Video

Multimedia Players

Video Teleconferencing | Multimedia Players | Going Further

Media players allow you to view video and hear audio files on your computer. There are many different media players, and you may want to have more than one of them since several are available for free. The key in choosing the right one is to select the player that can handle the file formats you want to play. If you have more than one of these players, you may want to take some care in configuring the file formats handled by each.

Much of this software can play streaming media. That is, if the input file is coming from the web, the programs do not have to wait for the entire file to be downloaded before playback begins. Instead, the downloading file is buffered (allowed to accumulate in temporary storage) and once "enough" of the file has been stored on your computer, the player can begin to work on the part of the file that has already been transferred. Thus playing can commence even as the rest of the file continues to download. (The definition of "enough" here can depend on the player and its preference settings, on how the input file was created, or on both.)

Here are some of the most popular multi-format media players:

• Windows Media Player -- Because this is a Microsoft product, it is included it with every new personal computer that uses the Windows operating system. This player can handle both streaming and non-streaming input in various formats, including MP3, WAV, MPEG, and AVI. (See Movie and Sound formats). For more information and links to a free download, visit this Microsoft page.

• Real Player -- This player handles standard audio and video formats (MP3, WAV, MPEG, AVI) as well as its proprietary formats. The basic Real player is available for no charge at Real.com. But you may have to search for the link to the free version, as it may be difficult to find in all the offers for enhanced versions of the product (available at a price).

• Quicktime Player -- Apple developed the Quicktime Player (currently at version 5), but there are versions of the program for both MacIntosh and PC platforms. QuickTime plays MP3 content, QuickTime movies, and AVI, AVR, and MPEG-1 files. The program also supports the standards for web streaming. The basic player is available free of charge, but the more full-featured Pro version of the player costs about thirty dollars.