PotPlayer is the best media player that you've never heard of (original) (raw)

I’m Adam Conway, an Irish technology fanatic with a BSc in Computer Science and I'm XDA’s Lead Technical Editor. My Bachelor’s thesis was conducted on the viability of benchmarking the non-functional elements of Android apps and smartphones such as performance, and I’ve been working in the tech industry in some way or another since 2017.

In my spare time, you’ll probably find me playing Counter-Strike or VALORANT, and you can reach out to me at adam@xda-developers.com, on Twitter as @AdamConwayIE, on Instagram as adamc.99, or u/AdamConwayIE on Reddit.

Summary

• PotPlayer offers extensive customization options, better performance, and advanced rendering features.
• The media player supports multiple audio tracks, 3D video playback, and better subtitle support than VLC.
• PotPlayer is a comprehensive VLC alternative with wide extension support and is worth giving a try for power users.

In the vast world of media players, VLC Player has long reigned supreme, valued for its versatility and robust feature set. However, there’s a hidden gem that’s been quietly growing and beating out the competition: PotPlayer. This lesser-known powerhouse, developed by South Korean-based Kakao, brings a slew of features to the table that set it apart as one of the best media players available today.

If I were to critique PotPlayer, it's that it has too many options. There are literally hundreds of options to choose from and settings to tweak, and it can be overwhelming as a new user. If you just want to learn about the basics, though, then you can read this article to check out some of the highlights of what it offers.

Customization, performance, and advanced rendering

A way more customizable experience than VLC

One of the standout aspects of PotPlayer is its extensive customization options. Users can choose from a plethora of skins or even create their own, tailoring the interface to their preferences. This level of customization is a significant jump ahead of VLC, and you can modify practically every aspect of the UI. Additionally, PotPlayer can genuinely improve playback experience, particularly on lower-end hardware, and is actually how I first found out about it. Its efficient use of system resources ensures smoother playback, making it an excellent choice for those dealing with 4K or HEVC content, which the latter is what my PC at the time particularly struggled with.

PotPlayer also offers a variety of video rendering options, including EVR (Enhanced Video Renderer), MadVR, and more. This flexibility allows users to choose the best renderer for their specific system and preferences, ensuring the highest quality playback possible. One of the other big features it has is the ability to play two audio tracks at once, something that you can only do in VLC with a special launch command. This is great for watching back things like your Nvidia Shadowplay clips.

Better subtitles, 3D video, and extensions

VLC definitely doesn't have extensions

If your one of the many that rely on subtitles, then PotPlayer might be the media player for you. It supports a wide array of subtitle formats and offers advanced features like downloading subtitles directly from within the player from Open Subtitles, adjusting subtitle synchronization, and customizing subtitle appearance. You can even have PotPlayer translate the subtitles for you as it receives them into the language of your choice, using Bing Translate, Google Translate, or Yandex.

As well, if you enjoy 3D content, PotPlayer offers extensive support for most 3D file formats. That includes various output formats such as side-by-side and top-and-bottom playback. I find it significantly more user-friendly than VLC's option, though admittedly I'm not someone who frequently enjoys 3D media.

Finally, thanks to the wide extension support in PotPlayer, you can do things like watch Twitch streams from inside of the application. There's even a YouTube extension with SponsorBlock built-in, so you can do some reading to see if the extension you're looking for is out there somewhere!

PotPlayer might be the best media player that nobody has heard of

It's a small media player, but one that I think everyone should try

I love PotPlayer. I use it all the time, but that doesn't mean it's perfect, either. There was a "scandal" of sorts a couple of years ago, where the developers added an opt-out adware option in the installer, though that has since been removed. Aside from that, there hasn't been much controversy around this application at all, and we definitely recommend trying it out.

PotPlayer is more comprehensive than VLC player, it's faster, plays more file formats than VLC, and plays them better. It has unparalleled customization options, more rendering and audio features, better subtitle support, and so much more. There's even a video recording option that can replace something like OBS in a pinch, so it's definitely worth your time checking it out and giving it a go!

PotPlayer

PotPlayer is the VLC alternative you didn't know you needed, with its litany of options that suits a power user perfectly.