC, TS, M2TS, Wv and AAC, Allows media playback without additional codecs, Provides advanced features like audio and video effects, audio visualizations, codec and format information, Offers customizable interface, playback speed and subtitles, Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and other platforms, Open source and completely free, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Plays almost any media file, Clean and easy to use interface, Highly customizable, Available on many platforms, Constantly updated.

Feature	Windows Media Player	VLC Media Player
Overall Score	N/A	1
Primary Category	Audio & Music	Video & Movies

Product Overview

Windows Media Player

Description: Windows Media Player is a media player application developed by Microsoft for playing audio, video and viewing images on Windows PCs. It supports a wide range of media formats and includes features like media library, streaming media playback, CD playback and synchronization with portable devices.

VLC Media Player

Description: VLC Media Player is a highly versatile, free, and open-source multimedia player developed by the VideoLAN project. It supports a wide range of audio and video file formats, streaming protocols, and provides various customization options. VLC is known for its cross-platform compatibility and extensive codec support.

Key Features Comparison

Windows Media Player Features

• Plays audio and video files in various formats like MP3, WMA, WMV, AVI etc.
• Media Library to organize music and video files into playlists and categories
• CD ripping and burning
• Internet streaming of audio and video
• Sync media files with portable devices
• Skins and visualizations for customized interface
• Plug-ins support to add features
• Screen saver functionality during music playback

VLC Media Player Features

• Plays a wide variety of media formats including discs, devices, streams and playlists
• Supports many codecs and file formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, Ogg, FLAC, TS, M2TS, Wv and AAC
• Allows media playback without additional codecs
• Provides advanced features like audio and video effects, audio visualizations, codec and format information
• Offers customizable interface, playback speed and subtitles
• Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and other platforms
• Open source and completely free

Pros & Cons Analysis

Windows Media Player

Pros

• Comes built-in with Windows OS
• Supports a wide range of media formats
• Easy to use interface
• Media Library for organization
• Internet streaming capability
• Sync with portable devices
• Customizable with skins and plug-ins

Cons

• Lacks support for some formats like FLAC
• Not as feature rich as some 3rd party media players
• Occasional bugs and glitches
• Limited customization options
• No advanced audio/video tweaking options
• Sync feature works only with select devices

VLC Media Player

Pros

• Free and open source
• Plays almost any media file
• Clean and easy to use interface
• Highly customizable
• Available on many platforms
• Constantly updated

Cons

• Lacks some advanced features of commercial media players
• Can sometimes struggle with exotic codecs
• Interface is not as polished as some alternatives
• Limited support options since it is community-driven

Pricing Comparison

Windows Media Player

• Free

VLC Media Player

• Open Source