The video player on the iOS system makes it one of the most versatile multimedia mobile platforms on the market. The ability to play video on iOS has helped make the smartphone a consistent market leader practically since the iPhone was first launched. One of the major problems with the on board app, however, is that it limits what videos you can watch and audio files you can listen to. This is due in part to Apple asserting its dominance in cyberspace and dictating what
video codecs can be used on its video player. Many users feel this actually limits the reach of the platform.
Under new protocols for iOS 8, apps are not allowed to play downloaded videos from streaming services such as Vimeo and YouTube in order to prevent copyright infringement. There are a number of alternatives to the iOS video player that play different codecs directly. Some are free, others cost more than $5. Let’s look at five of them.
1.) 8Player
One of the great business rivalries in the last 30 years has been between Apple and Microsoft. Whereas Microsoft has become almost ubiquitous on the PC market, Mac has enjoyed consistent, widespread devotion from millions of people too. Ever since the debut of the iPhone, Apple has, to some degree, dominated the mobile device space. One of the issues that has resulted is that Windows codecs aren’t read by Apple devices.
8Player fills that gap. Almost drowned in the morass of video players is a solid one here that is worth a look. 8Player does what it says on the tin – it plays video that your iPhone or iPad cannot. The user interface is good and the system plays most film formats available.
Test the free, “Lite” version to see for yourself, but this version is very limited. It is only when you pay the full $5.99 that you will be able to use almost every codec available on the market.
2.) Flex:player
In theory a free app,
flex:player also opens the door to codecs that are not available to you on your standard iOS video player. It plays films in over 100 codecs, which is significantly more than the iOS system, but the chief weakness is that it is not made clear that the “Free” version is limited. User reviews repeatedly point out that unless you pay $8 you will not be able to use the app to its full potential. This unfortunate facet irritates the user, which is a shame as the app itself (when paid for) is solid. There are some better players out there for less money, and which are more upfront about their fees.
3.) nPlayer
For $4.99 you can buy the
nPlayer, which plays almost every video codec on the market today. Prior to the latest iOS upgrade, it might have been the only video player you needed, however the aforementioned new iOS 8 protocols prevent it from being used for downloaded videos from streaming services.
In terms of multi-format players, this appears to be one of the better systems on the market, with customers regularly giving it top marks for usability and flexibility. There are a couple of weaknesses on the system, with it lacking the ability to play back DTS, a codec that gives surround sound. In its previous versions there were issues with it crashing, but the developers appear to have alleviated much of these problems, and you now have a far more stable, reliable system that does exactly as it promises to.
For all that, the nPlayer blows open your mobile device’s doors to many of the audio and video formats available on the web. One of its strongest characteristics is that it plays a variety of subtitle formats, and even multichannel subtitle formats. You can zoom in to these so they can be seen even with the most tired of eyes.
4.) GPlayer
With one of the coolest user interfaces on the market and a variety of skins, the $1.99
GPlayer is a user-friendly system. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, it works well. Unlike some systems it doesn’t demand too much memory so you can use other apps in the background while you watch or listen to the media you play.
You can start and pause video with just a gesture, and it has a resume function, which means you don’t have to worry about searching for the point at which you paused the video if you need to break away to do an email. With very high reviews averaging near five stars, this is one of the most well-liked apps on the market.
5.) OPlayer
As we keep going through the alphabet of non standard, codec video players, we find
Oplayer HD Lite. This is a free app that plays videos directly without pausing to convert the video to a playable format. The app has been on the market for three years now. From a relatively shaky start it has become a more reliable, stable platform, albeit with some issues that need resolving.
Even on the latest update it does crash, and the music skips if there are other apps working in the background. Since most people have multiple apps running simultaneously, this high demand on the system can make it cumbersome and annoying to use. As developers iron out the glitches, it could yet improve to the point that it becomes serious competition to paid-for rival apps.
