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MathiasDK · Apr 19, 2005, 08:21 AM

Hello,

I've been using VLC since I got mac abour three yoars ago. I have startet thinking if there is anything better than this? I find it to crash sometimes and beeing to slow when jumping in large moviefiles.

Any better suggestions?

Is use a G3 800 iBook with 384 RAM / Jaguar.

Millennium · Apr 19, 2005, 08:35 AM

I like MPlayer's interface better than VLC's, to be honest. I've found a couple of files which VLC can play that MPlayer can't, but I haven't found many (and I keep VLC around for those few files).

rmongold · Apr 19, 2005, 08:48 AM

I like MPlayer pretty well, too as it consolidates QuickTime and WMP video formats into one application. Now, if only you could open more than one movie at a time (a la QuickTime)...

memento · Apr 19, 2005, 10:59 AM

Still quicktime for me, but I keep mplayer, VLD, and xineplayer on hand just in case I need them.

I see that flip4mac.com has WMV for quicktime now. You can have the best of all worlds.

nonhuman · Apr 19, 2005, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Millennium

I like MPlayer's interface better than VLC's, to be honest. I've found a couple of files which VLC can play that MPlayer can't, but I haven't found many (and I keep VLC around for those few files).

Same here. I use MPlayer for just about everything (I like being able to skip forward and backward with the keyboard, though finer control would be nice). I keep VLC around for playing DVDs (I have discs from a bunch of different regions) as well as for FLAC and the occassional file MPlayer doesn't like.

Millennium · Apr 19, 2005, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Same here. I use MPlayer for just about everything (I like being able to skip forward and backward with the keyboard, though finer control would be nice).

You've just named my favorite feature of MPlayer. Keyboard skip is an excellent concept, and they've integrated it into the app quite well.

Turias · Apr 19, 2005, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Same here. I use MPlayer for just about everything (I like being able to skip forward and backward with the keyboard, though finer control would be nice). I keep VLC around for playing DVDs (I have discs from a bunch of different regions) as well as for FLAC and the occassional file MPlayer doesn't like.

Strange, I prefer VLC because of its interface, however I have a few files that VLC chokes on that I use MPlayer to view. I guess the biggest thing that bugs me about MPlayer is that two separate processes launch: the controller and the player. I have found this makes controlling both of them quite difficult.

And you can skip forward and backward in VLC using the keyboard. Check out Preferences -> Hot Keys. In there, you can assign keys to jump forward and backward by 10 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes. Does MPlayer do more than this?

nonhuman · Apr 19, 2005, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Turias

Strange, I prefer VLC because of its interface, however I have a few files that VLC chokes on that I use MPlayer to view. I guess the biggest thing that bugs me about MPlayer is that two separate processes launch: the controller and the player. I have found this makes controlling both of them quite difficult.

Yeah that's annoying. But not really a big deal for me.

And you can skip forward and backward in VLC using the keyboard. Check out Preferences -> Hot Keys. In there, you can assign keys to jump forward and backward by 10 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes. Does MPlayer do more than this?

Interesting. I'll have to check that out.

I can't remember, does VLC let you resize videos by just dragging the window out? I don't think it used to at any rate. That's another thing I really like in MPlayer.

EDIT: Oh, I've also found that the MPlayer does a better job of keeping subtitles in sync with the video when watching fansubs. That was a big factor in me switching to MPlayer.

juanvaldes · Apr 19, 2005, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

I can't remember, does VLC let you resize videos by just dragging the window out? I don't think it used to at any rate. That's another thing I really like in MPlayer.

Yes. Use VLC here.

Superchicken · Apr 19, 2005, 04:51 PM

Depends on what I'm viewing... for small mpegs and what not I go with QuickTime, that said for long movies I go with VLC or Mplayer... I prefer VLC's GUI and the lack of two icons in my dock, that said, I much prefer Mplayer's ability to scrub a few minutes or so when you click forward or back... that's great.

The DJ · Apr 19, 2005, 06:45 PM

If the keyboard scrubbing is your biggest + on Mplayer as opposed to VLC, then you guys didn't look far enough.

VLC has hotkeys for both 10 sec stepping and 1 minute stepping. They are just a little bit more complicated, because the arrows are by default reserved for DVD menu navigation. You can change that in the prefs if you like.

My biggest personal gripes about VLC are the coreaudio issues and the preferences. both of which we are working on fixing.

Superchicken · Apr 19, 2005, 07:04 PM

So what is the keyboard shortcuts for VLC? I'd love to know.

Apfhex · Apr 19, 2005, 07:12 PM

VLC all the way, on OS X or WinXP! VLC generally handles everything I throw at it, and plays DVD's that won't work in Apple's DVD Player. I like it's interface better than Mplayer. On XP, I've never seen another app come close (WMP is a joke, and most DVD player software is too cumbersome).

Like Superchicken, I use QT for downloaded and/or smaller media files like MOVs, MPEGs and the like. If QuickTime could handle all forms of files like VLC, I'd rather use it. Of course, there's the "MRL" open option in VLC that I need, essential with external subtitle files.

kcmac · Apr 19, 2005, 07:15 PM

Quicktime. My teenage son downloaded a couple of other players mentioned above. Just why I asked him. Answer a little shaky so off they went.

the_glassman · Apr 19, 2005, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by kcmac

Quicktime. My teenage son downloaded a couple of other players mentioned above. Just why I asked him. Answer a little shaky so off they went.

That's a shame you really should give VLC a try. It's by far the best all around player on any platform. I love the float on top feature myself.

fulmer · Apr 19, 2005, 10:41 PM

Cellulo is quality. But I also use vlc and mplayer.

Turias · Apr 20, 2005, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Superchicken

So what is the keyboard shortcuts for VLC? I'd love to know.

They're listed right in the preferences of the app. You can also change the default bindings, if you'd rather.

Default is:

CMD-OPT-LEFT/RIGHT for 10 sec scrubbing
CMD-SHIFT-LEFT/RIGHT for 1 min scrubbing
CMD-OPT-SHIFT-LEFT/RIGHT for 5 min scrubbing

RevEvs · Apr 20, 2005, 09:40 AM

vlc, swapped from mplayer as mplayer didnt keep the aspec ratio when resizing - no idea if they have fixed that now?

badidea · Apr 20, 2005, 09:56 AM

MPlayer is my favorite because it plays almost everything just like VLC but doesn't crash with movies that have encoding errors and I just love the feature that you can fast forward with the scroll wheel (please implement this into VLC DJ!!!!!).
I use VLC for DivX AVIs with AC3 sound because no other player can passthrough digital sound to my Dolby Digital Reciever via my M-Audio Rev7.1!

nonhuman · Apr 20, 2005, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by RevEvs

vlc, swapped from mplayer as mplayer didnt keep the aspec ratio when resizing - no idea if they have fixed that now?

Yeah, that's fixed.

threestain · Apr 20, 2005, 10:45 AM

I flit between players, but mainly just use Quicktime and VLC - quicktime is (obviously) more polished, but VLC is more capable. Between them I never need anything else (except Real and WMP when people are really lazy/use windows)