正确的媒体播放器可以极大地改变您观看喜爱的电影和电视节目的方式。有几十种可供选择，但很难准确地确定哪种媒体播放器是正确的选择。
虽然大多数玩家的功能基本相同，但各种选项之间存在细微的差异，这些差异会严重影响您的体验。
我们查看了三个最受欢迎的选项 - VLC、Quicktime和Plex - 以(Plex—to)帮助您选择合适的媒体播放器，为您提供最佳的整体体验。让我们从Quicktime开始。
快速时间
QuickTime Player成为许多用户的默认选项(default option)
仅仅是因为它被捆绑到 macOS 中，但即使您默认没有该程序，也有很多理由考虑它。
对于初学者，QuickTime Player可以播放 iTunes 文件。
由于DRM 加密， (DRM encryption)VLC 媒体播放器(VLC Media Player)无法播放 iTunes 文件。如果您是一个沉浸在他们的生态系统中的Mac 用户(Mac user)
，那么您可能会倾向于一个允许您轻松播放 iTunes 购买的选项。当然，缺点是
QuickTime Player仅在Mac系统上可用。Apple于 2016 年正式停止
了对该程序的Windows 支持(Windows support)。
QuickTime Player是您使用 iPhone 录制的视频的首选选项，但对于下载的视频或更晦涩的文件格式可能效果不佳。另一个缺点是QuickTime无法播放最常见的字幕格式 .srt 文件。如果您喜欢在观看时打开字幕，QuickTime可能不是最佳选择。
QuickTime具有直观、易于使用的界面，可以轻松导航和查找您正在寻找的媒体。您还可以使用QuickTime录制和编辑视频，但需要订阅QuickTime
Pro，费用为 29.99 美元。
优点：
(Pros:
)
- 自动包含在 macOS 中
- 适用于 iTunes 文件
- 易于使用的界面
缺点：(Cons:)
- 与 Windows 不兼容
- 不适用于常见的字幕文件
- (Less breadth)兼容性比竞争对手少
VLC
虽然QuickTime是默认媒体播放器，但出于多种原因，VLC通常是最佳选择。最主要的是它支持大量的音频和视频文件格式。媒体播放器也是开源的，可在Windows、Mac和Linux 上(Linux)使用。
虽然不需要外部编解码器，但VLC与几乎愚蠢的插件兼容，允许您扩展功能远远超出基础。通过使用 sftp/ssh 协议，您可以轻松地通过家庭网络传输音频。(home network)
VLC为您能想象到的几乎所有功能提供了键盘快捷键。虽然对于大多数人来说不是媒体播放器最重要的部分，但那些重视便利性(value convenience)的人将享受这为程序增加的灵活性。
缺点是VLC没有世界上最吸引人的界面。颜色选择平淡无奇，具有 90 年代后期的风格。所有功能，没有恩典。当然，美学并不是世界上最重要的东西，但VLC作为(VLC)音乐播放(music player)器也没有最广泛的功能。
该程序在对音乐进行排序时缺少功能。VLC旨在用作视频播放器(video player)。虽然它可以播放音频，但这不是它的主要用途，它会显示在界面中。
优点：(Pros:)
- 适用于 Mac、Windows 和 Linux
- 海量插件
- 流媒体功能
- 广泛的文件兼容性
缺点：(Cons:)
丛
系好安全带——Plex 有很多话要说(Buckle up—Plex)。虽然它是一个媒体播放器，但它更像是一个服务器而不是其他任何东西。当您启动并运行Plex后，您可以使用合适的设备将媒体从您的设备流式传输到家中几乎任何其他设备。如果您想在大屏幕上观看保存在计算机上的大量
音乐和电影，那么(music and movies)Plex就是您的理想去处。
Plex有两个版本：一个免费，一个付费。Plex的优点在于免费版本已经功能齐全。付费版本只是增加了一些可能会吸引少数用户的好处，例如虚拟现实支持和 Sonos 集成(reality support and Sonos integration)。对于绝大多数用户来说，免费套餐绰绰有余。
如果Plex听起来好得令人难以置信，那么它非常接近它。也就是说，在某些领域，麻烦多于好处。您可以轻松地设置您的Plex 服务器(Plex server)，但是当您向其中添加媒体时会出现问题。
实际上添加内容需要命名文件夹和具有特定标题的子文件夹，这项任务很快就会变得乏味。如果您通过此过程，您将获得一个几乎可以从任何地方访问的媒体库。
Plex适用于Mac 和 PC(Mac and PC)，但可以流式传输到几乎任何设备，包括手机。它还集成了Alexa
，因此一旦将文件添加到Plex 目录(Plex directory)中，您就可以要求Alexa播放它，它就会出现。
优点：(Pros:)
- 免费层功能齐全
- 付费版不贵
- 家庭媒体系统的最佳选择之一
- Alexa 兼容性
缺点：(Cons:)
判决
这是一个艰难的选择，但我们的投票支持VLC。它提供了最多的功能和最广泛的与音频和视频格式的兼容性。Plex是紧随其后的亚军，但对于普通用户来说过于复杂和特色。
如果您是想要将您的计算机变成多媒体超级中心的高级用户，那么(power user)Plex是一个不错的选择。另一方面，如果您只需要最低限度的功能并且您拥有Mac，那么内置的QuickTime Player是一个不错的选择。
Quicktime vs VLC vs Plex – Which is the Best Media Player?
Τhe right media player can mаke a huge difference in how you view your favoritе moνies and television shows. There arе dozens to choose from, but it can be hard tо narrow down exactly which media player is the right chоice.
While most players have basically the same features, there are subtle differences between the various options that heavily influence your experience.
We’ve taken a look at three of the most
popular options—VLC, Quicktime, and Plex—to help you pick the right media
player to give you the best overall experience. Let’s start with Quicktime.
QuickTime
QuickTime Player becomes the default option
for a lot of users simply because it is bundled into the macOS, but even if you
don’t have the program by default there are a lot of reasons to consider it.
For starters, QuickTime Player can play
iTunes files. VLC Media Player
cannot play iTunes files due to their DRM encryption. If you’re a Mac user
immersed into their ecosystem, then you may lean toward an option that allows
you to play iTunes purchases with ease. The downside, of course, is that
QuickTime Player is only available on Mac systems. Apple officially ceased
Windows support of the program in 2016.
QuickTime Player is the go-to option for
videos you recorded with your iPhone, but may not fare so well with downloaded
videos or more obscure file formats. Another downside is that QuickTime cannot
play .srt files, the most common subtitle format. If you like to have subtitles
on while you watch, QuickTime might not be the best option.
QuickTime has an intuitive, easy-to-use
interface that makes it easy to navigate and find the media you’re looking for.
You can also record and edit video with QuickTime, but it requires a QuickTime
Pro subscription—a fee of $29.99.
Pros:
- Automatically included with
macOS
- Works with iTunes files
- Easy to use interface
Cons:
- Not compatible with Windows
- Doesn’t work with common
subtitle files
- Less breadth of compatibility
than competitors
VLC
While QuickTime is the default media
player, VLC is often the best option for a host of reasons. The main one is
that it supports a massive number of both audio and video file formats. The
media player is also open-source and available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
While no external codecs are necessary, VLC is compatible with an almost-silly number of plugins that allow you to expand functionality far beyond the basics. You can stream audio across your home network with ease through the use of sftp/ssh protocols.
VLC has keyboard shortcuts for nearly every function you can imagine. While not the most vital part of media player for most people, those that value convenience will enjoy the added flexibility this adds to the program.
The downside is that VLC doesn’t have the most attractive interface in the world. The color choices are bland with a late-90s style. All function, no grace. Of course, aesthetics aren’t the most important thing in the world, but VLC also doesn’t have the widest range of function as a music player.
The program lacks functionality when it comes to sorting your music. VLC is intended as a video player. While it can play audio, that isn’t its primary purpose, and that shows in the interface.
Pros:
- Works with Mac, Windows, and Linux
- Huge number of plug-ins
- Streaming capabilities
- Huge range of file
compatibility
Cons:
- No music sorting capabilities
- Bland user interface
Plex
Buckle up—Plex is a lot to talk about.
While it is a media player, it’s more of a server than anything else. When you
get Plex up and running, you can stream your media from your devices to almost
any other device in your home with the right equipment. If you have a lot of
music and movies saved on your computer that you want to watch on the big
screen, Plex is the place to go.
There are two versions of Plex: one free,
one paid. The great thing about Plex is that the free version is already fully
featured. The paid version just adds in a few more benefits that may appeal to
smaller numbers of users, like virtual reality support and Sonos integration.
For the vast majority of users, the free tier will be more than enough.
If Plex sounds too good to be true, it’s pretty close to it. That said, there are a few areas where it is more of a hassle than a benefit. You can set up your Plex server with ease, but trouble arises when you add media to it.
Actually adding content requires a naming folders and subfolders with specific titles, a task that quickly becomes tedious. If you make it through this process, you’ll be rewarded with a media library you can access from nearly anywhere.
Plex is available for both Mac and PC, but
can be streamed to almost any device including mobile phones. It also has Alexa
integration, so once a file is added to the Plex directory you can ask Alexa to
play it and it will appear.
Pros:
- The free tier is fully
functional
- Paid version is inexpensive
- One of the best options for a
home media system
- Alexa compatibility
Cons:
- Complicated to add media
- More features than are
necessary for the average user
The Verdict
It’s a tough choice, but our vote goes with VLC. It provides the most features and widest range of compatibility with audio and video formats. Plex is a close runner-up, but is just too complex and featured for the average user.
If you are a power user that wants to turn your computer into a multimedia mega-center, then Plex is a great choice. On the other hand, if you only need the bare minimum of functionality and you have a Mac, then the built-in QuickTime Player is a solid choice.
