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Try the Best Video Player for Mac - Elmedia Player

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Best Video Player for Mac in 2023

As a Mac user, finding the right video player that not only meets your needs but also provides a seamless viewing experience can be challenging. Fortunately, there are numerous easy-to-operate solutions available on the market. Whether you're looking for a player with an intuitive interface, the ability to work with multiple formats, or advanced playback controls, this article has got you covered. Here we have gathered some of the best options designed specifically for Mac users.

Top choice
Elmedia: universal video player
4.5 Rank based on 11950+ users, Reviews(11950)
 
Direct Download
Let's find the best video player for Mac.

List of Best Video Players for Mac

When defining the term best video player for Mac, there are several criteria you should take into consideration. Namely, compatibility with any format, including .mov, .mpeg, .mkv, .m4v, etc, no need for additional codecs for seamless work, support for AirPlay protocol, ability to create and manage playlists, and way more.

Among the rest of the criteria worth considering when choosing the best media player is its ability to seamlessly handle 4K, 5K, and even 8K ultra HD movies, video clips, and TV shows. Below you will find the overview of the top solutions with both advantages and disadvantages of each.

Best Video Player for Mac

Elmedia: universal video player
4.5 Rank based on 11950 + users Reviews(11950)
Requirements: macOS 10.12+
Version: v8.16(3333), Released 20 Jul, 2023 Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download

Opens up our list of top players for Mac - Elmedia. Despite being user-friendly and lightweight, this video player for Mac has gathered all the necessary features for delivering the best user experience from watching any media content and offers complete control of video playback. Here you can find support for both native and non-native macOS file formats, including FLV, SWF, MKV, MP4, OGG, M4V, AVI, FLAC, and way more.

Elmedia also has a paid version of the app to unlock even more features. The PRO version allows wireless streaming to any Chromecast, Smart TV, or DLNA-based device, saving subtitles from opensubtitles.org, adjusting brightness, saturation, contrast, etc. as well as offering audio EQ presets, and way more.

Besides that, the solution is fully optimized to run natively on Apple Silicone Macs which is aimed to guarantee incredible performance.

Universal Mac Media Player.
Key features:

Elmedia player is not only a powerful video but also the best audio player for Mac, as the list of supported formats both for audio and video is beyond compare in this Mac media player.

Also, according to a review on MaсSources, Elmedia has a wide range of useful features and allows its users to quickly and efficiently play files from both the desktop and a network server. In addition, the author of the review checked how many resources Elmedia Player uses. It is pointed out that while playing a video, the application used 15-18% of the CPU resources. The author also mentioned that Elmedia Player was the "heaviest" program after WindowServer, running on his computer at that time.

icon pros Pros:

  • Can play a ton of formats, including .mp4, .mov, .mkv, .avi, .wmv and more
  • Optimized for Apple's M1 chip with native compatibility
  • Beautiful, minimalist design that blends into macOS
  • Subtitle support including .srt subtitle files, .ass, .smil and others
  • Audio synchronization
  • Picture-in-Picture mode.

icon cons Cons:

  • PRO version is required to open additional features
  • Can’t play encrypted Blu-ray disks.

Supported media formats: MPV, MOV, WebM, AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, DAT, M4V, MPG, DivX, MKV, and more

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura)

Price: $19.99

VLC Media Player

Another solution that can truly be called the best video player for Mac is VLC Media Player. This app with a more than 25-year-old history offers a wide set of features along with a laconic user interface and outshines it in terms of design. VLC has gained popularity for being able to play almost any media format, including WMV, FLAC, etc., and is distributed absolutely free of charge.

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player.
Key features:

VLC media player has gained popularity for being able to play almost any media format, including WMV, FLAC, and others. When it appeared, that is, more than 20 years ago, it supported formats that most players could not play. Besides, VLC has not received major updates for quite some time: its UI looks a bit dated, there is no AirPlay or DLNA streaming, and VLC users often experience macOS compatibility issues every time Apple upgrades its OS. You can also read user reviews here.

icon pros Pros:

  • Can play a lot of video formats
  • There is a wealth of functionality, including subtitles, audio synchronization, and multiple audio tracks.

icon cons Cons:

  • The 4K playback and DVD playback can be unreliable
  • The interface is clunky and dated-looking
  • Can't be installed from the Mac App Store.

Supported media formats: MOV, WebM, MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, etc.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Price: free

5KPlayer

5KPlayer is another media player for Mac that users can benefit from. Having GPU acceleration the app provides the smoothest video playback experience with no picture distortion, inaccurate color, etc. Besides that, 5KPlayer offers some editing features. The main downside of this tool is that you cannot find it on the Mac App Store. This small nuance can cause inconveniences when updating or removing the software.

The application can be downloaded from the official website.
Key features:

5KPlayer is a feature-rich Mac media player that can also be used as an online downloader from sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, Facebook, Vimeo, etc. Among its pluses should be highlighted support for AirPlay and TrueTheater technology.

However, some aspects should be taken into account. You can come across user claims that their computers slow down when using this Mac video player. It is also worth highlighting the following downsides that users note: the free mode contains ads, the video player is quite difficult to uninstall, the application can be set as the default video player without consent. More user reviews can be found here.

icon pros Pros:

  • GPU accelerated playback should help with large 4K files
  • AirPlay and TrueTheater technology
  • It is free to download.

icon cons Cons:

  • You can't install the application via the Mac App Store for added security and ease of updating
  • Some of the reviews online are negative, speculating that it could be malware.

Supported media formats: MKV, MOV, MP4, MTS, MXF, WMV, ALAC, AIF, FLAC, APE, OGG, MP3, WAV, and way more.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free

IINA

If you’re looking for the top solution for MacBook, check out IINA. Created with macOS users in mind, it achieves authenticity with gesture controls, Touch Bar support, and Dark Mode. The software wouldn’t feel out of place in the standard Apple lineup. In addition, IINA runs equally smoothly on older and newer versions of macOS. It can read almost all your media formats as well as play any files directly over the Internet. Among the advantages are the ability to obtain subtitles from the Open Subtitles database during playback, as well as the ability to navigate in the welcome window using the keys.

The modern media player for macOS.
Key features:

IINA can handle almost all your media formats as well as play any files directly over the Internet. Among the advantages we would like to note are the ability to obtain subtitles from the Open Subtitles database during playback, as well as the ability to navigate in the welcome window using the keys.

According to the review on mac.informer, IINA is a fairly reliable solution packed with many useful features, while at the same time it is very easy to use and free. The only issue the reviewer points out is that you have to update if you want to access the latest version of the software. However, this task usually takes a maximum of 2 minutes, which is not that long.

icon pros Pros:

  • Modern design with accordance to Apple guidelines
  • Ability to handle nearly all file formats
  • Intuitive browser extension with full integration
  • Rich subtitle options.

icon cons Cons:

  • Storage and CPU-heavy, compared to some other solutions
  • Faulty playback of 10-bit H.265 full HD videos.

Supported media formats: any format supported by FFmpeg or libav – a massive list.

Compatibility: macOS

Price: free

OmniPlayer

OmniPlayer provides powerful features along with a neat user interface. It can read almost all video and audio formats as well as is compatible with various streaming protocols. The solution allows direct streaming of YouTube videos and playing remote files over FTP. There are even more features - ordinary playback, subtitle, and audio options, playlists, and screenshot-taking.

The best MKV video player.
Key features:

This video player provides powerful features along with a neat user interface. The app supports almost all video and audio formats as well as various streaming protocols. It is also worth noting that the player is regularly updated, which is a big plus.

icon pros Pros:

  • No-nonsense, condensed interface
  • Plays in the background in Picture-in-Picture mode
  • Playlists can be created, edited or played.

icon cons Cons:

  • Free version barely has anything
  • No specific advanced features.

Supported media formats: MPV, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, F4V, SWF, MPG, MPEG, MTS, OGM, DivX, etc.

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura)

Price: free, PRO version is available for $8.99

Cisdem Video Player

Cisdem Video Player is another video player for Mac users have at their disposal. It is an excellent option if you're looking to play any of the leading video file formats, including .mp4, .mkv, .avi, .mov, and even more. Besides, you can easily control subtitles, take screenshots from a movie, and adjust video playback. In addition, the application boasts the ability to smoothly play 1080p up to 4K, 5K, and even 8K files making it one impressive piece of software. Cisdem is free-to-play media but offers in-app purchases as well. It is available for download on the official website and on the Mac App Store.

Free video player for Mac that supports almost all video.
Key features:

The application boasts the ability to smoothly play videos from 1080p up to 4K, 5K, and even 8K making it one impressive piece of software. However, in order to use some useful features, such as the conversion feature, you should upgrade to the PRO version.

icon pros Pros:

  • Can work with more than fifty file formats
  • Can add external subtitle files
  • Can convert video file types with the paid version.

icon cons Cons:

  • The interface is a little dated and doesn't blend in well with macOS
  • Not all features are available in the free version.

Supported media formats: MP4, H.264/MP4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, MPG, M4V, TS, ASF, FLV, DIVX, MP3, M4A, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG, AC3, etc.

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura), Windows

Price: free to try; lifetime licenses: $19.99/1 Mac, $27.99/2 Macs, $49.99/5 Macs

QuickTime

Next on our list of the best player for Mac is QuickTime. It is a user-friendly solution with a convenient set of features for easy video playback from the Internet, content from iPhone, iPad, etc. Along with video playing, QuickTime works as a screen recorder and video converter.

However, besides being a great Mac video player, it is far from being perfect regarding format compatibility. Mac users often encounter problems when playing some files with it. In case you’re experiencing the QuickTime player not working issue, consider installing an alternative solution.

The player is available on almost every Mac OS device.
Key features:

Being an inbuilt video player on Mac, QuickTime does a great job when playing media files as it doesn’t require installation, and it is free of ads, watermarks, registration, or other restrictions. However, Mac users often encounter problems when playing files in QuickTime. If you’re experiencing the QuickTime player not working issue, consider installing an alternative solution.

icon pros Pros:

  • Ability to convert files to different formats
  • Ability to download videos directly from video sharing websites
  • Ability to open HD videos
  • Excellent audio playback integration.

icon cons Cons:

  • Can’t work with .srt format of subtitles
  • Not so an impressive set of formats.

Supported media formats: MP3, MP4, M4A, M4B, M4V, M4R, AIFF, WAV, MOV, etc.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free

MPlayerX

MPlayerX can handle any kind of media without codecs or plugins and can rightfully be considered the top free media player for Mac. A great plus of the application includes support for multi-touch gestures and Apple Remote, the ability to control the player using the keyboard's multimedia keys, and open multiple copies of the player independently of each other.

The player can boast about the ability to cope well with subtitles. It allows users to configure them in a separate tab in the app’s settings menu where users can choose not only the font type of subtitles, color, or alignment but also how they are loaded, etc.

MPlayerX is a free and open-source media player software application.
Note:

Unfortunately, the last update of MPlayerX was made in 2016. Since that time it didn’t receive either minor or major updates.

icon pros Pros:

  • Convenient interface
  • Free of charge
  • Ability to work with subtitles
  • Ability to control using gestures.

icon cons Cons:

  • The app didn’t get any updates since 2016
  • Drag and drop option is missing.

Supported media formats: AVI, ASF, WMV, OGG, SPD, MPEG, PVA, GIF, MP3, WAV, MP4, WMA, etc.

Compatibility: macOS

Price: $1.99

DivX

DivX is able to open a huge number of video formats, allows you to work with playlists, play various movies and clips with subtitles and the necessary sound as well as play movies via a link right from the Internet. In addition, you can also select an audio track with the necessary translation for the movie.

This Mac video player makes it possible to cut files on optical media. One of the negative sides of DivX concerns only the free version - ads are regularly displayed here. But as soon as you switch to DivX Pro, annoying banners will disappear.

Application for more advanced users.
Key features:

DivX is the official default DivX video codec playback tool. The app supports watching high-quality DivX video playback up to 4K and streaming it to your devices. DivX Player is safe and easy to use when it comes to media playback. However, the installation process is somewhat troubling because unwanted software is installed along with the application. Be sure to download DivX from the official website. Read more here.

icon pros Pros:

  • Presence of the FR/RW function
  • Ability to organize and manage playlists
  • Ability to broadcast to the big screen
  • Streaming feature.

icon cons Cons:

  • A bit picky about system requirements
  • Occasional glitches when installing
  • Requires unwanted settings.

Supported media formats: DIVX, AVI, M2V, M4V, MKV, MP4, MOV, MT2TS, MTS, MPG, TS, VOB, WMV, ASF, HEVC, etc.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free, Pro version $19.99

Plex

First of all, Plex is a streaming platform, and second of all, is a Mac video player that can be used to watch media content stored on the Plex Media server. When it comes to video, the combination of MP4 and AAC Audio works perfectly. These file types are natively supported and work great with Plex.

However, the service can automatically transcode almost any other file type whenever and wherever needed. MKV, AVI, and MPEG can be played without any problem. Plex is a multi-platform service that is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and PCs running macOS, Windows, Linux, Smart TVs, and NAS.

Plex is a one stop destination to stream movies.
Key features:

Plex offers the ability to access your media collection via DLNA, and allows you to continue playing the movie from the last time you watched it no matter the device, thanks to Plex Pass you can seamlessly stream videos to any device. Besides that, the service boasts a huge list of supported media files, devices, as well as supports synchronization with cloud storage. According to PCMag’s review, Plex is an all-in-one solution that delivers convenient and easy video playback. However, the reviews on Trustpilot are mostly the opposite. Users have more negative experiences than positive ones.

icon pros Pros:

  • Large list of the supported devices
  • Support for large pre-programmed video content
  • Easy-to-use

icon cons Cons:

  • From time to time, the sound is out of sync with the picture
  • Limited set of features in a free version

Supported media formats: AAC, AC3, DTS, EAC3, MP2, MP3, ASF, WMV, MKV, AVI, OGG, MOV, WAV, MP4, VC1, and way more.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Price: free, $4.99 monthly for Plex Pass

Infuse

Infuse iis characterized by lightness and intuitiveness. This media player for Mac offers a lot of settings that the competition doesn't have. First of all, the ability to play 14 different video formats without the need to convert and encode, as well as excellent integration with subtitles and Trakt. It lets you browse and play content stored on Mac, PC, NAS, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, pCloud, etc. Infuse is the perfect movie-watching solution that contains all the necessary functionality.

Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your device.
Key features:

Infuse can access and play almost anything from anywhere. The app lets you browse and play videos stored on Mac, PC, NAS, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, pCloud, etc. The Infuse playback engine supports almost all video files in your collection including MKV, MP4, AVI, ISO, DVD, BDMV, and many more. According to comments on MacUpdate, users note that although the app is free, it literally does nothing until you buy a subscription.

icon pros Pros:

  • Can handle 4K (Ultra-HD) HDR video playback
  • Ability to download subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org
  • Offers native Split View and Picture-in-Picture mode

icon cons Cons:

  • Free version is rather limited in functionality
  • Occasional crashes

Supported media formats: MP4, M4V, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, MTS, TS, FLV, OGM, ASF, etc.

Compatibility: macOS

Price: free, $9.99 yearly for Infuse Pro

How to open video on Mac

As you see, there are lots of solutions you can use to enjoy watching content on Mac. Below we will show you a step-by-step guide on how to open a video on the example of Elmedia.

1

Ensure that Elmedia Player is installed on your Mac. If you haven't installed it yet, download it from the official website or App Store.


Installation will take you a couple of minutes.

2
Once everything is installed, open the app and locate the video that you want to open.
3
Right-click on the file and select "Open With" from the context menu.
4

In the "Open With" menu, select "Elmedia Player" from the list of available applications.

There are many ways to open files.

5
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the file right to Elmedia’s window or to the icon in the Dock.

What Is Video/Media Player?

A video player is an application that you can download from the Internet to play various media files on your computers, such as videos and music. Almost all players have some standard features. Most of them will play any media files stored on your computers. Some can be used to view photos as well.

That said, video players can differ significantly in terms of ease of use and capabilities, so it is essential to research which one fully fits your needs (in case you are searching for a specialized MP3 player or WMA player, etc).

General criteria for the top Video Player

What criteria should a player have in order to be called the go-to one? We have made a thorough research and came to the following 6 must-have options.

  • Definitely, being capable of handling numerous formats, especially the ones, that are not supported by the default Mac player, including MKV WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, DAT, FLAC, FLV, SWF, MP3, M4V, MPG, etc.
  • In terms of performance, it should keep up with every single update of the Mac operating system in order not to miss anything and provide users with a smooth experience.
  • One more important aspect to look at is compatibility with Apple Silicon Macs. As just admit, finding the perfect media player for Mac that fully satisfies your feature list and knowing that it can’t be run on Apple Silicon Mac is a bit upsetting.
  • Let’s not forget about the design and the simplicity of use. Being intuitive without an overloaded interface will be a great plus for each Mac solution.
  • Additionally, as for the features, you should include the ability to play Ultra HD videos along with the ability to create and manage playlists.
  • Last but not least the absence of annoying and interrupting poop-ups, ads, etc. Or at least, a decent video player for Mac should provide you with the ability to turn it off.

Comparison table of the best Mac Video Players

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Swipe tip
Top features
VideoDuke
Elmedia Player
VLC
5KPlayer
IINA Player
OmniPlayer
Cisdem
QuickTime Player
MPlayerX
DivX
Plex
Infuse
Complete support for several video formats
Complete support for several video formats
yes (AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MOV, DAT, M4V, MPG, DivX, MKV)  
yes (MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, etc.)  
yes (MKV, M2TS, MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, etc.)  
yes (AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, M4V, etc.)  
yes (AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, M4V, etc.)  
yes (MKV, AVI, FLV, AVCHD, WMV, etc.)  
yes (MOV, MP4, M4V, MPEG-2, AVI, M4A, MP3, etc.)  
yes (AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, OGM, etc.)  
yes (AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4, etc.)  
yes (AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, WMV, etc.)  
yes (AVI, MP4, FLV,, WMV, MKV, M4V, etc.)  
Plays many different audio formats
Plays many different audio formats
yes (MP3, WMA, AC2, MKA, OGG, FLAC, AAC)  
yes (AAC, AC-3, FLAC, MP3, ALAC)  
yes (MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, FLAC, ALAC)  
yes (AAC,FLAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, etc.)  
yes (AAC,FLAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, etc.)  
yes (MP3, OGG, ACC, WMA, AIFF)  
yes (AAC, AC3, MP3, etc.)  
yes (MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA, ASF, MP4, CD audio, XMMS)  
yes (AAC, AC3, MP3, Vorbis)  
yes (MP3, ALAC, FLAC, OGG, etc.)  
yes (MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA, ASF, MP4, etc.)  
Supports local file streaming of several different formats to TVs and other streaming-enabled devices
Supports local file streaming of several different formats to TVs and other streaming-enabled devices
yes (PRO)  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes (PRO)  
no  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
Create and edit playlists
Create and edit playlists
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
yes  
Features a video tuner
Features a video tuner
yes (PRO)  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes (PRO)  
no  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
yes  
Built-in audio equalizer
Built-in audio equalizer
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
no  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
no  
Includes support for subtitles
Includes support for subtitles
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
Supports Picture-in-Picture
Supports Picture-in-Picture
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
yes  
yes  
Enables screen recording
Enables screen recording
no  
yes  
no  
no  
yes (PRO)  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
no  
No-cost version
Free option
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes

There are a lot of great players that can make watching movies a lot more enjoyable. You no longer need to sacrifice time or computer power to convert videos using online or desktop converter software. Not when there are well-designed, feature-rich video players like Elmedia Player that work with an extensive range of video formats right out of the box. With many features and advanced AirPlay functionality, it makes an excellent companion solution for any macOS device.

Frequently Asked Questions:

The inbuilt media player for Mac is called QuickTime. The app is capable of handling different media content and is really easy to use. However, Mac users occasionally encounter problems when playing some files with it. In case you’re experiencing the QuickTime issues, consider alternative solutions, for instance Elmedia Player.
You can find dozens of Mac video player apps that can compete with the functionality of QuickTime. The list of the most popular ones we have overviewed in the article above. However, which one to choose mostly depends on your needs and the set of desired functionality you wish to have. Among the list of best video player for Mac apps, we can highlight Elmedia, IINA, 5KPlayer, JustPlay, and others.
To watch 4K videos on your Mac, you need a compatible media player that can handle the high resolution and quality of the videos. One great solution for Mac users is Elmedia Player, in addition to supporting 4K video playback, it also offers a range of advanced features you can benefit from.
Elmedia: universal video player
Requirements: OS X 10.12++ , 93.9MB free space
Version 8.16(3333) (20 Jul, 2023) Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download