I lastly discovered a media app that’s higher than VLC

I’ve at all times been a VLC fan as a result of it simply works and handles all the things I throw at it. Different media gamers have come and gone, and I continued to make use of VLC as a result of it performs almost each music and video format and has a easy interface that appears like house. VLC was most likely one of many first apps I put in on any laptop or pill, and I even used it on my smartphone to play offline music by way of Android Auto. Nevertheless, all good issues should come to an finish, and I’ve now discovered a brand new go-to media participant that surpasses VLC in each approach.

PotPlayer has been round for ages, however would not get a lot consideration. It is a disgrace as a result of it handles extra file codecs in a smooth and fashionable bundle that leaves VLC within the mud. It is not nearly appears to be like, and the app is filled with helpful instruments like display capturing and audio recording, making it excellent for content creators.

Xinput contols

Distant management media participant

Xinput management is my favourite PotPlayer characteristic as a result of I can skip tracks or regulate the quantity from my sofa as a substitute of sitting at my laptop computer. It turns my controller right into a wi-fi distant management for navigating my media, including one other dimension of flexibility to the participant. Setup takes just a few seconds, and after enabling the characteristic within the settings menu, it routinely detects the controller with out requiring any particular calibration software program.

As soon as my controller is linked, I fine-tune the stick and button settings in PotPlayer to make it extra intuitive. I map the precise thumbstick to maneuver the mouse cursor and the left because the course key to maneuver between the menus. I favor utilizing the shoulder buttons for rising and lowering the quantity and the triggers for leaping ahead and again. The chances are countless, and creating customized configurations is a breeze with PotPlayer’s user-friendly dropdown menus.

Fashionable interface

VLC retains issues old skool with the Media, Playback, Video, and different menus laid out horizontally throughout the highest left of its interface. This method is useful, however requires me to click on on completely different headings and sub-menus to seek out what I am searching for. In distinction, PotPlayer takes issues up a notch by having a single vertical menu that comes with all of the options that VLC retains separate.

This method makes it simpler and sooner to seek out the settings I am searching for whereas I am watching a video. Aside from incorporating all the principle choices right into a single menu, PotPlayer provides quick-access buttons to Side Ratio, Window Measurement, and different capabilities, so I need not dig into menus to seek out them. I must click on on Instruments, then Results and Filters to entry the equalizer in VLC, however it’s accessible with a single click on on the Settings icon in PotPlayer. VLCs menu at all times received the job performed for me, however now feels dated after making an attempt Potplayer’s fashionable but easy aesthetic.

Superior subtitle capabilities

Customization and translation

PotPlayer is the higher alternative when you’re into overseas movies or need to customise your subtitles. Accessing the subtitles menu is so simple as right-clicking on the display. It permits me to simply change the font dimension, type, and coloration. I can even align the subtitles to a particular part of the show or enhance their dimension. VLC additionally gives these options, although you could navigate by means of the Instruments and Preferences menus.

It is the superior subtitle options, like Translation that set PotPlayer aside and makes it a worthy consideration. This characteristic makes use of AI instruments, like Google or Bing Translate to transform subtitles from one language to a different, based mostly on my choice. If movies haven’t got subtitles, PotPlayer can create them through the use of Whisper AI to transcribe voices into textual content. This characteristic can also be helpful for creating subtitles for movies I’ve created myself earlier than importing them onto social media platforms.

Display recording

PotPlayer is a improbable alternative for content material creators due to its video seize and recording capabilities. The Video Seize characteristic is good for capturing stills for social media thumbnails, because it lets you extract single or a number of frames from a video as photographs. I can save the captured photographs in widespread codecs like BMP or JPEG and replica them on to the clipboard to export into different apps.

Video recording is simply as easy, and lets me seize snippets of flicks or different content material to put up on-line later. I can use the in-depth settings to decide on the file’s location, in addition to the file format, dimension, and bitrate. I can even choose the audio codec sort and pattern charge. After recording a video, I can even break up it at particular time or dimension intervals to keep away from copyright strikes when posting on YouTube. All these options are accessible by means of the intuitive menu whereas I am watching a video, so I need not waste time looking by means of settings to seek out them.

YouTube playback

No advertisements, no downside

One of many causes I attempted PotPlayer was as a result of I used to be having points streaming content material from YouTube by way of VLC. In PotPlayer, I merely add the URL within the Open menu, and the app can play a single video or playlist. I additionally like to avoid wasting the URLs of movies I usually watch so I can play them in PotPlayer while not having to seek for the hyperlink.

The advantage of taking part in YouTube movies and playlists in PotPlayer is that it would not interrupt my expertise with advertisements. I can regulate the sound settings to my preferences with the equalizer and use the beforehand talked about characteristic to seize audio and video snippets of sure content material.