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Try the Best Video Player for Mac - Elmedia Player

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Best Video Player for Mac in 2023

There are many video players that can fully meet the requirements of Mac users when playing any kind of media content. In this article, we have collected both free and paid software tools to help you choose the best video player for Mac.

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 Player 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. Below you will find the overview of the best media player for Mac solutions with both advantages and disadvantages of each.

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Top features
VideoDuke
Elmedia Player
VLC
5KPlayer
IINA Player
OmniPlayer
Cisdem
QuickTime Player
MPlayerX
DivX
Filmora Video Editor
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, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, OGM, 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 (FLAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, etc.)  
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  
no  
yes  
yes  
Create and edit playlists
Create and edit playlists
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
Features a video tuner
Features a video tuner
yes (PRO)  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes (PRO)  
no  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
Built-in audio equalizer
Built-in audio equalizer
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
no  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
Includes support for subtitles
Includes support for subtitles
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
Supports Picture-in-Picture
Supports Picture-in-Picture
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
yes  
no  
no  
yes  
yes  
yes  
Enables screen recording
Enables screen recording
no  
yes  
no  
no  
yes (PRO)  
no  
yes  
no  
yes  
yes  
yes  
no  
No-cost version
Free option
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes

One of the best things about owning a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac is the high quality and usefulness of Apple's baked-in software. That said, sometimes these apps don't provide all the functionality you might need to get a task done, like watching standard video formats such as .mkv with QuickTime Player (learn how to change default video player on Mac).

Elmedia Player — Universal Video Player for Mac

Elmedia: universal video player
4.5 Rank based on 11950 + users Reviews(11950)
Requirements: macOS 10.12+
Version: v8.15(3307), Released 22 Mar, 2023 Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download

Opens up our list of best 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 full control of video playback. Besides that, the app is fully optimized to run natively on Apple Silicone Macs which is aimed to guarantee incredible performance.

Elmedia Player also has a paid version of the app to unlock even more features. The PRO version of this media player for Mac allows wireless streaming on any Chromecast, Smart TV, or DLNA-based device, saving subtitles from opensubtitles.org, using PIP mode as well as audio EQ presets, and way more.

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 so your video and audio are always in sync
  • Support for Picture-in-Picture mode.

icon cons Cons:

  • Elmedia Player has limited support for older devices
  • PRO version is required to open additional features.

Supported media formats: .rm, .rv, .rmvb, .ra, .ram, .ogg, .ogm, .ogv, .mpg, .mpeg, .mpv, .m1v, .m2v, .mpg2, .mp2, .m2t, .m2ts, .ts, .mp3, .mp4, .m4v, .mpg4, .mpeg4, .m4a, .m4p, .m4r, .aac, .3gp, .asf, .wmv, .wma, .fli, .ac3, .mqv, .mkv, .webm, .mka, .3iv, .nut, .nuv, .nsv, .qt, .rec, .vcd, .vfw, .vob, .pcm, .vaw, .waw, .wav, .aiff, .aif, .ape, .flac, .avi, .flv, .f4v, .swf, Flash Projector .exe, .h264, unencrypted .bdmv, .au, .mpga, .qcp, .dsf, .cue, .3gpp, .3gp, .3ga, .3amv, .fli, .flc, .ty, .ty+, .tivo, .dvr-ms.

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura)

Price: $19.95

Latest version: 8.9 released on Oct 21, 2022

ATTENTION! Time-limited offer!

VLC Media Player

Another app that can truly be called the best video player for Mac is VLC Media Player. This video player 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 Media Player can play various video formats and is distributed absolutely free of charge for macOS and iOS.

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:

  • Completely private app
  • 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 install from the Mac App Store for added peace of mind.

Supported media formats: .mp4, .mp3, .mpeg, .avi, .mov, .3gp, .wmv, .wma, .asf, .ogg, .ogm, .dts, .aac, .wav, .mkv, .flac, .flv, .mxf, .nut, .mid.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Price: free

Latest version: 3.3.10 released on Oct 15, 2022

5KPlayer

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

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
  • 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: .3g2, .3gp, .asf, .asx, .avi, .div, .divx, .dv, .f4v, .fli, .flv, .h264, m2ts, .m4v, .mjp, .mkv, .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpg2, .mts, .mtv, .mxf, .ogm, .ogv, .qt, .qtz, .rm, .rmvb, .rv, .swf, .tlvo, .tp, .ts, .vc1, .vcd, .vfw, .vob, .vro, .webm, .wmv, .wtv, .xvid, .yuv, .aa3, .aac, .ac3, .acm, .aif, .aiff, .alac, .ape, .caf, .flac, .m3u, .m4a, .m4b, .mid, .mka, .mp3, .mpa, .ogg, .pcm, .ra, .ram, .wav.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free

Latest version: 6.9 released on Oct 25, 2021

IINA

If you’re looking for the best media player for MacBook, check out IINA. Created with macOS users in mind, it achieves authenticity with the gesture controls, Touch Bar support, and Dark Mode. This app wouldn’t feel out of place in the standard Apple lineup. In addition, IINA runs equally smoothly on older and newer versions of macOS.

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
  • Support for nearly all file formats
  • Intuitive browser extension with full integration
  • Support for ad-free YouTube streaming
  • Rich subtitle options.

icon cons Cons:

  • Storage and CPU-heavy, compared to some other video players
  • 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

Latest version: 1.3 released on May 30, 2022

OmniPlayer

OmniPlayer is an MKV video player found on the Mac App Store, but it offers a lot of compatibility with other media files. It allows direct streaming of YouTube videos and playing remote files over FTP. There is more - 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 with Picture-in-Picture
  • Playlists can be created, edited or played.

icon cons Cons:

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

Supported media formats: .mkv, .rmvb, .rm, .avi, .mov, .wmv, .flv, .f4v, .f4p, .f4a, .f4b, .swf, .mpg, .mpeg, .mpeg1, .mpeg2, .m1v, .m2v, .mpv, .mp4, .mpeg4, .m4v, .3gp, .3gpp, .3g2, .3gp2, .m2p, .ps, .ts, .m2ts, .mts, .mt2s, .ogm, .ogv, .divx, .dv, .asf, .wtv, .webm, .m3u, .m3u8, .flac, .ape, .m2a, .mp1, .mp2, .mpa, .mp3, .mpg3, .m4a, .m4b, .wma, .wav, .wv, .xm, .aiff, .aif, .ac3, .a52, .aac, .opus, .ogg, .oga, .mid, .midi, .mka.

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura)

Price: free, PRO version is available for $8.99

Latest version: 2.02.12 released on Nov 03, 2022

Cisdem Video Player

Cisdem Video Player is another video player for Mac users have at their disposal. This player 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 video, and adjust video playback. Cisdem Video Player is free to play media but offers in-app purchases as well. The application 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:

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

icon cons Cons:

  • Not available to download on the Mac App Store
  • The interface is a little dated and doesn't blend in well with macOS
  • Not yet updated for native compatibility with Apple Silicon.

Supported media formats: .mp4, .mkv, .webm, .mpeg, .wmv, .ts, .mov, .avi, .aac, .ac3, .aiff, .ape, .mp3, .mp2, .m4a, .ogg, .wma, .mka, .3gp, .3gp2, .asf, .avi, .div, .vob, .flv, .m4v, .dvr, .mpv, .nut, .nsv, .qt, .h264, .rm, .au, VCD .dat, .ts, .mod, .tod, .vro, .amv, .divx, .iso.

Compatibility: macOS (including Ventura), Windows

Price: free to try; $9.99/1 Mac, $19.98/2 Macs, $49.95/5 Macs

Latest version: 5.6.0 released on Dec 29, 2021

QuickTime

Next on our list of best Mac media player solutions is QuickTime. It is a user-friendly app with a convenient set of features for easy video playback from the Internet, videos on 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. As, unfortunately, you need to install additional codes in order to be able to play videos in an uncommon for Apple format.

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
  • Support for HD videos
  • Excellent audio playback integration.

icon cons Cons:

  • Unable to play MKV files
  • .srt format of subtitles is not supported
  • Not so impressive set of supported formats.

Supported media formats: .mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .m4v, .m4r, .aiff, .wav, .mov.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free

Latest version: 10.5 released on Oct 21, 2021

MPlayerX

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

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

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. But still, it should be mentioned that some sites have listed MPlayerX as Mac malware and potentially unwanted programs. Although there is no 100% proof of this claim, it is better to be careful and try one of the more reliable apps.

icon pros Pros:

  • Convenient interface
  • Free of charge
  • Support for subtitles
  • Ability to control using gestures.

icon cons Cons:

  • The app didn’t get any updates since 2016
  • Doesn’t support the drag and drop option.

Supported media formats: .mpeg, .avi, .asf, .wmv, .ogg/.ogm, .spd, .pva, .gif, .mp3, .wav, .mp4, .xmms, .wma, CD audio, etc.

Compatibility: macOS

Price: $1.99

Latest version: 1.1.3 released on Jun 12, 2016

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 videos 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:

  • Support for FR/RW function
  • Ability to organize and manage playlists
  • Ability to broadcast to the big screen
  • Supports 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, mpeg4, etc.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Price: free, Pro version $19.99

Latest version: 10.8 released on Apr 08, 2022

Plex

First of all, Plex is a streaming platform, and second of all, is a Mac video player that can be used to watch video content stored on the Plex Media server. When it comes to video, the combination of MP4 and AAC Audio works best. 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 supports smartphones, tablets, and PCs running OS X, 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, .pcm, .vc1, .wmv3, .asf, .wmv, .mkv, .avi, .mpeg-ts, .ogg, .wav, .mov, .mp4, etc.

Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Price: free, $4.99 monthly for Plex Pass

Latest version: 1.29.1.6316 released on Oct 19, 2022

Infuse

Infuse is characterized by lightness and intuitiveness. This video player for Mac offers a lot of features 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. Infuse is the perfect movie-watching app 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:

  • Supports 4K (Ultra-HD) HDR video playback
  • Ability to download subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org
  • Supports 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, .iso, .ts, .flv, .ogm, .asf, .3gp, .webM, .wtv, .dvr-ms, etc.

Compatibility: macOS

Price: free, $9.99 yearly for Infuse Pro

Latest version: 7.4.7 released on Nov 02, 2022

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 video players have some standard features. Most video/media players will play any media files stored on your computers, like videos or music. 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 best fits your needs (in case you are searching for a specialized MP3 player or WMA player, etc).

Criteria to choose optional Player for Mac

What criteria should Mac media player have in order to be called the best 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 video player, including MKV WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, DAT, FLAC, FLV, SWF, MP3, M4V, MPG, etc. Also, check out our best free music players article.
  • In terms of performance, the media player 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 video 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 media player.
  • 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.

There are a lot of great Mac video player applications that can make watching movies a lot more enjoyable. You no longer need to sacrifice time or computer power converting videos using online or desktop converter apps.

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 a plethora of features and advanced AirPlay functionality, including an AirPlay to Elmedia Player option, it makes an excellent companion application 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.
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.
Elmedia: universal video player
Requirements: macOS 10.12+ , 89.23MB of free space
Version 8.15(3307) (22 Mar, 2023) Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download