Among the most popular open source programs we find VLC, the "all-rounder" player capable of playing any video or audio file without the installation of codecs or paid packages (as in the case of Windows 10, where the default app asks for a add-on package to open certain types of video files).
It is so powerful that it can easily replace the old Windows Media Player or the Audio and Video app, but it is not the only product that we can try for free: in fact, there are many alternatives to VLC that are just waiting to be installed on our PCs .
In this guide we will show you the best alternatives to VLC to play audio and video on your PC, so as to always have a ready alternative in case VLC should make tantrums or not be able to play multimedia content.
READ ALSO: Best Programs to watch movies and videos on the PC
Best alternatives to VLC
It is impossible to say which is the best in this context because the choice always depends on how you are used to and why in the end they are all very effective in reading multimedia files. In fact, the only fundamental thing for a Media Player is that it reads all the audio and video formats that we can make at home or that we can download, including AVI, MP4, MP3 and in high quality HD formats distributed in the MKV (Matroska) container. Having a program that opens everything, there will be no need to worry about what kind of file it is or to make strange conversions, you will only think about putting it on the screen.The feature of all the programs that we are going to report is that they are all provided with an open source license, identical to that provided by VLC: in fact we will always use free software and free of surprises or dangerous advertising additions (very common on the programs available free with closed license).
MPC-HC
The first alternative we recommend you try is MPC-HC, an evolution of the old Media Player Classic.
This open source player supports all the most popular audio and video formats, offers an easy to use interface, is very light in memory once started, can also play videos in high definition and provides a management screen for digital channels terrestrial (if we have a TV Tuner card inside the PC).
If we are looking for something light and practical to use even on an old laptop or computer, MPC-HC is definitely the best choice at the moment (it is faster and more performing than VLC).
MPC-BE
If the interface of MPC-HC does not convince you at all (in fact it closely resembles the old Windows Media Player and may not be liked by everyone), we can download a modified and improved version called MPC-BE.
This player has the same functions as MPC-HC but improves its interface, usability and support for high definition optical and video discs (including MKV 4K), to the point that it can be considered its true "heir".
The constant development of the player guarantees support for all new codecs and new vision technologies (such as HDR and color depths greater than 8-bit): by installing it on our computer instead of VLC we will be sure to always be able to use a light, powerful and fast player with any video and on any PC (even an old one).
MPV
Another open source video and audio player that we can use instead of VLC is MPV.
Graphically it is one of the most well-kept players, integrating perfectly with Windows 10 and with other operating systems: once the video has started, a large part of the viewing area will be dedicated to it, with the buttons and control commands present in the lower bar (in transparency).
Although it may seem elementary, this player supports all the functions already seen also on VLC and on the other open source players, to which it adds a carefully crafted interface and support for hardware acceleration (also present on other players but on MPV it is definitely better exploited).
If we are looking for a player that is nice to see and use, MPV is definitely the best choice.
SMPlayer
SMPlayer is an open source media player that makes customization its strong point.
This player is able to read any man-made audio or video file (even unknown formats or fragments of partially downloaded files) to which it adds a high level of customization: we can in fact easily change the graphic interface and download new themes from the official website and new skills, so as to make the reader unique.
The basic interface is similar to Media Player Classic, it has simple-to-use video controls and above all it occupies few computer resources, so that it can run smoothly even on computers over 10 years of age.
IINA (Mac)
If we are looking for an alternative player to play audio and video files on Mac, we recommend trying the IINA app.
This simple and light program will allow us to open any video downloaded or present on the Mac in a clean interface, with retractable control keys and full support for Mac hardware, so that you can also play videos in HD without jerks (including 4K UHD videos, often difficult to play on older Macs).
It is currently the only real alternative to VLC as a player to be used on Mac: our advice is to keep them both and use the reader that convinces us the most (for a quick reading of the downloaded files we can use IINA while to enjoy a film of two hours or more we can use one or the other depending on the moment).
Conclusions
VLC is in itself an already complete program and capable of carrying out its task in a big way, but if for some reason we found ourselves badly, open source alternatives are not lacking, whatever the platform used on the computer.If instead of a video player we are looking for a much more complex program like a Media Center, we recommend you read our guide to Multimedia programs for PC-TVs alternative to Windows Media Center .
To find other free video players we can rely on the suggestions seen in our article on the Best Programs to watch movies and videos on your PC .
