To play an.asf file, use a third party media player such as VLC Media Player. VLC Media Player will play.asf files, and is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. TIP: VLC Media Player is a free software, available from www.videolan.org and is not supported by Lorex by FLIR. DVD Flick creates a very basic menu, but your video should play on any NTSC-compatible (or PAL-compatible, if you chose that) DVD player you have. Mac: Burn Video Files to DVD with Burn. Burning a video DVD on a Mac is a little more straightforward than on Windows.
Quick Summary
VLC is a well-known cross-platform media player developed by VideoLAN. It is a simple yet powerful program and is perhaps the best replacement for the default video player on your Mac. Whether you're a beginner or advanced Apple user, you need to try VLC as it supports all major formats from MP4 to WMV. The player comes with an easy-to-use interface that can be customized with just a few clicks.
5KPlayer is an all-around great media player for Mac that has a few tricks up its sleeve. Apart from supporting a wide range of formats, the player also works as a video downloader and converter. But the most impressive thing about 5KPlayer is the DLNA and AirPlay support which allows users to stream video across their devices.
Plex is much more than just a typical video player. In fact, it's a media streaming server app. Plex consists of two parts: the media server itself and media player that can handle almost all formats and Ultra HD resolution. Intuitive UI and comprehensive platform support make it an excellent option for creating and managing a personal media library.
Want to find out more about the winners? We also tested other video players for macOS and chose some alternatives you might find useful. So keep on reading!
Do You Need A Different Media Player
If you're searching for the best video player for Mac, you've probably had problems playing video via Quicktime Player. You're definitely not alone here.
Although QuickTime is a native Apple application for Mac, it's a bit slow to launch and supports limited video formats. Many Mac users experience trouble playing MP4 or MKV files via QuickTime Player. As you can see from the screenshot below, so am I:
Although it has a smooth UI, QuickTime is poor in terms of compatibility. Using a third-party player is a way out of this situation. The apps reviewed in this article cope with a variety of formats including MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, etc. They have extra features to create and manage playlists, customize your movie-watching experience, and mirror content on other devices that are above and beyond those supported by Quicktime.
Let's see in detail what these apps have to offer!
How We Tested and Picked
To determine the winners, I used my MacBook Air and followed these criteria:
Supported Formats: As the Mac default player isn't powerful enough to support some of the most wide-spread formats, this criteria was the most significant during our test.
Compatibility: The best Mac media player should be compatible with latest macOS and support videos of the highest resolution (4K).
Feature set: When it comes to QuickTime alternatives, a great set of features (video/audio filters, subtitle synchronization, playback speed, customization, etc.) is what makes the best player stand out from the competitors.
User Interface and Experience: Having a wide range of features can create a learning curve, but a great video player should stay user-friendly and have an attractive and intuitive interface to create the best possible user experience.
Affordability: Most of the video players available for Mac are free, some of them provide extra features that require payment. In this case, an app must offer the best value for the money if you decide to purchase it.
The Winners
Best Overall: VLC Media Player
When it comes to the best video players for Mac, VLC is the longtime king. This free, lightweight, open source cross-platform media player is powerful enough to cope with most video formats including MPEG, WMV, MP4, MKV, MOV, and AVI. The player can play almost everything on a single platform from DVDs, and audio CDs to streams and webcams. The video runs smoothly, without issues. No extra codecs are needed.
VLC has hardware decoding on most platforms. The player (version 3.0.6) runs on Mac OS X 10.7.5 (64-bit Intel-based Mac) up to Mac OS Mojave. Older devices (Mac OS X 10.0 — 10.6) are supported by previous releases. However, that support ended for these releases so they won't receive any further updates.
In addition to extensive format support, the video player has a wide range of features such as adjustable playback speeds, subtitle synchronization, and audio/video filters. VLC gives users an opportunity to customize almost all aspects of the software. While its design isn't the most attractive on the market, the player allows adding and creating skins, installing extensions, and changing keyboard shortcuts.
If you want to watch online videos outside the browser, VLC handles this task easily. It allows downloading content right to your computer. The program even has a built-in podcast manager so that you can add and listen to your favorite podcasts all in one place. VLC can also serve you as a converter.
Why is VLC one of the most popular video players so far? The answer is simple. This completely free program is easy-to-use, fast, and powerful. Besides, it has no annoying ads. VLC is not efficient when it comes to battery life as Quicktime, but overall it deserves to crown the top of our list of the best video players for Mac.
Runner-Up: 5KPlayer
Another superb video player for Mac that can easily play almost all available formats is 5KPlayer. The program is a great mixture of free HD video and music player, media library, online downloader, and DLNA/AirPlay-enabled media streamer.
When it comes to formats, 5KPlayer supports 4K, 5K, and 1080p HD videos including MKV, WMV, MP4, and MTS. It can play almost any multimedia file such as music, video (UHD, 3D, HDR 360), CDs, Audio CDs, DVDs, and VCDs.
The player also handles streaming/mirroring video via DLNA/AirPlay without quality loss. With built-in AirPlay tech, 5KPlayer can render the whole screen of iPads and iPhones to computers as well as Mac to Apple TV in a blink. Also, there is a screen recording utility connected to the mirroring function that allows up to 4K UHD video recording.
Apart from being a feature-rich video player, 5KPlayer is a useful video downloader that supports more than 300+ online platforms including YouTube, Vimeo, Vevo, MTV, Facebook, Instagram, and CBS. Mac wireless keyboard and mouse not working. With its help, you can easily download many videos free of charge.
5KPlayer offers subtitle synchronization supporting various formats such as *.ass, *.srt, *.ssa, and *.sub. Just drag and drop the subtitle file to the playback window and subtitles settings will update right away without restarting the program.
What I like the most about 5KPlayer is that it allows Mac users to create a personal multimedia library where they can sort out their favorite videos and manage Youtube playlists.
Its UI looks smooth and user-friendly. During testing, there were no glitches or unexpected errors–a good sign as the software doesn't reduce computer's productivity by a great measure. The video player is packed with features. On the other hand, it might be confusing for some beginners who just started exploring video player's world.
Also Great: Plex Video Player
If you're looking for something more complex than a simple video player, Plex is a top choice. It's a full-fledged media server app that can scan and organize all media on your computer perfectly, managing your playlists alongside with online content and streaming music.
As a video player, Plex can cope with just about every possible video format and 4K resolution. There is no need to convert formats by yourself, as the program automatically transcodes them when required.
What's more, it can stream videos from one device to another (Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android, TiVo, Android/iOS phones and tablets, etc.). With Plex, you can connect your Mac to a TV in a few clicks and watch your favorite movies on a bigger screen with no compromise in quality.
The Plex UI is eye candy for all Apple lovers. What I love the most is that the app adds cover art and descriptions to each video in your media library, making it look fantastic. Plex's drawback is the tricky installation and setup process. Additionally, to get access to the Plex Media Server, every user must create a MyPlex account.
Even though Plex is free, users can purchase an upgraded version called PlexPass to get additional features such as parental controls and Live TV & DVR for $4.99 per month or $119.99 for lifetime access.
The Alternatives
Elmedia
As a multifunctional video player for Mac, Elmedia by Eltima Software supports all popular video formats (MP4, FLV, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, MKV, and others). The program plays HD media without slowdown or any interruptions. It's also powerful enough to stream content to Apple TV, Smart TV, and other AirPlay or DLNA devices.
Elmedia allows users to customize playback speed, manage audio and subtitle delay, and browse the web without leaving the app. With its help, you can create and manage bookmarks to easily find your favorite parts of a movie.
The user-friendly interface of an app is an excellent match for the newer macOS versions. Elmedia offers tons of tools to improve your watching experience, but not all of them are free of charge. The PRO version of the app costs $19.95.
Cisdem Video Player for Mac
If you're looking for a lightweight player with a decent interface and easy navigation that can provide you with a perfect experience of watching HD videos, you might want to try out Cisdem Video Player. Many users consider it a great alternative to VLC and 5KPlayer. It runs well on macOS 10.10 or higher.
Cisdem Video Player plays more than 50 formats (MKV, WMV, AVI, FLV, etc.) on Mac with no additional codec packages needed. But an ability to cope with high-quality formats such as 4K, 5K, and Full HD 1080p is not the only advantage of this software.
The player can convert multimedia files in various formats for any device like iPhone, iPad, Android phones, and etc. Using Cisdem Video Player as a converter, you can turn a file into an iPhone supported format and transfer it to your device via iTunes. To activate this feature, you have to purchase a license for $9.99 (1 Mac/Lifetime license). The upgraded version also gives free technical support and other benefits such as the removal of ads.
MPlayerX
Another noteworthy video player for Mac is MPlayerX. Although it hasn't been updated since 2016, MPlayerX is a very lightweight, free, and easy-to-use program which can handle most formats without extra plugins or codec packages. MPlayerX runs smoothly on any Mac with OS X 10.7 or later and a 64-bit Intel CPU.
Designed specifically for Apple users in mind, this player has a minimalistic interface and simple navigation. It can 'dance on your fingers' allowing users to control the playback via a Mac touchpad with gestures. MPlayerX provides Apple Remote support and online streaming from YouTube, Vimeo, and other websites.
This program offers subtitle support including Hebrew, Arabic, and Eastern Asian languages. It can quickly detect and convert subtitle files automatically. The player also lets users change the subtitle size. MPlayerX provides full-screen mode and a batch of other helpful customization options. As for me, the most useful one is the ability to increase or decrease the speed of the playback.
DivX Player
Since the early 2000s, the DivX company has been providing users worldwide with high-quality solutions for playing digital video. Its same-name video player DivX supports a wide range of formats including HD 1080p and 4K UHD videos.
This software has an intuitive interface and an overwhelming feature set. It can stream videos to DLNA-compatible devices. Just use the 'Cast to' options and pick a device you want to stream to (Chromecast, Smart TV, Playstation, Xbox, etc). Also, DivX can help you burn media to discs or change the viewing size of the playback in a few clicks.
Despite the fact the player is free, access to its many features is quite limited. To make the most of using this software, you need to buy a DivX Pro for $19.99. The advanced version includes an ad-free option and adds AC3 audio playback, Cloud Connect to import videos from Dropbox and Google Drive, a DTS-HD plugin, and VideoPack to convert VC-1 and MPEG-2 video to DivX, MKV and MP4.
Piano program for mac. The free version comes with a 15-day or 30-day trial of some features so that you can try them and decide whether it's worth the money or not.
During testing, DivX played a movie without glitches but crashed unexpectedly several times.
IINA
The last-but-not-least video player on our list is IINA, a modern movie-watching app for Mac. Just like media players listed above, IINA can play almost any format and offers useful customization options.
The app requires macOS 10.11 or newer. Written in Apple's Swift programming language, it's based on an open-source video player and is still under development. When complete, it's going to give the best video players a run for their money.
The player supports local files, online streaming, and YouTube playlists. It also has good gesture support via trackpad that can be modified up to your preferences. If you already have macOS Mojave, you'll surely like IINA for its UI with colors and icons that can adjust for dark mode.
Conclusion
After in-depth testing of various video players for Mac, we've found the best options to help you create a real home cinema experience with your computer — VLC, 5K Player, and Plex. Whether you watch movies from time to time or want to create a stunning video collection, we hope this review will help you choose the app that suits your needs.
Have you tried another Mac media player app that's worth being featured in this review? Let us know in the comments below!
Summary : Are you unable to watch videos on computer or phone due to unsupported video codec error? Learn the best ways to fix unsupported video format or codec error on your Windows, Mac or Android.
It's annoying to receive unsupported video codec or format errors as they don't let you play videos.
‘Missing codec. An item was encoded in a format that's not supported.'
‘Windows Media Player cannot play the file because the required video codec is not installed on your computer.'
‘A codec is required to play this file.'
‘Invalid File Format.'
An error occurred. Unsupported file format.'
You can get such error messages when trying to play a video on PC, Mac, Smart TV, Android or other devices. Unsupported format errors are also reported while trying to open a file in video editing tools.
What Video Files Play On Mac
Why does unsupported codec or format error occur?
The error as obvious with the messages, appears due to absence of a codec that is required to play the video file on your computer or smartphone.
Technically, a video file comprises a codec and a container. A container is the file format that contains the file metadata while codec is required to encode or decode the video data.
So if your media player or device doesn't support the video format or codec, it won't play the video file.
Other than lack of supporting codec, the invalid file format error may also appear when the video file is corrupt.
How to fix an unsupported video codec error?
There are various ways to deal with the unsupported format problem in videos.
Either convert the file format to one that is supported by your media player or change the player itself. You can also consider installing the supporting codec on your system to play the video s.
Below are the methods to fix unsupported codec error and play the videos on your device in any media player:
Method 1: Play video in another media player
Method 2: Download the missing codecs
- How to download codec in Windows Media Player
- How to download codec in VLC Player
- Get codec pack for your PC or Mac
Play Videos On Mac
Method 3: Convert the video file format
- Online video converters
- Desktop video converters
- Convert file format using VLC Player
Method 4: Repair video codec error using Stellar Repair for Video
Method 1: Play video in a different media player
What Video Files Play On Mac Os
Not every media player supports all video file formats. For instance, QuickTime Player only supports MOV, MPEG, some AVI, and WAV files. It cannot play other formats such as AVCHD, MKV or WEBM, etc.
Similarly, Windows Media Player won't play FLV or FLAC files due to absence of their codecs.
If videos are giving codec error in one media player, try with another. May be the default media player of your device doesn't support the video file format.
Get VLC Media Player to fix video codec error on Android, Mac or Windows. The player is compatible with most file formats including MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, AVCHD, etc. You can even watch DVD movies on VLC Player.
There are many free open source multimedia players. Try 5K Player, PotPlayer, Winamp, KMPlayer, Roxio Popcorn, and others.
Also, you can search online, which media players support your video file format and install that on your system.
If video file gives unsupported codec error on Mac, right-click on the file. Click on ‘Open With' option. Mac may suggest all the installed apps that can play the video.
Method 2: Download the missing video codecs
If the ‘video codec is not supported' error appears on Windows or Mac, then download the codec.
Search the web for the supported codec of your video file type to install the right codec.
Another option is to install a complete codec pack such as K-Lite for Windows and Perian for Mac. A codec pack extends support for the default media player on your system. A pack would contain codec for almost all file formats.
However, be aware that there may be malicious ads for codec downloads. This can put your computer at risk. Make sure you download codecs from a trusted source, preferably from the manufacturer's site.
Some players such as Windows Media player and VLC also have the provision for automatic download of codecs. You can try that as well.
Steps to fix video codec not supported in Windows Media Player:
- Open Windows Media Player.
- Go to Tools > Options.
- Click on Player tab.
- Select the Download codecs automatically check box and make sure you have a continuous internet connection.
- Click OK.
- Next, play your video file in the player. A message will prompt to install codec.
- Click Install.
Steps to download codec in VLC Player
- Open VLC Media Player.
- Click Help >> Check for Updates.
- Click Yes. This will automatically download the new codecs also.
Method 3: Convert the video file format
If you don't want to install a new codec or codec pack, there is another option.
Convert the file format of your video that is showing unsupported codec error. Choose a different format that is compatible with your player. Usually MP4, MOV, and AVI files are playable in all media players and video editing software.
You can convert a video file format using a desktop converter such as Stellar Converter for Audio Video or via any secure online video converter program.
The open source VLC Media Player can also convert video files to different format.
Steps to convert video in VLC to fix unsupported codec problems:
- Go to Media.
- Select Convert/Save.
- Click Add and select the video to be repaired.
- Click Convert/Save.
- In the Convert window, select new video file format from the Profile options. You can also click on Edit Selected Profile (wrench icon) to edit a specific profile.
- Once done, click Start to convert the video file.
Convert video file to fix unsupported codec error on Android
Android phones can usually play MP4 and 3GP videos of H.263 or H.264 format. So you can convert videos to either one to play on your smartphone.
Convert file to fix codec not supported error on Smart TV
If you are receiving the codec error on Smart TV when trying to play a video, first transfer the file to your laptop. Next, fix codec issue by converting the video file to a format supported by your Smart TV. You can use any of the above conversion method.
Method 4: Repair video codec error using Stellar Repair for Video
When converting or getting the compatible codecs don't solve the problem, chances are your video file is giving error due to corruption.
In such a situation, try a video repair software – Stellar Repair for Video.
It can fix unsupported video format error on Windows and Mac computer by fixing the file corruption issues. The DIY software can repair popular video file formats like MP4, MOV, ASF, WMV, MKV, M4V, DIVX, WEBM, AVI, FLV, and others. It's easy to use and can repair multiple videos in one go.
Steps to repair corrupt videos with Stellar Repair for Video:
- Download and launch Stellar Repair for Video on PC or Mac.
- Click Add file to upload corrupt videos.
- Click Repair to start the repair process.
- Preview the repaired video and click Save Repaired Files. You can save the repaired videos at a desired location on your computer or external media.
Wrapping up
Playing a video in another media player, downloading supporting codecs or converting the file format can help to fix ‘unsupported video format' error on Windows, Mac or Android.
But if the codec error is appearing because of some corruption in the file, these methods won't work. You have to go for a video repair software. It is recommended to use a free trial version of the video repair tool. In the trial, you get to preview and play the repaired video.
