UMPlayer stands for Universal Media Player, and this open-source
freeware aims to be a universal media solution. With hundreds of codecs,
it plays most video and music files as well as audio CDs, DVDs,
SHOUTcast, and live radio and TV from tuner cards. Of course, it plays
YouTube videos; in fact, it has a built-in YouTube player/recorder
feature and search field on its toolbar. With a skinnable interface, hot
keys, subtitle sync, and the regular free updates of an active
open-source project, UMPlayer poses a serious challenge to VLC, MPC and
other popular free media players.
As an efficiently configured
desktop media player, UMPlayer's user interface can only be so different
from other free players without looking freakish, but its attractive
layout has enough simple differences to make it stand out without
screaming, such as its subtle but effective highlighting of the title
and counter section or its user-selectable toolbar that includes a
screenshot tool, DVD player, quick access to files and Web links, and
access to the program's Preferences, as well as the aforementioned
YouTube search box. You can quickly toggle this toolbar off for a more
traditional look, but we suspect many users will find it handy for daily
use. The Help menu includes FAQs, Tips and Tricks, and Web links; the
Skins menu offered six styles with a link to get more.
The proof
is in the playing with digital media, and UMPlayer didn't disappoint,
even in direct side-by-side comparisons to VLC, our default media
player. We didn't run through the entire list of supported formats for
each player; suffice to say that each does most of what the other does,
and just as well. Few users will notice any difference for most file
types. It comes down to a matter of choice. If VLC has a fault, it's
that it just does too much. If you like the idea of a free, open-source
media player that can handle just about anything but find VLC a bit
overwhelming, give UMPlayer a spin.
