AllPlayer 5.2 Media Player with Extras

I find it quite surprising that I never heard about AllPlayer before, despite the fact that it is one of the most downloaded media players on several popular download sites on the Internet. This may have something to do with the fact that players like VLC or SMPlayer tick all the right boxes, and make the search for additional players  more or less redundant.

AllPlayer has just been updated to version 5.2, and I thought it would be a nice idea to take a quick look at the player to see what it has to offer.

When you look around on the developer website you will notice that the player supports all the features that you would expect from a player, and then some that many players do not ship with. It can play nearly every media format, video and audio, out of the box without codec installation. And should you encounter a video or audio file that the player can't play, you can use the LiveUpdate feature to analyze the file and find the appropriate codec for it on the Internet.

Another strength of the player is its subtitle support. You can search for subtitles on your local PC or on the Internet. And if the movie can't be identified by the player, you can tap right into IMDB's vast database to identify it. Many customization options are available for subtitles, from changing how they are displayed on the screen over a subtitles editor to intelligent subtitles where AllPlayer checks the length of the subtitle to adjust the display duration.

Other features worth mentioning in this regard are:

• Can play Rar files without unpacking
• CD and DVD playback support
• Video Converter built-in
• Two monitor support, e.g. computer monitor and TV screen
• Autoplay of multi-part movies or series
• Dolby Surround, SPDIF and 3D audio support
• Playlists
• Avi Doctor to repair damaged avi files
• Automatic shutdown of the PC after a movie ends

Downsides

As far as downsides go, there are two that I would like to mention. The player's resource use is higher than that of VLC or SMPlayer. AllPlayer used roughly double the memory that VLC used when playing avi test movies. The resource use is not critical but I think it is worth mentioning here.

There is also an Elite Mode that requires you to enter a code, but neither the website nor the player explain how you get that code. Is that a commercial version of the player with an advanced set of features?

Closing Words

If you are particularly interested in some of the features of AllPlayer, I suggest you give it a try. Built-in subtitle downloading, codec identifications and downloads, and other features make the player a solid choice. But if you do not really need those  extra features, or have other tools for the purpose, then you'd better pick an established media player such as VLC or SMPlayer instead.

Have you heard of AllPlayer before? If so, what is your take on the media player?

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