Say goodbye to VLC as Windows 8.1 gets native MKV support

[Kibaruk]

Why VLC? GOM Player is much faster for MKV Playing....

^ This, love GOM people, love gom.

 

[SirGCal]

I never install codec packs, I just install MPC-HC and call it a day for all the various file types I use. It's the smoothest, prettiest, etc. I just wish I didn't need VLC for Linux, I can't stand VLC TBH... But I haven't found a better solution.

 

[RandomDude]

I never install codec packs, I just install MPC-HC and call it a day for all the various file types I use. It's the smoothest, prettiest, etc. I just wish I didn't need VLC for Linux, I can't stand VLC TBH... But I haven't found a better solution.

Options: GOM player, not very complex, does the job
PotPlayer: from the KMPLayer guys, really great experience (smooth playing on low hardware), you can bind any key to almost any function (including search + download subtitle, hw decoding) etc.
VLC: as you, I cannot stand it. I kept it as a last resort, but after discovering PotPlayer, well, at least for me, there is no need for it anymore

 

[RandomDude]

I never install codec packs, I just install MPC-HC and call it a day for all the various file types I use. It's the smoothest, prettiest, etc. I just wish I didn't need VLC for Linux, I can't stand VLC TBH... But I haven't found a better solution.

Options: GOM player, not very complex, does the job
PotPlayer: from the KMPLayer guys, really great experience (smooth playing on low hardware), you can bind any key to almost any function (including search + download subtitle, hw decoding) etc.
VLC: as you, I cannot stand it. I kept it as a last resort, but after discovering PotPlayer, well, at least for me, there is no need for it anymore

one last thing about PotPlayer, you can configure ...almost anything. This can actually be a negative point also, but it works well out of the box..

 

[Timonius]

Another 'too little too late' initiative from Microsoft. Meanwhile other 3rd party players/codec packs (mentioned in comments) are keeping up with reality just fine.

 

[SNGX1275]

@Kibaruk and the Guest you quoted and maybe @RandomDude

After hearing in this thread about GOM player and how great it is. I decided to get it for my less than a week old install of Windows 7. Here are my experiences:
1. Website directs to cnet download..
2. You really have to watch what the installer is wanting to do (this is fine for us, bad for less experienced users). It wanted to install some toolbar type thing and change my search. After clicking Custom install, I STILL had to uncheck the 2 boxes of crap it was going to do with the Express install.
3. The next screen also wanted to do an express install pushing for some other crap, I don't remember what it was, but I just knew to go custom.
4. Get it installed, then I get a popup of the install for GOM Audio! I have to click cancel (other option is install). I didn't download or want that crap. If I did, I would have clicked it on the GOM page!
5. Navigate to a dir with a lot of mkv files in it.
6. I drag and drop since GOM player is already open (as opposed to double clicking the file) and it pops up a strange dialog box saying .."other similar file(s) do you want to add to playlist?". I have to think about wtf it is wanting to do, I click cancel (there is no 'no').
7. File plays, looks great, subtitles are on by default? Guess good f'ing thing because I got no audio and instead have a very shady looking box pop up saying additional codecs are needed. Not unlike going to a flash video site with adblock disabled.

Conclusion: Horrible experience, downloading VLC right after I post this.

 

[RandomDude]

@Kibaruk and the Guest you quoted and maybe @RandomDude

After hearing in this thread about GOM player and how great it is. I decided to get it for my less than a week old install of Windows 7. Here are my experiences:
1. Website directs to cnet download..
2. You really have to watch what the installer is wanting to do (this is fine for us, bad for less experienced users). It wanted to install some toolbar type thing and change my search. After clicking Custom install, I STILL had to uncheck the 2 boxes of crap it was going to do with the Express install.
3. The next screen also wanted to do an express install pushing for some other crap, I don't remember what it was, but I just knew to go custom.
4. Get it installed, then I get a popup of the install for GOM Audio! I have to click cancel (other option is install). I didn't download or want that crap. If I did, I would have clicked it on the GOM page!
5. Navigate to a dir with a lot of mkv files in it.
6. I drag and drop since GOM player is already open (as opposed to double clicking the file) and it pops up a strange dialog box saying .."other similar file(s) do you want to add to playlist?". I have to think about wtf it is wanting to do, I click cancel (there is no 'no').
7. File plays, looks great, subtitles are on by default? Guess good f'ing thing because I got no audio and instead have a very shady looking box pop up saying additional codecs are needed. Not unlike going to a flash video site with adblock disabled.

Conclusion: Horrible experience, downloading VLC right after I post this.

@ SNGX1275

GOM indeed shoves some things in the installer (mainly their things), I don't like it either.
- related with similar...well, similar files in the same location. Kind of like it..I did not used for a while, some things are changed
- related with the codec, yes, it actually downloads the codec it needs, but only for GOM, not for the system (which is where you also have problems with codec packs, in the system)
From what I know, PotPLayer does not do that
What I actually want to say, that, your experience will differ from software to software, but you have to give them a chance.

 

[Guest]

I tried to install GOM and my printer burst in flames.
I tried to install PotPlayer and my left knee hurts ever since.
I'll stick with VMC.

 

[Arris]

While it's great that Windows has/will have native support for MKV and FLAC, I'm waiting for these features on Windows Phone, where these are more needed than on Windows.

From what I've read Windows 10 will be running on all devices. So with Windows Phone 8 updated to "Windows 10" hopefully the MKV and FLAC support will be included.

 

[Cryio]

VLC is the noob edition of Media Player Classic. It supports the same codecs, just as good hardware acceleration but a complete hassle to apply shaders to improve visual quality.

Gom ... why is anyone still using Gom? YES, it's the best CPU optimized media player program, but everything these days is using hardware acceleration, making your CPU power almost irelevant.

Also, using MPC makes it useless to install any other codec pack, since MPC *is* the code pack, with a very good media player included.

 

[Per Hansson]

MPC-HC and if you are totally anal about smooth playback like me add to that madVR
No need for any codecs these days, MPC-HC can play everything I throw at it.

 

[cliffordcooley]

There you have it, the top 5 recommendations by TechSpot readers. We should have a poll and put some numbers behind these recommendations. Although I don't use VLC, I have a feeling VLC would come out on top.

Media Player list: (In no particular order)

• WMP
• MPC-HC
• VLC
• GOM
• PotPlayer

I'm sure there are more, but they have not been mentioned. Since K-lite Codec Pack comes with MPC-HC and a choice to keep WMP as default, I only listed the player not the codec pack.

 

[DAOWAce]

Anyone using WMP for video content, well, I feel a bit of pity for them.

I use WMP solely for music, and WMP9 at that, as later ones are absolute trash.

Getting more native support for WMP will only help the computer illiterate, everyone else will stay on VLC/MPC, the latter of which I use.