Flip4Mac Player is a multi-format video player from leading video software developer Telestream. With Flip4Mac Windows Media Components for QuickTime, you can play Windows Media files (.wma and.wmv) directly in QuickTime Player and view Windows Media content on the Internet using a web browser. VLC Media Player is an Open Source Multimedia Player licensed with GPL that allows you to view videos and listen to audios in practically any format. VLC Media Player can play any video or audio format, including MPEG, WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, H.264/AVC, FLV, MP3 and OGG, along with many others. Above all are the best free video players for Windows or Mac on the PC. Which free media player is your favorite? FAQs About Windows10 Video Player 1. How to Play DVDs in Windows 10 for Free? Windows 10 doesn’t have a dedicated DVD Player. Windows Media Center has been discontinued & replaced with Windows DVD Player. On your Mac, open the App Store. Do one of the following: To search for Windows Media Audio converters, type wma into the search box, and then press Return. To search for Windows Media Video converters, type wmv into the search box, and then press Return. From the list of results, download and install the conversion software you want.
There are a plethora of Mac video players on the app market. From my perspective, the best video player for Mac should support a vast assortment of formats, crisp visual display, and user-friendly operating features. In this huge and intensely competitive market, we can't figure out which free Mac video player is the best choice at once. If you have the same doubts, then you come to the right place. In this article, I'd like to show you the best media player for Mac that can give you excellent visual enjoyment.
4 Tips on Choosing the Best Media Player for Mac
The best video player for Mac is supposed to:
- Be free of ads, viruses, malware, and spyware.
- Born with a slick and directive interface, making the app simple to navigate.
- Come with strong coding skills and support wide-ranging video & audio format, so you can play any media file including 4K/5K video without losing quality.
- Have compact and basic video playback functions, like play/pause, time display, volume control, etc.
Well, I’ve listed and tested a bunch of Mac video players and screened out the top 10 best free video player for Mac with the above reference in mind.
Top 10 Best Video Player for Mac 2021
Video player software isn’t rare, but top free video player for Mac users is not easy to come by. Hence we picked out the 10 best video players for Mac and give you some detailed information below.
#1. Cisdem Video Player for Mac
Compatibility: macOS 10.10 or later
Cisdem Video Player is an incredible program playing a vast assortment of media file formats. It’s fully compatible with all popular video formats (e.g. WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V, FLV, MKV, RMVB, MPEG, etc.), as well as audio files (e.g. MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, M4A, etc.). The software supports all those codecs ensuring the playback of high-quality video files a breeze.
This best video player Mac takes care of your local media files and the music/videos downloaded from YouTube, Vimeo, or others. You can automatically or manually add subtitles in .ass and .srt formats. It offers smoother playback while other media players show a video jitter, choppy, or stalling.
Cisdem best Mac video player contains a built-in video converter, allowing you to media files to MP4, M4V, MOV, MP3, M4A, iPhone, iPad, Samsung, and so on. It's totally free to play video & audio files but to unlock the conversion function, you need to upgrade to the pro version.
Pros:
- Equipped with a concise and decent interface
- Play video/audio files in more than 100 formats
- Play 1080P, 4K, 5K, and even 8K videos
- Load subtitles in any language, or import subtitles, as you want
- Choose the audio soundtracks and stereo
- Capture snapshots of each frame
- Turn volume up or down
- Take less occupancy on CPU memory of your Mac
FAQ: What're the differences between Cisdem Video Player and Cisdem Video Converter?
Cisdem Video Player | Cisdem Video Converter | |
---|---|---|
Download | Free download | Download the free trial |
Price | Free ($9.99 to active conversion feature) | $49.99 |
Video Play | Dedicated video player (rich playback controls) | Inbuilt-in video player (non-primary function) |
Video Convert | Support 40+ output formats | Support 300+ formats |
Batch Convert | No | Yes |
Extra | / | Rip DVD movies and music Download online videos from 1000+ sites |
Flip4mac Wmv Player For Mac Download
Both programs support playing and converting features. But as their names indicate, the former is mainly used to play videos, while the latter is a professional video converter & downloader.
#2. VLC Media Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or newer
VLC Media Player, an uncluttered, open-source and cross-platform program, supports DivX and MPEG streaming. It can play DVDs, CDs, VCDs, network streaming protocols, and various types of video files. The best video player Mac offers playlist for viewing multiple videos one after the other.
Meanwhile, VLC empowers you to open Zip media files without unpacking them. And you can simply tweak the playback controls and audio volume (up to 200%). But it’s a little delayed while playing, 'Each time I click on run video network it plays other audio and DVDs, etc. and after a million times it finally plays the YouTube video.'
Pros:
- Help you enjoy Windows Media, MP3, QuickTime, and OGG files.
- Record the movies/music you are playing with VLC
- Adjust playback speed (slower, normal, and faster)
- Support external subtitles and Closed Captions
Cons:
- Outdated user interface
- Delay a little while playing the media files
#3. MPlayerX for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7 or above
MPlayerX is one of the fastest choices to play MPEG (damaged MPEG files included), MP4, AVI, ASF, WMV, MOV, WAV, OGG/OGM, CD audio, etc. Plus, this best media player for Mac supports multi-touch, gesture, auto-encode subtitles, and online YouTube/Vimeo playback. But don't confuse MPlayerX and MPlayer OSX Extended. They are two completely different programs.
Pros:
- Stand-alone video player for Mac
- Support various output formats and devices
- Auto convert subtitles for media files
Cons:
- Injects pop-up ads or advertising banners which may bring a virus
- Take up too much CPU
- Encounter problem when open the software and ask you to eject the disk image
#4. QuickTime Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or above
QuickTime Player, bundled with the Mac operating system, is Apple's flagship software. It ensures you to view Internet video, HD movie trailers, and personal media. This best media player for Mac is slick and easy to use. You can quickly export your videos to 4k, 1080p, 720p, 480p (based on original resolution) or extract them as M4A audio. It also functions as a screen recorder. You can record your playing movie, track, or anything on your current desktop.
However, it supports limited video formats. For more formats available like FLV, you have to install external plug-in Perian.
Pros:
- No additional installation required
- Provide you with advanced H.264 video compression technology to help deliver perfect HD video with less storage space.
- Record your Mac screen
Cons:
- A bit slow to launch
- Can’t work with common subtitle files
- Can’t open MKV, WMV, WMA, AVI, FLV, etc.
#5. Elmedia Player for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.9.0 or later
A multifunctional free media player for Mac, Elmedia Player supports a wide range of common and not so common audio & video formats, including FLV, SWF, WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, DAT, FLAC, M4V, MPG, MKV, and more. It can play virtually all media files on your Mac. Although it has some other special features, such as downloading online videos from YouTube and adjusting audio settings, they are not free and need to be upgraded.
Pros:
- Play online videos without ads
- Support embedded and external subtitles
- Save and load playlist
- Reset audio delay
Cons:
- Consume major CPU
- Might lose video quality when swiping back and forth
- Only pro version allows to take screenshots
#6. 5KPlayer for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.8.0 or higher
5KPlayer is a mixture of free AirPlay media streamer, online video downloader, music player and movie player for Mac. All HD, 4K, 5K videos including MKV, MTS, AVCHD are supported. With AirPlay streaming tech, you can as AirPlay sender/receiver: stream video music from iPhone, iPad to PC or from PC to Apple TV. Although the best Mac video player lets you download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc., the download process will be bit slower.
Pros:
- Embedded copious codecs for playing different audio, video, and DVD.
- No need to install additional codec or pack.
- Import subtitle and switch soundtrack
- Manage YouTube downloaded videos, DLNA server, and playlist in library
Cons:
- Install Bonjour voluntarily without any hint when you need to make AirPlay work
- The media player will get stuck when playing high resolution & long videos
#7. Realplayer for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.9 or later
Realplayer can play all formats of videos. This best video player Mac is a universal media player that automatically recognizes the file format of the video or audio file you want to play. So you can count on it to reliably play the most popular audio and video file formats including AVI, MP4, MP3, WMA, WAV, FLV, MPEG, and more. It requires a fairly powerful machine for some functions. Several applications need to be installed in advance to launch the application properly.
Pros:
- Offer several visualization ways for listening and locates your media files automatically.
- Include handy downloading and conversion features that may benefit some users.
#8. DivX Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.5.0 or above
DivX Player delivers high-quality video playback for AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4, and more. It is the best video player Mac to watch DivX, MKV, and HEVC up to 4K films. You can use its built-in TransferWizard to burn videos to DVD/USB/computer. It also comes with DivX Codec Pack and a free 15-day trial of DivX Plus Converter for those who plan to convert.
Pros:
- Support playing HD 720P/1080P, UHD 4K video movies
- Open video directly with URL
- Import video files into library
Cons:
- Large installation file and install other software without permission
- Poor compatibility with the latest system
- Lack some key features, e.g. rewind and forward
#9. Movist Video Player for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.10.0 or late
Wmv Player Mac Os
Movist, based on QuickTime and FFmpeg, is another best media player for Mac. It has the ability to encode/decode a multitude of formats and add subtitles. You can do some general and advanced settings for better and convenient video playback. However, the new versions like 2.4.2, 2.4.3 are not free now, which charge $4.99 or $7.99 (Movist Pro). To get Movist free video player for Mac, you should install the old version like 0.6.8 or before.
Pros:
- Simple to operate
- Support playlist
- Many customizable options
#10. NicePlayer for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.5 or above
NicePlayer is the best Video Player for Mac with a multi-engine player designed for playing movies nicely. This program features full-screen or borderless floating windows, useful controls for scrubbing or queuing movies, and on-the-fly playlist creation.
Pros:
- Lightweight and compatible with most formats
- Can adjust the aspect ratio
- Make a suitable presentation with the aid of toolbar (Half Size, Double Size, Fill Screen, Fill Width, etc.)
Cons:
- Can’t handle AVI, MKV or MPG videos.
- No support for subtitles and changing audio sources, etc.
- Unable to play the videos by dragging it to the software
- Not convenient to switch to another video
What is Media Player (Software)?
We often need the best media player for Mac, but before installing new software it is good to get some knowledge about it.
According to the explanation from Wikipedia, a media player (software) is a handy program that can help you play videos, music, movies, and other multimedia files on the computer. All media players display standard media control icons: play, pause, fast-forward, back forward, and stop buttons.
How to Use the Best Video Player for Mac?
All video players mentioned above are easy to use. Let's take Cisdem Video Player as an example:
Step 1. Download and install the best free video player for Mac, then launch it.
Step 2. Drag and drop the video file you wish to watch to the interface of the software.
Step 3. Click button to start video play on Mac.
How to Change the Default Video Player on Mac?
QuickTime Player is the default Mac media player. You can change it into the best video player for Mac you think.
Step 1. Locate the media file you wish to play.
Step 2. Right-click on it, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Choose “Open With” > “Other”, which brings up a dialog for selecting the application to open your media file.
Step 4. Choose your best media player Mac, check the box- “Always Open With”, and click on “Open”.
Conclusion
I deem that you already have the best media player for Mac in your mind, just download it on Mac and have a try if it is right the thing as you expected. Here I advise those who still feel a little confused to choose from, I push Cisdem Video Player for Mac in front of you. it gets more and more reputation and becomes a stable status among the market. 4K video, 5K/1080p HD videos, all of popular SD & HD standard video formats which other free video player tools unable to support, or add subtitle files, Cisdem Video Player for Mac can all fix it. What’s the best I enjoy, it offers crisp and clear visual image, I feel the video playing quite high quality.
Since macOS doesn't come with any software that can play WMV files, if you have got some WMV videos and want to play them on your Mac, you may be wondering how to play WMV on Mac. The good news is that there are many programs can help you convert WMV to Mac friendly MOV, MP4 and M4V format. Meanwhile, there are some free WMV players for Mac that lets you watch WMV videos on Mac for free. Below are several best ways to play WMV videos on Mac (including newly macOS 10.15 Catalina).
As we know, QuickTime and iTunes are perfect for playing videos on Mac. However, WMV format is not supported by QuickTime or iTunes. Fortunately, with the help of Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate, you can easily and quickly convert WMV to QuickTime and iTunes MOV or MP4 with the video quality preserved. It's built-in video player allows you to watch WMV and any other video on Mac without any hassles. Besides, this Mac video converter can also convert WMV and any other popular video format to M4V, MKV, FLV, ASF, AVI, MPG, MTS, TS, etc. Get it now and play WMV videos anywhere you like!
How to Play WMV on Mac Easily
01 Download Aimersoft WMV Player
Click the Free Download button below to install Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate on your Mac. It is compatbile with macOS 10.6-10.15. Open it. Click the Add Files button to load the WMV on your Mac.
Now the WMV video is displayed in the program as thumbnail. Move your mouse over the thumbnail, and click the Play icon.
02 Play WMV on Mac
Download mac os el capitan app store. Now it's playing WMV on Mac! You can enjoy the full screen by clicking the first icon at the lower-right corner. And it also allows you to take the screenshot of the video.
Part 2. How to Convert WMV to MOV (macOS Official Format)
Well, if you want more than playing WMV on Mac, and want to edit the WMV, you will have to convert WMV to MOV. The following will show you the steps.
01 Add WMV to Aimersoft Converter
To convert WMV on Mac, simply click Add Files on the left bottom to import the WMV videos to the program. Multiple WMV files can be added and converted at one time.
02 Choose MOV as output format
Then choose video formats and select the preferred video format as output format. You can do it following: Convert all tasks to > Video > MOV > and then choose a resolution.
03 Convert WMV to MOV
The last step is to click on the Convert All button. After a few seconds, you can get the MOV files on the Converted tab.
Free download Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate on your Mac. You will have no more troubles with the WMV files any more!
Part 3. Other Tools to Play WMV on Mac
#1. Windows Media Player for Mac
You might be surprised that you can use Windows Media Player to play WMV files on Mac for free. Yeah, there is a Mac version of Windows Media Player. However, there is no upgrade of this Mac app from Microsoft. Install it on your Mac and then you are able to watch your WMV videos on Mac smoothly.
#2. Flip4Mac
Flip4Mac is another program provided by Microsoft that can help you play WMV videos on Mac. It's a Windows Media component for QuickTime. By installing it on your Mac, you can play WMV directly in QuickTime Player. But you may find that Flip4Mac only supports WMV on Mac, any other format like AVI, MKV or FLV are not supported. And WMV playback is also in the basic level, if you want to get a better visual effects, you need to upgrade your Flip4Mac to a pro version at least.
#3. VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is one of the best free WMV players for Mac. With it, you can play WMV, AVI, MKV, FLV, etc. non-Apple formats on your Mac without any troubles. The only question is that you may need to install some codec packages to make VLC work on WMV. Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate for Mac helps you bypass these question.