MPlayer
MPlayer is a free movie player for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What MPlayer is
MPlayer is a free movie player for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It plays formats including MPEG, AVI, Ogg/OGM, ASF/WMV, MOV/MP4, RealMedia, Matroska, and DVD, and accepts streams over several protocols, including HTTP/FTP, RTP/RTSP, MMS/MMST, MPST, and SDP. Subtitle support covers 12 formats, plus DVD subtitles and closed captions. An on-screen display shows status information, and the player supports multiple video output drivers and playback speed control. Its encoding component, MEncoder, can create MPEG program stream files. MPlayer is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2. The download page lists version 1.5, created on February 27, 2022, as the latest release and recommends current Subversion source for newer features and bug fixes. The graphical interface receives limited bug fixing and is no longer being developed. A complete installation requires source code and binary codecs; using the graphical interface also requires a skin.
Good
- Plays formats including DVD, Matroska, and MOV/MP4.
- Accepts several streaming protocols.
- Supports DVD subtitles and closed captions.
- Includes playback speed control.
- Available under GNU GPL version 2.
Watch out
- Latest listed release is version 1.5 from 2022.
- Graphical interface is no longer being developed.
- Complete installation requires source code and binary codecs.
- Graphical interface requires a skin.
Who it suits
MPlayer suits users who want a free player with broad format, streaming, and subtitle support. It may also suit users comfortable assembling the components needed for a complete installation.
Verdict
MPlayer covers a wide range of media and subtitle formats, with streaming and speed controls. Its aging listed release and installation requirements are worth considering.
Plans and prices
From MPlayer's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| MPlayer | Free | GNU General Public License version 2 |
The facts
Each one read from MPlayer's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Display
- It provides an on-screen display for status information and supports multiple video output drivers.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Encoding
- The documentation describes MEncoder creating MPEG program stream output files.checked 30 Sep 2026
- GUI
- The included graphical interface has limited bug fixing and is not further developed, according to the download page.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Hardware acceleration
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
- Installation
- The download page recommends compiling from current Subversion source and also describes official Debian packages.checked 30 Sep 2026
- License
- MPlayer is available under the GNU General Public License version 2.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Media formats
- It plays a wide range of formats, including MPEG, AVI, Ogg/OGM, ASF/WMV, MOV/MP4, RealMedia, Matroska and DVD.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Package scope
- A complete installation requires source code, binary codecs and, for the graphical interface, a skin.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- MPlayer is a movie player that runs on many systems.checked 30 Sep 2026
- 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Streaming
- Supported inputs include streaming over HTTP/FTP, RTP/RTSP, MMS/MMST, MPST and SDP.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Subtitles
- It supports 12 subtitle formats, along with DVD subtitles and closed captions.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Unofficial packages
- The project says it does not support unofficial packages and directs users with issues to their authors.checked 30 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
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