by Christine Smith • 2021-04-21 14:09:04 • Proven solutions
Playing video and audio files for entertainment is like the most basic thing users will do on a computer. The most popular audio/video player for Mac is VLC Media Player. The VLC player for Macbook has stayed on top of the list for a long time. However, we also have many alternatives for it as more and more software has developed with more abundant functions than VLC. The Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) is a complete video and audio conversion solution which allows you to manipulate the media files according to your requirements. This article will introduce this tool and discuss how to download, install VLC, and make it as your default player on Mac.
VLC, coming from a non-profit organization composed of volunteers, is dedicated to the development and promotion of open-source multimedia solutions. It can also run in Windows, Android, and Ubuntu. The initial function of this free DVD ripper for Mac is to play media files in various formats and resolutions.
- How to View & Play SWF Files on Mac with VLC. The VLC player will open, play, and view SWF Files that are simple movies or videos, here’s all you need to do for that: Download VLC on the Mac for free from here; Open VLC Player; Drag and drop the SWF file into the VLC player application, or the VLC Dock icon, to open and play the SWF file on Mac.
- Macgo Blu-ray Player is an excellent Blu-ray player for Mac that's available to download on the Mac App Store. Although it's not a free option, you'll still enjoy a free 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out. Interestingly, Macgo Blu-ray Player is one of the first digital Blu-ray Player apps for macOS 10.15 Catalina.
Part 1. What is VLC Media Player
The VLC media player, commonly known as VLC, is a free and open-source player developed by VideoLAN. It is available for all the platforms, whether it is Computer or Mobile phones. VLC supports so many audio and video file formats and compression methods, which include DVD-Video, video CD, and multiple streaming protocols. It is compatible with all the formats supported by libav codec and libav format. To take advantage of this player, you can download VLC for Mac easily.
Part 2. How to Download and Install VLC on Mac OS X
The VLC media player is available for multiple platforms and is a very popular choice for Apple users. The software is also free for Mac OS X, and a list of versions are available for download on the official website. The complete guide on installing VLC on Mac OS X is given below along with the download process.
Download Vlc For Mac Os Catalina Free
Step 1. Go to the official website of VideoLAN and download the dmg package from the download links available for Mac OS X.
Step 2. Once the package is downloaded, locate the file and execute it. The file will open after verifying the contents of the file.
Step 3. Please select the file and drag it to the Application folder. This will copy the file into the application folder.
Step 4. Now double-click on the file and allow all the permissions required by the VLC. Once the setup is complete, VLC will launch for the first time on your Mac.
Part 3. How to Make VLC as Default Player on Mac
Instead of going through the hassle of choosing the VLC player every time you try to open a video, it is better than making the VLC media player your default media player.
Steps on how to make VLC as the default player on Mac:
Step 1. Select any file that you want to open and right-click on it. When you click, certain options will appear, and you can select the Get Info option.
Step 2. Now, in the Open With section, choose the VLC from the drop-down menu.
Step 3. Then, make sure that you click on Change All option to apply the setting to all the files present on the Mac. And the VLC on your Mac would be the default player now.
Part 4. The Best VLC Alternative Mac to Play Video and Audio Files
If you are looking for the VLC alternative for Mac, then your search ends at Wondershare UniConverter. It is a complete toolbox that allows the users to convert, download, edit, burn video, and audio in more than 1000 formats. It is a tool that gives you the fastest speed of conversion with so many additional features that you will forget there is some other software available on the internet.
Wondershare UniConverter - Your Complete Video Toolbox
- Best VLC Alternative to convert any video/audio in any format, like AVI/MKV/MOV/MP4/MP3/WAV/M4A, etc.
- Convert video to optimized preset for almost all of the devices.
- Compress videos by cropping and trimming.
- Burn video to playable DVD with attractive free DVD templates.
- Download or record videos by pasting URLs from Internet video sites.
- Versatile toolbox includes fixing video metadata, GIF maker, Video Compressor, and screen recorder.
- Supported OS: macOS 11 Big Sur, 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6, Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista.
Main functions of the Wondershare UniConverter:
Video/Audio Converter: VLC Alternative to convert video and audio in any format
This is the most attractive function of the Wondershare UniConverter. It can convert any format of video to some other. The list supported by this software is unlimited, e.g. MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV, MPEG-2, MOV, 3GP, HEVC, and many others. The Wondershare UniConverter gives a wide array of conversion processes. It allows the user to convert videos for Social networks, iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and others. It also supports the conversion of DVDs, videos from camcorder, and especially videos to audio. With this software's help, you can also combine multiple videos by merging them and compressing them. The software is very easy to learn, and once you get familiar with the interface and process, you will be able to efficiently operate the software.
Video Editor: Edit video and audio with built-in tools before conversion
The software enables users to edit videos with ease. Editing is the process that allows the users to give a whole new look to the videos by applying multiple effects and filters. With Wondershare UniConverter, the users are free to experiment with their videos by choosing a variety of effects and filters. It allows the users to trim videos, crop videos, apply an effect, add watermark, and add subtitles to the videos. The software ensures that the users get an amazing video editing experience.
Files Download: Download video and audio files by pasting URLs
It usually happens that we wish to download videos that are present on different websites. The Wondershare UniConverter signifies its name and supports almost 10000 websites from which you can easily copy URL and download the video with the best quality. Not only can you download the videos, but also you can edit them right after download. Even if you want to download a whole playlist or convert a video to MP3 and then download it, the software can do it all. The software also provides some download process settings that can ensure that every video you download is of high quality. It has a download task scheduler and also provides priority settings for downloads.
DVD Burning: Burn videos to DVD and Blu-ray Discs Easily
A burn is a term used for the process of writing content to a CD/DVD or any other disc. Usually, the burning of the Videos is done to get them on some external space. The Wondershare UniConverter also provides a burning function for videos. The software makes it possible for the users to burn videos or other supported files to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or to ISO file. Whether you want to burn videos to DVD, Convert DVD to ISO, or Burn ISO to DVD, the software supports them all.
Toolbox: More additional functions related to media
It can help you to fix media metadata automatically and edit it with customization. You can also convert your videos to VR and enjoy on your VR devices. What's more, it has 2 assistant tools named Screen Recorder and GIF Maker.
Apple sheds the past as necessary to provide new features in its products. With macOS 10.15 Catalina, Apple gave up on 32-bit software after two years of Apple warning about that event coming. That meant iPhoto and a host of third-party apps could no longer be used after upgrading. But less remarked upon were video formats that relied on software components Apple had never updated to 64-bit compatibility.
There’s a long list of formats dropped in last fall’s macOS update, and it includes faves from years past: RealVideo, DivX, Sorenson 3, FlashPix, and many great hits that eventually were superseded by improved encoders. (An encoder takes a stream of video and represents it with a certain degree of fidelity to the original, while storing it efficiently, and often in a way that is also designed optimized for rapid, smooth playback as the data is read out of the file.)
iMovie and Final Cut Pro were both updated in March 2019 so that when running under macOS 10.14 Mojave and some previous compatible releases, the apps alerted you when any project you opened contained clips that would be incompatible in Catalina, and converted them to a newer format. You could also open any file in QuickTime Player in Mojave or earlier releases and save a copy, which would automatically save it in a newer format that will work in Catalina (and far beyond).
In Catalina, however, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and QuickTime Play can’t convert the old formats.
How Do I Download Vlc For Mac
If you’ve already upgraded to Catalina, you can lean on two free, open-source video players that keep up to date with formats and macOS: IINA and VLC. They can play nearly every old format, and VLC can convert and save files.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Jewel.
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