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Simple and easy-to-use platform for playing MKV video files

Simple and easy-to-use platform for playing MKV video files

Vote: (963 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: VSeven Software

Version: 2.1.36

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(963 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

VSeven Software

2.1.36

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Very lightweight and stable program that requires little hard drive space and processing power
  • Great at playing MKV files and some other file types
  • You can make custom playlists in seconds

Cons

  • Can only play a few file types
  • The interface is so basic some users might find it weird

MKV Player is a video player program designed to primarily play MKV video files. This is an uncommon video file type that only special players can work with. While this is the primary feature, there are some additional features that make this program more versatile.

Interface and Stability

MKV Player's interface is incredibly straightforward and basic. The design is actually polarizing. It's so simple that it might look weird to some others while others will appreciate how easy it is to use. The vast majority of video players use symbols like a triangle to play a video or a square to stop. This player only has one symbol for volume. Every other button is spelled out.

This gives the player an incredibly basic look, but it also makes the program extremely easy to use and reduces its memory footprint. This is a very light program that requires a small amount of hard drive space and uses little processing power to play videos. Not only that, but MKV Player is exceptionally stable. You should have no problem playing video files as long as it supports the file type. Whether the file is short or long, this player should have no problem with the file.

Supported File Types

As the name implies, this player is primarily meant for MKV files. These video files are often hard to play with traditional video players. This program can play them without any problems and you can set your computer to use this program by default for MKV files.

It can also support MP4 videos and MP3 audio, but that's about it. If you only use common file types, then this player might prove to be very versatile. Most people will only use this for MKVs and that's it. It can't even run DVDs or Blu-rays.

Custom Playlists

If you have many MKVs and you want them to automatically play one after the other, then making a custom playlist is a good idea. This is much faster and more enjoyable than playing each file individually. Simply click the "Playlist" button and select all the video and audio files you wish to add to the playlist. Give the playlist a name and you're good to go.

When you want to play those files, simply choose the playlist and MKV Player will do the rest. You can also edit the playlist to add or remove files.

Few Settings

Some video players have a long list of settings and features you can use. These settings include adding filters to the video, changing the sound or audio equalizer, using special effects and more. MKV Player only has a few settings to choose from. You can display subtitles and change video speed. That's about it.

If you are looking for a video player with lots of settings and options, then this isn't the program for you. If these settings really don't matter and you just want to play the video, then this program might work for you.

No Help Section

Most programs have a Help section that describes functions and answers common questions. This can be useful if you're not sure how something works or if something is going wrong. MKV Player doesn't have a Help section at all. You won't even find it listed with this program.

At the same time, you likely won't need it. The interface is so simple that all the features and straightforward and obvious. The vast majority of users will know exactly what they're doing and shouldn't need any guidance. While it might have been nice to have this section, it likely would have gone unused.

Keyboard Hotkeys

Despite its simplicity, this program does have some useful hotkeys for controlling the video. You can use hotkeys to enter fullscreen mode, to play and pause the video, to skip frames and even to show or hide your playlists. This can make it much easier to control the program and it's nice to have these available for use.

Pros

  • Very lightweight and stable program that requires little hard drive space and processing power
  • Great at playing MKV files and some other file types
  • You can make custom playlists in seconds

Cons

  • Can only play a few file types
  • The interface is so basic some users might find it weird

Pros

  • Intuitive Utility

Cons

  • No Documentation
  • Limited Options

MKV Player is a piece of software designed to play MKV files along with several other common video and audio file types. The software is entirely free, and it isn't especially difficult or overly complex.

Both the functionality and the aesthetic of MKV Player are made to be simple. This simplicity makes the software highly accessible to those who have little or no experience with media playback apps. When the app window is open, you only see a single pane for the content, and beneath the content is a series of control buttons that produce different playback effects. There's also a standard timeline that allows you to jump to any point in the footage.

One interesting feature of the software is the true simplicity of the buttons. Unlike other media players that employ symbolic representation for their controls, such as the standard solid arrow to start the Play feature, MKV Player features buttons labeled with words. That means you have a button that says Stop instead of a button that features the solid square that usually represents the Stop function.

You won't find any advanced options or settings in MKV Player, and the options that are included aren't easy to find or use. A drop down menu located under the content contains several limited options. You can alter the subtitle delay when subtitles are employed for optimal syncing, and you can change the video playback speed slightly. You can also alter file associations, but this is relatively unnecessary.

Unlike other more advanced pieces of software in this category, like VLC Media Player, MKV Player does not include any integrated video effects. It also doesn't have an equalizer, which limits your ability to fine-tune the playback of your content. Unfortunately, there is no documentation for the software online, so you'll have no choice but to teach yourself the subtleties of the player.

MKV Player is sufficient if you only want to play video or audio files. It's nice that the software is named after one of the rarest formats it is capable of playing, but more and more players are starting to adopt 'universal' compatibility, so that feature isn't anything to write home about. You'll probably want to find another option if you want software with any significant tools, options, or sophistication.

The simplicity of MKV Player is perhaps its strongest feature. Its exceptionally basic functionality means it requires few system resources, and the fact it only supports a handful of basic playback functions means anyone can use the software with ease. The software was developed by VSeven Software, but you won't find any adequate documentation on their site or any other.

If you have MKV files that you can only play through this player, you could easily convert those files into a more suitable format for other players. For instance, you could use free software to convert your MKV files to MP4 video files that can be played through basically all media playback apps.

Pros

  • Intuitive Utility

Cons

  • No Documentation
  • Limited Options

This download is no longer available. This could be due to the program being discontinued, having a security issue or for some other reason.

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