VLC Media Player

VLC media player, commonly just called VLC, is a free and open-source media player and streaming server developed by the VideoLAN project. It's available across desktop operating systems and mobile platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows, and has become the default answer to "what plays literally everything" for over two decades.

VLC supports an extensive list of audio and video compression methods and file formats, including DVD-Video and Video CD playback along with common streaming protocols, all without needing separate codec packs installed. That built-in format coverage is VLC's biggest selling point: it plays files that trip up other media players right out of the box.

Beyond local playback, VLC can stream media over a computer network and transcode multimedia files on the fly, making it useful for more than just watching a downloaded movie - it also works as a lightweight streaming server for sharing media across devices on the same network. Combined with the fact that it's completely free and contains no ads or bundled toolbars, VLC remains one of the most recommended media players for Windows.