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A very common problem Mac users have is playing Windows Media Video (WMV) files. Let's face it, WMV files use Microsoft proprietary codecs that don't work in OS X. This gets really annoying if you come across a WMV file and want to watch it on your Mac. Fortunately, there are a few free and easy solutions. Below are the top 5 WMV compatible players for Mac.
Dec 8, 2018 - This article lists the top 13 free WMV players for Mac (macOS Sierra included) and Windows (Windows 10). If you want to play WMV on Mac, get. Jan 5, 2018 - Windows Media Player is Microsoft's media player tailored for Mac users. It allows you to easily play music and movies in all audio and video.
1. VLC Media Player
VLC supports a number of audio and video compression methods and file formats, including DVD-Video, video CD and streaming protocols. The user can stream over a computer network and transcode multimedia files. Transcoding is the process of converting a media file or object from one format to another, for example converting video formats like Beta to VHS, VHS to QuickTime, or QuickTime to MPEG, among others. It was the first player to support playback of encrypted DVDs on Linux and OS X by using the libdvdcss DVD decryption library.
Pros:
It is a cross-platform media player compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
It can cater for any type of multimedia files including DVD, Audio CD, VCD, among others.
It supports multiple codecs like MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, and MP3.
It is a lightweight media player that uses relatively few system resources. It uses very little memory or processor power, and the program files themselves use very little space on the hard drive. This means that VLC can be run simultaneously with other programs without worrying about the system freezing or crashing.
It can cater for any type of multimedia files including DVD, Audio CD, VCD, among others.
It supports multiple codecs like MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, and MP3.
It is a lightweight media player that uses relatively few system resources. It uses very little memory or processor power, and the program files themselves use very little space on the hard drive. This means that VLC can be run simultaneously with other programs without worrying about the system freezing or crashing.
Cons:
It cannot play a few less common file formats.
It offers limited support, for example, for some formats, e.g. the RealMedia format.
It does not support certain versions of the Indeo Video codec.
It offers limited support, for example, for some formats, e.g. the RealMedia format.
It does not support certain versions of the Indeo Video codec.
2. MPlayerX
MPlayerX is a free, open source, simple-to-use media player for almost any format. This is one of the most widely used WMV players for Mac users. It supports most of the MPEG/VOB, ASF/WMA/WMV, VIVO, QT/MOV/MP4, AVI, Ogg/OGM, RealMedia, Matroska, NUT, NuppelVideo among many others. A valuable adjunct is MPlayer's capacity to output audio files in wav format.
Pros:
Good online support
Allows for decoding of almost any format of files on your computer
Smooth playback
Plays every video format using the best codecs
No additional plug-ins needed to get the software up and running
Allows for decoding of almost any format of files on your computer
Smooth playback
Plays every video format using the best codecs
No additional plug-ins needed to get the software up and running
Cons:
Really only suitable for advanced users
3. DIVX
DivX Plus Software is a desktop media player, and a video conversion application. DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc., including the DivX Codec which became popular due to its ability to compress long video segments into small sizes while retaining relatively high visual quality.
Pros:
High-quality movies, TV shows and web video clips
Smooth video playback experience.
Accommodates different formats, such as WMV, AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4 among others.
Smooth video playback experience.
Accommodates different formats, such as WMV, AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4 among others.
Cons:
Quite complicated for novices.
It's a big program, and quite memory intensive which slows the computer down.
It takes a long time to install.
Codecs are not free.
It's a big program, and quite memory intensive which slows the computer down.
It takes a long time to install.
Codecs are not free.
4. QuickTime + Flip4Mac
Flip4Mac Player is a free multi-format video player available from software developer, Telestream. No plug in is needed if you are running QuickTime Player 7 which has better supports for codecs. Even though there are newer updates, Flip4Mac player works best on QuickTime Player 7.
Pros:
Supports a wide range of audio, video and streaming formats.
Simple user interface.
Not memory-intensive.
Platform-independent.
Can output videos to iPhone or iPod.
Can stream videos over a network.
Can play broken or incomplete downloads.
Installs as a group of components that Quicktime player uses to display Windows video.Simple user interface.
Not memory-intensive.
Platform-independent.
Can output videos to iPhone or iPod.
Can stream videos over a network.
Can play broken or incomplete downloads.
Cons:
Does not support third-party system software modi?cations (the so-called mavericks).
Lacks multiple selection feature.
Escape key cannot be used to exit full-screen view.
Help documentation is minimal.
Upgrade required to export files.
Lacks multiple selection feature.
Escape key cannot be used to exit full-screen view.
Help documentation is minimal.
Upgrade required to export files.
5. Wondershare Player
Wondershare Player is a very popular player because of its wide audio and video format support, user-friendly interface as well as excellent design features. In addition to WMV files, it also supports and playbacks other video formats that QuickTime does not support. Wondershare Player is bundled with other applications, but it can also be downloaded separately.
Pros:
Neat, tidy interface;
Easy to use and can play most formats in high quality;
Creative design;
Supports various audio and video file types and operating systems;
Light on memory usage.
Easy to use and can play most formats in high quality;
Creative design;
Supports various audio and video file types and operating systems;
Light on memory usage.
Cons:
There are several bugs and error handling is not user-friendly;
Confidentiality/security is compromised by having to register an account and supply an email address;
Interface is not customizable;
It does not allow for playing online clips directly from a URL;
Not as feature-rich as other players;
No option to create CDs or burn audio-only discs.
Confidentiality/security is compromised by having to register an account and supply an email address;
Interface is not customizable;
It does not allow for playing online clips directly from a URL;
Not as feature-rich as other players;
No option to create CDs or burn audio-only discs.
How to Play WMV with Any Player
It is not possible simply to play WMV with any player. In order to play WMV files on Windows computers it normally requires the appropriate CODEC or software application such as Windows Media Player. For use on non-Windows computers, WMV files normally need to be converted to another format such as MP4 or MOV or any other Mac-compatible formats first.
The best way to get your WMV video compatible with any player
Since WMV cannot be played by Apple products, the easy solution would be to convert all these WMV files to MP4, MOV or M4V, which are natively supported on Mac. There are many third-party tools out there to convert media files on Mac, but i will recommend EaseFab Video Converter for Mac for its ease of use and reliability. It is a full-featured media video converter. You will be able to convert to not only Apple-friendly formats but also other formats that are suitable for other devices.
The EaseFab Video Converter for Mac allows you to convert any file format in 3 easy steps: Load files, choose output format and click the Convert button to begin transform the files to any player compatible format. Try it now!
> Resource > Instructables > Top 5 Free WMV Players for Mac
by Brian Fisher • Apr 08,2019 • Proven solutions
Let's face it, Windows and Mac will never fully get along. Playing WMV (Windows Media Video) in QuickTime on Mac is no execption. So if you're looking to play WMV on Mac with QuickTime, this article will show you the most trusted solutions to play WMV video on Mac (macOS Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra and newly Mojave included), and also help you to edit WMV in iMovie, add WMV to iTunes and more.
- Part 1. How to Play WMV on Mac(Easily!)
Part 1. How to Play WMV on Mac Easily
Mac won't play WMV directly. So if you want to play WMV on Mac, you need to convert WMV to QuickTime compatible format first. So how to convert WMV to MOV or MP4 that can play on Mac? iSkysoft Video Converter Ultimate will definitely help you do that! This is an all-in-one video tool to convert and play WMV on macOS 10.7 or later (10.14 Mojave, 10.13 High Sierra & 10.12 Sierra included) with ease.
Get the Best WMV to QuickTime Video Converter
- 3 simple steps to convert WMV video to Mac supported format like MOV, MP4 at 90X faster speed.
- Support to convert WMV to 150+ formats, including MP4, AVI, FLV, M4V, MKV, DV, VOB, MPEG-2, 3GP, etc.
- 90X faster speed conversion without losing video quality.
- Easily tranfer your converted WMV video to your mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, etc.
- Edit your WMV videos with built-in video editing tools, like Trim, Crop, Rotate, Add Effects, Subtitles, etc.
- Download online video from YouTube, Vimeo, Vevo, Facebook, Hulu, Dailymotion, and 1,000 more popular sites.
- Offer a series of useful handy tools like GIF maker, VR covnerter, cast to TV, DVD copy, screen recorder, etc.
[Video Tutorial] How to Play WMV Video without Converting on Mac
[Step-by-step] How to Convert WMV to Quicktime Supported Format for Playback on Mac
Before converting WMV videos to QuickTime supported format, you should know that iSkysoft Video Converter Ultimate can play WMV on Mac without any limitation. But if you want to play WMV with QuickTime, please follow this tutorial to convert to the QuickTime supported format first.
Step 1: Download the Program
At first, you need to download and install iSkysoft Video Converter Ultimate on your computer, then find it from the Application folder and click to launch the program.
Step 2: Add WMV Files
After launching the program, your can directly drag and drop the WMV file into the program, or just click the '+Add Files' option at the top left corner of the program main interface to choose the WMV file and add to the program. Alternatively, you can import from your mobile devices by clicking the drop-down icon beside.
Step 3: Set the Output Format (MOV or MP4 on Mac)
In the format tray, there are some output video format options and optimized presets provided for QuickTime, iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMovie and more. To play WMV files on Mac, you can just choose 'MOV' as output format from Video tab.
Step 4: Start to Convert WMV to MOV in order to play WMV files on Mac
When you have selected the output format, you can click the 'Convert' button in the display bar or 'Convert All' button at bottom right if you have more than 1 video to be converted to start the conversion (It supports batch conversion).
Note: Under the help of iSkysoft Video Converter Ultimate for Mac, you can play WMV in QuickTime successfully in 1 minute. For Windows users, please download the Windows version and do steps in the same way. If you want to try other ways, please read on, but this solution is highly recommended. By the way, if you want to get more free WMV players, please check this link.
Part 2. Install Flip4Mac component for QuickTime to Play WMV for Mac
Flip4Mac is also known as Windows Media Components for QuickTime, it is and add-on for Apple’s multimedia player that allows you to play WMV and WMA files on QuickTime easily, apart for supporting WMV files with QuickTime player, Flip4Mac can also be used to play contents from the internet from a Web browser. You can also use MMM Real-Time Streaming protocol, HTTP,MMS HTTP, as well as FTP network protocols with Flip4Mac. It also supports several audio codecs, with this plug-in, you can get support for MP3, WMV9 and many other Microsoft audio codecs. While the free version is limited, the pro version has several extended functionalities that are very useful.
Install Flip4Mac is very easy, all you need is to follow these steps:
Step 1: Download the Flip4Mac plug-in.
Step 2: Run and install the plugin on your mac and your Flip4Mac is ready for use. The plug-in is automatically attached to QuickTime after installing so you will not notice it. WMV files are directly played through QuickTime all you have to do is double click the WMV file.
Part 3. Install Windows Media Player for Mac to Play WMV Files
It is now easier to play WMV file on Mac using Windows Media player itself, this has been made possible with the new Windows player 9 for mas. This player can play both streamed and local WMA and WMV files on a Mac at no cost at all. Installing Windows Media Player is also easy with these steps:
Step 1:Download and install Windows media player for Mac.
Step 2: To watch a WMV file, just launch the media player on your Mac and select the WMV “File”, “Open” to choose the WMV file and click “OK” to load the movie. To play the video, click on the “Play” button and the base of the screen and you can happily watch your WMV video file.
Part 4. Recommend 3 WMV Player for Mac
- How do I open a WMV files on Mac?
Apart from the above mentioned method of playing WMV files on Mac, there are also other WMV player you can use to view and playback your WMV files on Mac. These players are third party WMV players for Mac and are easy to use as well. These players are numerous and easily available, however, to save you from unnecessary complaints, there are excellent players that will play your WMV files without hitch. Here they are:
#1. MPlayerX
This player is an open and free source that can play any file format. It is one of the most popularly used WMV players on Mac, it also has the capacity to output audio files in waw format. This player started as a Google Codes projects in the bid to create a multipurpose player. MPlayerX is designed specifically for Mac and is one of the best WMVplayers.
Pros:
- Excellent online support.
- Smooth playback experience.
- Plays all video formats using the best codes.
- Does not require additional plug-in to run.
Cons:
- Only advanced users can enjoy using the player.
- Excellent online support.
- Smooth playback experience.
- Plays all video formats using the best codes.
- Does not require additional plug-in to run.
Cons:
- Only advanced users can enjoy using the player.
#2. VLC Media Player
- Can you play WMV on a Mac? Sure! VLC supports several video and audio file formats as well as Video CD, streaming Protocols and DVD-Video. With VLC you can stream a video over your Mac with internet connection and transcode multimedia files VLC is a well-known WMV player, it is compatible with Mac and Windows as well as Linux OS. It allows you to play you WMV file on Mac without Flip4Mcac. It does not require any codec, you only need to simply open the WMV file. You can also VLC to play other multimedia files such as MPEG, MKV and others.
Pros:
- Can cater for any type multimedia file.
- Supports multiple codecs such as MKV, WebM, WMV and MP3.
- It is a lightweight media player as it requires little processor or memory power.
- It is compatible with Linux, Mac and Windows operating system.
Cons:
- Cannot play a selected few file formats.
- Some versions of Indeo Video codec is not supported.
- Can cater for any type multimedia file.
- Supports multiple codecs such as MKV, WebM, WMV and MP3.
- It is a lightweight media player as it requires little processor or memory power.
- It is compatible with Linux, Mac and Windows operating system.
Cons:
- Cannot play a selected few file formats.
- Some versions of Indeo Video codec is not supported.
#3. DIVX
DIVX is a desktop media player as well as a video converter. It is also known for its ability to compress lengthy video segments into smaller sizes with high video quality. It has a wonderful playback experience, with this player, you can play videos in several formats on your Mac such as WMV, AVI, MP4 and MKV.
Pros:
- Wonderful video playback experience.
- Supports numerous video file formats.
- High quality web video clips, movies and TV shows.
Cons:
- Complex to use especially for newbies.
- Takes large memory space.
- Its take a long while to install.
- Wonderful video playback experience.
- Supports numerous video file formats.
- High quality web video clips, movies and TV shows.
Cons:
- Complex to use especially for newbies.
- Takes large memory space.
- Its take a long while to install.
Tips: FAQs About Watching WMV on Mac
#1. Why can't VLC play WMV on Mac?
A: Although VLC includes all common codecs for video files, sometime it will also fail to play some WMV videos. In such cases, first make sure you're using the latest VLC. Secondly, make sure the WMV files are not corrupted. To do so, either try other media player software or try importing WMV to iSkysoft Video Converter Ultimate for Mac.
#2. Can all computers play .wmv files?
A: Of course NOT. WMV is encoded with Windows Media Video format so you need a media player with WMV decoder included, or your system provides such a decoder. If you're using Windows, you can usually play WMV files without any problem, but if you want to watch WMV video on Mac, you have to install a WMV player or convert WMV to MOV or other Mac-compatible formats first.
#3. How do you play WMV files on MacBook Pro?
A: The solution for playing on MacBook Pro is the same as that on Mac because MacBook Pro is running Mac OS X. That is to say, you can download a WMV player like VLC or convert WMV to MOV so you can play WMV on Mac, MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, etc.
4. Media formats supported by QuickTime Player
Supported Video Format: QuickTime Movie (.mov), MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4v), MPEG-2 (OS X Lion or later), MPEG-1, 3GPP, 3GPP2, AVCHD (OS X Mountain Lion or later), AVI (Motion JPEG only), DV.
Supported Audio Format: iTunes Audio (.m4a, .m4b, .m4p), MP3, Core Audio (.caf), AIFF, AU, SD2, WAV, SND, AMR.