PotPlayer (Video and Audio player)

PotPlayer
Website
Version History
Download (via Majorgeeks / Softpedia)

Code:

Download latest version
32-bit
https://t1.daumcdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/Version/Latest/PotPlayerSetup.exe
64-bit
https://t1.daumcdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/Version/Latest/PotPlayerSetup64.exe

 

I remember about this app, I believe it was not bad, but MPC is simply better. But perhaps it has been improved, will check it out.

 

funny it has no own thread before. i use it since VLC v3 arrived and failed - still failing. its my default since feb'22 and can also use my playlists from winamp (also i prefer winamp because remote from android - there exist no [free] remote for PP and android)

 

this is all about potplayer (PP), not the crappy mediaplayer (not microsoft) which edition whatever. please keep off.

 

I have PotPlayer sitting in a folder that hasn't been used in quite awhile. It could stand for an updated and hopefully more improved version. The normal players for me are MPC-HC (i'm hooked with this one-Playlist is perfect/dockable) and of course VLC which is okay i guess. SMPlayer haven't used in ages.

What are some benefits with Pot Player in comparison? WinAmp ages ago was one of the favorites but i haven't really focused attention on it yet.

 

PP can play 2.2 (front+rear, like winamp with plugin) where VLC v3 fails complete, on this machine. latest v2 can do. i dont know what they have messed up. i dont care about skins, it must be functional. maybe its time to clean it up on your side if you did not use it for a longer period

 

I couldnt care any less over skins either frankly. Its the features and clarity of the video/audio performance that separates the field.
Also a playlist that is user friendly.

 

playlist, the winamp list is ok, but with the MM3D skin (modern skin) it gets small while potplayer list is much more polite to read. i need a (free) remote then winamp had its days here.

"moon remote" do not work here and was made for older androids, there do not exist any help file how to use. "unified remote" wants payment for this player and need a server running on the target system. in such case i can use VNC remote then i can do remote for my windows at all.

 

I think I tried this a long time ago when I used Windows. IIRC it downloaded with PUP's. Meanwhile VLC and SMPlayer are working fine for me on Ubuntu. VLC works on macOS but QuickTime is more than enough. I believe I initially tried PotPlayer when the Windows version of QT was ended. PotPlayer was pretty good, shame about the PUP's.

 

the setup do not contain adware, but i cannot tell for loading from web during setup because it was not allowed. a setup in sandboxie also do not show adware/malware. potplayer is limited to LAN only here.

 

I didn't even make it this far, because I'm already turned off by PP. I installed it in Sandboxie, and dragged a couple of videos to it, but it couldn't play them, perhaps it needed to download codecs or something? With MPC-HC stuff just works.

 

IIRC PP wouldn't play certain files for me. I'm pretty sure it was a codec thing, although I was running Vista at the time.

 

That must been why i tucked it inside a folder and left it there for years. MPC-HC and others don't hee haw around wasting user's time chasing down codecs and all that nonsense. Put up or don't put up at all.

 

Agree. I've been using MPC-BE for some time now, even though I find myself gravitating towards Stremio these days. Why download it if you can stream it with Debrid, right?

 

Yeah, you definitely shouldn't have to chase codecs.

 

VLC, Potplayer have their own codecs. appreciated.
i had too much trouble with codec packages, which ruined my system. dont know why such crap survived.
at least i would recommend LAVfilters if there wont be another choice.

 

We're on the same page with that. Chasing around Codecs online for one thing is not exactly safe since there's plenty of websites who you can bet would have no qualms slipping malware in a download. Perfectly knowing the user is innocent and only wanting a software to finally work as expected but misses codecs etc. I have ONE system just such as that where a video codec was needed for it to perform and turned up empty. When i downloaded what is suppose to be a newer version on that software (minus codec hunting) the video played horrible, jumping around and just plain lousy.

 

I've been thinking about when I tried PP for a while. The PUP's didn't come when I first downloaded it, but on the first upgrade. After MBAM and SAS had to remove the offending adware I uninstalled PotPlayer. I'm really glad I eventually switched to Unix systems only.

 

Yes, good point. That's why I hate having to download codecs for playing standard video files. These codecs should be included. I don't see why PotPlayer couldn't play MP4 files on my machine.

I don't know anything about PUP's, but I wouldn't be surprised if PotPlayer will eventually load them in the background. Years ago I checked out GOM Player but their website got hacked twice, so it was trojanized by hackers, after that I never touched it again. But that's why I always first install most apps inside the sandbox with the help of Sandboxie.

 

It was only adware I believe. I still don't want it in my system though, no one does. I suppose it's the 'price' you pay for half-decent freeware. PP was pretty good I thought, until the PUP's incident. I guess that this is the way a lot of free media players are funded. IIRC MBAM actually quarantined the PUP's during the upgrading process. Also, I'm pretty sure the upgrade process was automatic. It didn't ask me if I wanted the upgrade and it just sort of sneaked the upgrade in. After that I was suspicious of all free media players, with the exceptions of VLC and SMPlayer. I don't know if there's a Windows version of SMPlayer. Apparently it is the most popular player on Ubuntu.

 

There is never an excuse for adware in my view, unless you can decline install. And I have never really liked VLC and SMPlayer. Like I said, Media Player Classic HC gets the job done and it feels quite lite on the system. But yes, it's best to be suspicious when it comes to media players and downloaders, think of YTD Video Downloader and 4K Video Downloader, these apps just feel shady.

 

At least VLC generally works, although I have never totally got on with it myself either. I've used MPC on Windows and it was pretty good. A lot of apps feel shady lol.

 

That's exactly why I use tools like Secure Folders, I'm sure you can find such tools on macOS and Ubuntu as well. Because these type of shady downloaders should not get access to private data since they need network access. However, media players (not downloaders) normally speaking don't need network access. And I really don't see what people like so much about VLC, perhaps they need extra features.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/Secure-Folders.shtml

 

I've always thought VLC was a bit anorak and over-complicated, I like relative simplicity in a media player. It can play apparently 'broken' files however. It has its uses I suppose.

 

Sensible thing to do anymore these days than ever, but i have always used (on 8.1 mostly now) the old Tzuk Sandboxie which just plain made it nice to test such programs contained, and determine if it's behaving as the user expects OR been bundled with garbage which case it gets removed with ease with no affecting your good machine.