While most people listen to streaming music or video now, there are occasions when you do not have a data connection and locally stored files are your only option. PotPlayer is an excellent media player that can handle a large variety of media file types.

Playback quality will depend on the hardware the program is installed on, but in tests, PotPlayer had no problem playing a 1.6 GB MOV file, 865 MB MKV, or a 1.4 GB AVI. Smaller files should play back without any issues as well. You can toggle file information and see an in-depth breakdown of file information including CPU usage.

There is subtitle support in PotPlayer for .ass and .srt files and will natively play subtitles if they are located in the same folder as the video file. The amount of options in PotPlayer are great. You can optimize PotPlayer to get the best performance, but the default settings work fine for the majority of videos.

PotPlayer can also play audio files. It includes default visualizations or you can download more online. The program provides a lot of information about the audio file like bitrate, file type, and the number of channels. Like other media players, there are also audio presets for the equalizer and they all work pretty well. It it is not a substitute for a good stereo, but does have an effect on the audio.

The program is by Daum, a Korean company, but the program is presented entirely in English during and after installation. One annoyance is that PotPlayer does not show in the taskbar, only in the notification area, so to use the program, you either have to have it running in an open section on your screen or find it in notifications.

PotPlayer is a good alternative to first party media players. The stable build has a large variety of supported formats and the quality of playback is excellent for both video and audio.

Download PotPlayer 1.5.35238 in Softonic

Useful Features: Change Playback Speed (0.1x to 2.0x) A-B Repeat Equalizer Audio Effects (Reverb, Surround, Normalize) Shuffle Playlists Edit ID3 Tags Change Skins Plugin Support Power Options Open Internet Streams

GOM Audio was designed to be the audio playback answer to the popular GOM Media Player video playback software. Because GOM Audio is based on GOM Media Player, many of the same features (like A-B Repeat and Playback Speed controls) and shortcuts are included!

GOM Audio is great for anyone who uses their PC for listening to music, especially those who use other GOM software products.

Download GOM Audio GOM Audio 2.0.2.0287 in Softonic

FreeSmith Video Player looks nice, with a slick interface, easy full screen mode and clear controls. What we didn't like was that although the full screen mode looks good, there are no on-screen controls - except by right-clicking and selecting Play. There are fully-customizable hotkey controls, but we'd like to see both options for the full "movie experience".

As features go, FreeSmith Video Player covers the basics, but is unlikely to amaze you. It's got the full selection of extras that make it user-friendly - like a screenshot function, subtitles and good playlist options, but that's about it.

FreeSmith Video Player's technical options are middle of the pack - you'll be able to make basic changes to your videos, like cropping and rotating, but the program doesn't offer the advanced options that you might see on players like VLC.

Overall. we thought that FreeSmith Video Player was a nice free application that will suit many people's needs. That said, if you've got a bit of experience with multimedia players and are looking for something a little special, you're unlikely to find it with FreeSmith Video Player. We also noticed a lot of lag, which, for a player that prides itself on being light, was a little unusual.

FreeSmith Video Player covers basic media player needs, but really offers little to make it stand out from the pack.

Download FreeSmith Video Player 1.2.3 in Softonic

If you love the look of Windows Media Player 11 but prefer the inner workings of GOM Player, 11 Inspirat GOM Player Skin is a nice compromise. With this easy-to-install skin, you can transform GOM Player to make it look identical to Windows Media Player 11's interface.

11 Inspirat GOM Player Skin is a sleek skin, with dreamy, futuristic graphics. The color scheme is dark, with black and blues being the primary colors you see. The settings and playlist panels are both outlined in the same familiar black, but their actual information boxes are white, allowing users to better see both the settings they're customizing and the media being played.

Overall, 11 Inspirat GOM Player Skin is a great compromise for people who prefer GOM Player but want Windows Media Player 11's sharp-looking interface.

Download 11 Inspirat GOM Player Skin in Softonic

Automatically searches for codecs online

Like UMPlayer GOM Player is one of those apps that goes unnoticed but proves to be excellent when you take the time to give it a try. It's a compact, easy-to-use video player lets you enjoy video files and movies in a wide variety of formats. What's more, you won't have problems with codecs because GOM Player already includes them – and if not, it automatically searches for the appropriate codec online.

Support for wide range of features

GOM Player shows off a sleek interface with support for skins and has other powerful features: support for subtitles, favorites manager, support for playlists, use mouse and keyboard shortcuts for many functions and more. What GOM Player misses, for example, is the ability to take screenshots or even more important, to resume playback right where you left it (something I personally use a lot).

GOM Player offers to install the Google Toolbar during its installation process but you may as well decline the offer. As for the rest, it's a great video player that's well worth a try… even if you already have a favorite player.

Conclusion

GOM Player is a visually appealing video player with very interesting features and which, above all, solves any problem you may have with codecs.

Download GOM Player GOM Media Player 2.1.50.5145 in Softonic

Users are very picky when it comes to installing codec packs on their PCs - nobody wants to bloat their system with useless files and tools that won't be of any use or will only cause incompatibility issues. You won't have this problem with XP Codec Pack. This compact, handy codec pack has always been Softonic's first choice whenever we need to install codecs or upgrade them on a PC.

Why? Well, we like the fact that XP Codec Pack focuses on the most popular formats, and so it's not overloaded with codecs most users will hardly use. Secondly, it's easy to install and lets you choose exactly what you want, both for codecs and tools. Finally, XP Codec Pack is incredibly stable and highly compatible: we've never had a single problem with codec since we began to use it.

Of course, that doesn't mean to say that XP Codec Pack is perfect. There are a few flaws that should be pointed out. The most demanding users will surely miss a wider array of formats in XP Codec Pack, as well as more codec-related tools like the ones you find in other codec packs.

XP Codec Pack is a great choice for those who don't need a massive selection of codecs and prefer a simpler, hassle-free codec kit for the most popular audio and video formats.

Download XP Codec Pack 2.5.1 in Softonic