Requirements: macOS 10.12++
, 93.88MB free space
Version 8.18(3409) (28 Mar, 2024) Release notes
Category: Video
USB Network Gate
Remote access to USB devices
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Shared access to personal, team, and corporate devices
Serial to Ethernet Connector
Remote access to COM-port devices
Donglify
Reliable connection to remote USB security dongles
Serial Port Monitor
Reading and recording of serial port data
HelpWire
Remote Support Service
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Why is there a specific need for a Mac 4K video player? Apple computers are quite powerful, but software is key. One example where performance may dip is a player that hasn’t been updated for M1.
Running playback software under Rosetta can have a performance impact, and it will be even more noticeable with Ultra high definition! Plus, some specific options can come in handy. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at the potential solutions.
Elmedia Player is a 4K video player Mac application. It’s fully compatible with M1 and M2 CPUs, so there’s no need for Rosetta. It works with Retina and can open dozens of formats, including MP4, MKV, WMV, and AVI. Elmedia’s support for 4K movies is not its only advantage, though.
Explore the app and you’ll find more and more handy features. Like video settings, which let you tune Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, and Hue, and adjust the playback speed as well. External subtitles can be added, with an automatic OpenSubtitles search. Even if you don’t want to adjust anything, this video player will surprise you with the quality of its UI, particularly with its customizable color palette, timeline preview thumbnails, and the convenient Picture-in-Picture mode.
The PRO version can also transcode and stream videos over DLNA, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast.
Elmedia Player checked on macOS Sonoma.
Pros
Cons
Read Twitter tweet
5KPlayer is an ad-supported freeware 4K video player for Mac. This app is heavily centered around its media library feature, which is also the main way to create playlists - in our opinion, the standard design is much more convenient. Same can be said for 5KPlayer’s layout, and the overt reliance on its right-click menu, as opposed to the top Menu Bar.
But it is capable of playing 4K videos, includes hardware acceleration, and you can even find a few other interesting things, like the video editor - though we don’t recommend editing a high-res video, due to the amount of time it could take to render.
Pros
Cons
Cisdem is a free media player that will support 4K, but doesn’t offer much - standard playback controls and a playlist is all you’re getting. It lacks the video and audio effects that can be found in other players, even free ones.
Although, it is a commercial app that doesn’t show ads. The paid version only provides access to the converter. There’s no noticeable difference with 4K playback, but the minimalistic features of the app make it hard to justify using it. All other apps on this list can do more.
Pros
Cons
Read Twitter tweet
VLC is the go-to free cross-platform player. It has the standard variety of settings - video color configuration, an equalizer, playback speed. There’s playlist management. You can watch 4K videos in it just fine.
The problems don’t really crop up until you try to customize the player or adjust some advanced setting, like the default preferred subtitle track. But keep in mind - the user experience is unrefined. The interface isn’t structured intuitively, and in some cases, hotkeys are easier to use than the actual menus.
Pros
Cons
Read Twitter tweet
DivX Player is built specifically to play DivX, MKV, AVI, MOV и MP4 in 4K. On one hand, this sounds like a limitation. On the other, you can be sure that these formats will play with the absolute best quality and performance possible.
It skips through large videos smoothly when you seek, which feels less jarring than it does in other players. Plus, it plays directly from cloud drives and has an intricate media library. Overall, pretty great for movies, as long as all your HD media is encoded in these four formats.
Pros
Cons
Choose the way you want to play your high-resolution video:
4K files tend to be either movies or camera footage. Here are some important features that you’ll find useful when viewing them:
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Top features
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VideoDuke
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Elmedia Player
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VLC
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5KPlayer
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Cisdem
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DivX
|
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Supports popular video formats
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Supports popular video formats
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yes (AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MOV, DAT, M4V, MPG, DivX, MKV, etc.)
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yes (AVI, FLV, MP4, WMV, DAT, M4V, etc.)
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yes (MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, etc.)
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yes (MKV, M2TS, MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, etc.)
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yes (AVI, MP4, MKV, DivX, etc. )
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|
Supports several popular audio formats
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Supports several popular audio formats
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yes (MP3, WMA, AC-3, MKA, OGG, FLAC, AAC, etc.)
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yes (MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, etc.)
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yes (AAC, AC-3, FLAC, MP3, ALAC, etc.)
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yes (MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, etc.)
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yes (AAC, AC3, MP3, etc.)
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Enables local file streaming to other devices (TV, Streaming device, etc.)
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Enables local file streaming to other devices (TV, Streaming device, etc.)
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yes (PRO)
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yes
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yes
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no
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yes
|
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Featured Audio Equalizer
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Featured Audio Equalizer
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yes
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yes
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yes
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no
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no
|
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Supports Subtitle Feature
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Supports Subtitle Feature
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yes
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yes
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yes
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yes
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yes
|
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Free option
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yes
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yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
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Mac 4K video players are usually narrowly specialized, developed for hi-res video and nothing else. But that doesn’t have to be the case - we recommend Elmedia Player, since it’s good at HD playback and still worth using for ordinary vids! Good luck, hope you can enjoy 4K without any issues.
FAQ
As you’d expect, yes. In fact, it would be harder to find a new Apple device that doesn’t support 4K.
We’ve seen and tried many, but none could beat Elmedia. It’s an invaluable tool that can bring you hours of high-resolution entertainment.
