For watching local videos, I believe the most popular option is VLC Player. However, for many people, it might seem overloaded with settings, and sometimes you just want something simpler.
For watching local videos, I believe the most popular option is VLC Player. However, for many people, it might seem overloaded with settings, and sometimes you just want something simpler.
In that case, you might want to check out MoonPlayer — a free, open-source, cross-platform video player.
Right from the first launch, you'll notice its minimalist interface, with what seems to be very few options at first glance. The screenshot shows the Windows version, which might cause some confusion for an unprepared user. The window control buttons aren't labeled, so it’s not immediately clear where to click to minimize, maximize, or close the window.
Of course, MoonPlayer handles video playback without any issues, but that’s not particularly exciting. The interesting features are hidden in three buttons at the bottom right corner.
The magnifying glass icon takes you to the plugin management. Although any developer can create plugins, MoonPlayer currently only has three: Bilibili, Iqiyi, and YouTube.
As you might guess from their names, each plugin allows you to watch videos from the corresponding site. However, you may need to put in a bit of effort to get it working.
For example, to watch YouTube, you need to obtain an API key. Instructions for getting it are available here.
It’s hard to say how well it works with all services, but I couldn’t get YouTube to work. The search feature finds the desired video, but it fails to play or download it.
On the other hand, MoonPlayer handles local video playback without any problems. The player also offers many advanced settings, such as font options, proxy support, and caching. The developer didn’t forget about playlist functionality either.
