Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
VLC Media Player has long prevail the crown of “ best free , handle - anything medium player ” for Mac OS X. But these days , there are a figure of tone alternatives , includingMPlayer OS X Extended(which we ’ll be attend at soon ) and today ’s Gem , Movist . Movist has been around since 2007 , but it ’s made some big development tread over the past six months or so . The current interlingual rendition offers VLC some much - require media - playback contender thanks to an interface that I find to be more attractive and easier to utilise .
Like VLC , Movist is base in part onFFmpeg , a fussy - platform readiness of codecs that lets you play a overplus of media data formatting not fend for by OS X ’s own QuickTime technology . Movist also provides many playback feature you wo n’t find in QuickTime Player , as well as some feature QuickTime Player lost in the changeover from variant 7 to Snow Leopard ’s variant X.
For example , Movist offers a wide kitchen stove of playback navigation options , including variable - speed playback , systema skeletale - by - frame playback , configurable - 2d skip , and kitchen range playback ( where you place the rootage and remainder of a cartridge clip ) . There ’s also a built - in screenshot feature that lets you redeem an figure of the current video frame .
As with most media players , you could choose the size of the video - playback window ; however , when in fullscreen mode , Movist lets you choosehowthe movie fills the screen — by expanding or cropping . you could also exchange the aspect proportion of any playback window ; Movist wince or stretch the pic to fit the choose aspect proportion . you’re able to even set a playing movie as your Desktop background .
Movist also offer the most - flexible subtitle restraint I ’ve seen in a media player : After choosing the subtitle track , you could customize the typeface , the erect allowance , the synchronization , and the place of subtitles . you’re able to also manually open or add subtitle files .
Another gravid feature article is Movist ’s fullscreen - navigation mode : Double - click the Movist ikon in a blank Movist playback window ( or pick out File - > Full Screen Navigation or press Command+N ) , and Movist takes over your screen , let you browse your~/Moviesfolder using an interface very much like Apple ’s own Front Row . ( Movist ’s preferences admit configurations for browsing video in iTunes , as well , although iTunes - host videos did n’t show up in this port for me . )
As with VLC , you may create a playlist of videos that act consecutive and , if desired , repetition . However , you ca n’t save playlists , and if you drag a video file flat into Movist , rather than into your play list , you lose any playlist you ’ve created .
In my examination , Movist handled most video file with assuredness , although on rare occasion the program crash when viewing a video recording that VLC toy without military issue . I like that for movie data formatting that both FFmpeg and QuickTime can handle , Movist allow you shift between the two to see which provides better result . Movist also bring home the bacon lots of other configurations ( though not quite as many as VLC ) , as well as living for the Apple Remote .
Movist also has a few other drawback . For model , you ca n’t view a VIDEO_TS leaflet ( from a ripped DVD ) straight off ; you must afford the folder and drop the individual .VOB file into Movist . And you wo n’t retrieve many of VLC ’s more - unnoticeable configurations or its audio- and video - tweaking options . Movist ’s freehanded defect , however , may be that it does n’t have the kinds of certification and developer community you get with VLC .
Still , Movist has supercede VLC for much of my day - to - day viewing of video that QuickTime ca n’t handle — and even some that it can .
