Microsoft从未为Windows用户提供过真正出色的媒体播放器。如果文件格式(file format)不寻常，或者更糟糕的是，该文件具有DRM，则预安装的影视(Movies & TV)应用程序将无法播放它。甚至不要考虑尝试古老的Windows Media Player。
考虑到这一点，你需要安装一个高质量的媒体播放器，能够播放你扔给它的任何类型的文件。您也不需要为此特权付费，因为这里有 7 个您今天可以安装的适用于Windows的最佳免费媒体播放器。(Windows)
此外，如果您想观看视频，请务必在此处查看我们发布到 YouTube 频道(YouTube channel here)的简短视频。
VLC 媒体播放器(VLC Media Player)(VLC Media Player)
当电影和电视(Movies & TV) 应用程序不(app doesn)播放您的内容时，大多数Windows用户会下载的第一个免费媒体播放器是VLC 媒体播放器(VLC Media Player)。它仍然是可用于任何平台（包括Windows(Windows)）的最知名且可以说是最好的媒体播放器之一。
VLC无法播放媒体文件的情况很少见，但加密或已损坏的文件除外。它可以播放本地媒体文件，以及处理来自其他本地资源（如数字电视接收器）的互联网直播和(TV receiver)广播内容(broadcast content)。
VLC还可以帮助您将视频文件从一种格式转换为另一种格式，保存YouTube 视频(YouTube videos)以供离线播放，以及使用网络摄像头录制您自己的视频。如果您是音乐迷(music fan)，您可以使用VLC来播放您自己的VLC 音乐(VLC music)播放列表中的音乐。
科迪(Kodi)(Kodi)
(Kodi)由于活跃的第三方插件场景，Kodi在某些地方名声不佳，但它是Windows 10用户功能最强大和最好的免费媒体播放器之一。
从最初的Xbox开始，Kodi已经发展成为一个大屏幕娱乐平台(entertainment platform)，能够从单一界面播放音乐、视频、电视直播等。UI 是为电视(TVs)设计的，但这并不意味着它也不能在 PC 上使用。
像VLC一样，Kodi几乎可以播放你扔给它的任何媒体文件。它可以轻松处理网络连接的存储设备，让您可以通过本地网络 播放电视和电影目录。(TV and movie catalog)
正如我们所提到的，第三方插件有助于进一步扩展 Kodi 的功能，允许您在线播放来自其他来源的内容。并非所有这些都与盗版有关，有可用于Netflix 和 YouTube 播放(Netflix and YouTube playback)的附加组件。
使用Media Player Classic 之(Media Player Classic)类的名称，您可以假设此媒体播放器已经存在了一段时间。事实上，MPC-HC（HC 代表家庭影院(Home Cinema)）是原版的一个分支，具有附加功能和错误修复。
MPC-HC简单、快速且易于使用，是其他免费媒体播放器的轻量级替代品，尤其是在资源较少的Windows PC(Windows PCs)上。
不要被过时的界面所拖延，因为MPC-HC是可用的最强大的媒体播放器之一。像VLC一样，它处理常见和不寻常的媒体文件，包括DVD(DVDs)和直播流的播放。
它也是可定制的，界面皮肤和插件能够进一步扩展功能。
MPC-HC的一个缺点是开发停滞不前，这意味着自 2017 年以来没有任何新功能或修复。然而，它在Windows 10上仍然运行良好，并且仍然是最好的媒体播放器之一，尤其是对于旧 PC。
多用途车(MPV)(MPV)
我们很高兴地报告VLC 并不是(VLC isn)唯一正在开发的活跃的开源媒体播放器，这要归功于MPV。MPV是另一个fork 项目(fork project)，它吸收了旧MPlayer和 mplayer2 项目的最佳部分，并在此过程中添加了新功能和接口。
事实上，MPV根本没有太多的界面。媒体(Media)控件在播放过程中是隐藏的，但如果您将鼠标悬停在它上面，它们会出现。您也无法访问任何设置。要播放文件，只需将它们拖到打开的窗口中即可。
这可能不会吸引所有用户，但它肯定是一种不同的方法。MPV具有其他突出的功能，包括为软件添加附加功能的许多第三方脚本，允许您自定义MPV播放内容的方式。
至于播放您喜欢的媒体文件，MPV就可以了——它可以播放几乎所有类型的视频格式(video format)，包括在线和本地流媒体。
播放器(PotPlayer)(PotPlayer)
免费，虽然不是开源的，但PotPlayer是其他已知Windows媒体播放器的一个很好的替代品。来自韩国公司Kakao的这个条目是一个高度可定制的播放器，也加入了一些不寻常的功能。
PotPlayer是轻量级的，使用硬件加速(hardware acceleration)来提高播放性能(playback performance)，能够播放几乎所有常见的视频格式。它还支持本地电视接收器，包括DVB-T 和 DVB-S(DVB-T and DVB-S)。
与基本的MPV 界面(MPV interface)不同，PotPlayer是高度可定制的，具有各种界面皮肤和大量设置，可让您调整PotPlayer播放文件的方式。PotPlayer也被用来播放一些损坏的媒体文件，尽管您自己的体验可能会有所不同，具体取决于文件。
有了这么多设置，PotPlayer可能会让普通用户感到有些困惑，但对于Windows 高级(Windows power)用户来说，它可能是一个不错的选择。
丛(Plex)
Plex(Plex isn)不仅仅是一个简单而免费的媒体播放器，所以不要指望它会成为类似VLC 的替代品(VLC replacement)。它是一个媒体播放器和服务器(player and server)组合，允许您托管媒体文件并将它们流式传输到其他Plex 播放(Plex playback)设备。
它是适用于Windows 10(Windows 10)的最精美的媒体系统之一。Plex功能包括打折的Tidal 音乐播放、广告支持的电影，以及用于播放来自(Tidal music)YouTube等在线资源的媒体的各种附加应用程序。
Plex可以处理大多数常见媒体文件的播放，但如果您正在流式传输高分辨率内容(high-resolution content)，则需要在高性能 PC 上托管您的Plex媒体服务器。(Plex)
如果你想在一个地方组织你的电影和电视节目，Plex允许你这样做，为你的内容添加有用的缩略图和描述以便更好地组织。
全部播放器(AllPlayer)(AllPlayer)
AllPlayer可能不像其他一些最好的媒体播放器那样出名，但它不应该被打折。它称自己是最好的字幕媒体播放器，这与事实相差不远。
AllPlayer不仅很好地支持字幕，而且该软件将搜索并自动下载它识别的媒体内容的字幕。它还支持常见的媒体格式，包括 4K 的高分辨率文件。
如果您有听力障碍，AllPlayer可以让您轻松观看视频内容(video content)。视障用户也可以利用AllPlayer的语音合成器(s speech synthesizer)读出字幕，让您观看外语电影。
AllPlayer(Development)上的开发(AllPlayer)是活跃的，包括移动设备的远程控制应用程序。(control apps)
在 Windows 上轻松播放媒体(Media Playback on Windows Made Easy)
在设置新的 Windows PC(setting up a new Windows PC)时，安装一个好的免费媒体播放器应该是您的首要任务之一。VLC 和 MPV(VLC and MPV)等播放器可以处理大多数文件格式，但您可以使用Plex 或 Kodi(Plex or Kodi)等娱乐套件(entertainment suite)全力以赴。
VLC 用户还可以将 VLC 与 Chromecast(use VLC with a Chromecast)一起使用，以在大屏幕上欣赏他们的视频。
7 Best Free Media Players for Windows
Microsoft has never offered a truly great media player for Wіndows users. If the file format is unusυal or, worse still, the file has DRM, then the pre-installed Movies & TV app won’t play it. Don’t еven think about trying the ancient Windowѕ Media Playеr, either.
With that in mind, you’ll need to install a top-quality media player, capable of playing any type of file you throw at it. You don’t need to pay for the privilege, either, because here are 7 of the best free media players for Windows you can install today.
Also, if you’d rather watch a video, make sure to check out the short one we posted to our YouTube channel here.
When the Movies & TV app doesn’t play your content, the first free media player most Windows users will download is VLC Media Player. It remains one of the most well known and arguably best media players available for any platform, including Windows.
It’s rare that VLC won’t be able to play a media file, with exceptions for files that are encrypted or have been corrupted. It can play local media files, as well as handle internet live streams and broadcast content from other local sources like a digital TV receiver.
VLC can also help you convert video files from one format to another, save YouTube videos for offline playback, and record your own videos using your webcam. If you’re a music fan, you can use VLC to play your music with your own VLC music playlists.
Kodi has a bit of a bad reputation in certain places, thanks to an active third-party add-on scene, but it’s one of the most functional and best free media players for Windows 10 users.
From its humble beginnings on the original Xbox, Kodi has grown into a big-screen entertainment platform, capable of playing music, videos, TV live streams, and more from a single interface. The UI is designed for TVs, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used on PCs, too.
Like VLC, Kodi is capable of playing pretty much any media file you throw at it. It can handle network-attached storage devices with ease, allowing you to play your TV and movie catalog over your local network.
Third-party add-ons, as we’ve mentioned, help to extend Kodi’s functionality further, allowing you to play content from other sources online. Not all of these are piracy-related, with add-ons available for Netflix and YouTube playback.
With a name like Media Player Classic, you can assume this media player has been around for a while. In fact, MPC-HC (HC standing for Home Cinema) is a fork of the original, with added features and bug fixes.
Simple, quick and easy to use, MPC-HC is a lightweight alternative to other free media players, especially on lower-resource Windows PCs.
Don’t be put off by the dated interface, because MPC-HC is one of the most capable media players available. Like VLC, it handles common and unusual media files, with playback for DVDs and live streams included.
It’s also customizable, with interface skins and plugins able to extend functionality further.
The one downside to MPC-HC is that development has stalled, meaning there have been no new features or fixes since 2017. It still runs great on Windows 10, however, and is still one of the best media players, especially for older PCs.
We’re happy to report that VLC isn’t the only active, open-source media player in development, thanks to MPV. MPV is another fork project, taking the best bits of the older MPlayer and mplayer2 projects, adding new features and interface along the way.
In fact, MPV doesn’t have much of an interface at all. Media controls are hidden during playback, although they’ll appear if you hover over it. You can’t access any settings, either. To play files, you just drag them into the open window.
This might not appeal to all users, but it’s certainly a different approach. MPV has other stand-out features, including a number of third-party scripts that add additional functionality to the software, allowing you to customize the way MPV plays your content.
As for playing your favorite media files, MPV just works—it can play pretty much every type of video format, including online and local streaming.
Free, although not open-source, PotPlayer is a good alternative to other known media players for Windows. This entry from the South Korean company Kakao is a highly customizable player, with a couple of unusual features thrown in, too.
PotPlayer is lightweight, using hardware acceleration to improve playback performance, with the ability to playback almost all common video formats. It also supports local TV receivers, including DVB-T and DVB-S.
Unlike the basic MPV interface, PotPlayer is extremely customizable, with various interface skins and an enormous number of settings to let you adjust how PotPlayer plays your files. PotPlayer has also been used to play some corrupted media files, although your own experiences may vary, depending on the file.
With so many settings, PotPlayer might be a little confusing for the casual user, but it could be a good option for Windows power users.
Plex isn’t just a simple and free media player, so don’t expect it to be a like-for-like VLC replacement. It’s a media player and server combined, allowing you to host your media files and stream them to other Plex playback devices.
It’s one of the most polished media systems available for Windows 10. Plex features include discounted Tidal music playback, ad-supported movies, and various add-on apps to play media from online sources like YouTube.
Plex can handle playback of most common media files, but if you’re streaming high-resolution content, you’ll need to host your Plex media server on a high-powered PC.
If you want to organize your movies and TV shows in a single place, Plex allows you to do this, adding helpful thumbnails and descriptions to your content for better organization.
AllPlayer might not be as well known as some of the other best media players, but it shouldn’t be discounted. It calls itself the best media player for subtitles, and that isn’t too far from the truth.
Not only are subtitles well supported in AllPlayer, but the software will search for and automatically download subtitles for media content it recognizes. It also supports common media formats, including high-resolution files in 4K.
If you’re hearing-impaired, AllPlayer makes watching your video content a simple process. Visually-impaired users can take advantage of AllPlayer’s speech synthesizer to read out subtitles, too, allowing you to watch movies in a foreign language.
Development on AllPlayer is active, and includes remote control apps for mobile devices.
Media Playback on Windows Made Easy
Installing a good, free media player should be one of your first tasks when setting up a new Windows PC. Players like VLC and MPV will handle most file formats, but you can go all-out with an entertainment suite like Plex or Kodi instead.
VLC users can also use VLC with a Chromecast to enjoy their videos on the big screen instead.
