MPlayer
mplayerhq.hu
What it is
MPlayer is a movie player for Linux, macOS and Windows, with additional listed support for BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX and QNX. It plays formats including MPEG, AVI, Ogg/OGM, ASF/WMV, MOV/MP4, RealMedia, Matroska and DVD, and accepts streams over protocols such as HTTP/FTP, RTP/RTSP, MMS/MMST, MPST and SDP. Subtitle support covers 12 formats, as well as DVD subtitles and closed captions. The player includes playback-speed control, an on-screen status display and multiple video output drivers; hardware acceleration is listed. Its MEncoder component can create MPEG program stream files. MPlayer is free under GNU General Public License version 2. The download page lists version 1.5, created on 2022-02-27, as the latest release and recommends current Subversion source for newer features and fixes. The graphical interface is not under further development and receives limited bug fixing. A complete installation requires source code and binary codecs; the GUI also needs a skin.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- MPlayer is a movie player that runs on many systems.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Free plan
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- License
- MPlayer is available under the GNU General Public License version 2.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Display
- It provides an on-screen display for status information and supports multiple video output drivers.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Encoding
- The documentation describes MEncoder creating MPEG program stream output files.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- GUI
- The included graphical interface has limited bug fixing and is not further developed, according to the download page.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Hardware acceleration
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Installation
- The download page recommends compiling from current Subversion source and also describes official Debian packages.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Media formats
- It plays a wide range of formats, including MPEG, AVI, Ogg/OGM, ASF/WMV, MOV/MP4, RealMedia, Matroska and DVD.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Package scope
- A complete installation requires source code, binary codecs and, for the graphical interface, a skin.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Release status
- The download page identifies version 1.5, created on 2022-02-27, as the latest release and recommends SVN for newer features and bug fixes.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Streaming
- Supported inputs include streaming over HTTP/FTP, RTP/RTSP, MMS/MMST, MPST and SDP.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Subtitles
- It supports 12 subtitle formats, along with DVD subtitles and closed captions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
- Unofficial packages
- The project says it does not support unofficial packages and directs users with issues to their authors.Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
Plans and prices
MPlayer Free GNU General Public License version 2 Read 30 Sep 2026 · mplayerhq.hu
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Plays formats including MPEG, AVI, Matroska and DVD.
- Accepts streams over multiple listed protocols.
- Supports 12 subtitle formats, DVD subtitles and captions.
- Playback-speed control and hardware acceleration are listed.
- Free under GNU General Public License version 2.
Limits
- Latest listed release is version 1.5 from 2022-02-27.
- The graphical interface receives limited bug fixing.
- A complete installation requires source code and binary codecs.
- The graphical interface also requires a skin.
Who it suits
MPlayer suits people who want a free player with broad media, stream and subtitle support across several operating systems. Users seeking its graphical interface should note its limited maintenance and extra installation requirements.
Verdict
MPlayer covers a wide range of media, stream inputs and subtitle formats, and is listed for multiple operating systems. Its dated latest release listing, installation requirements and minimally maintained graphical interface are important considerations.
Where Specifiction places it
- Media Player Software#25 of 768.1
- Video Player Software#28 of 427.6
