VLC has been versatile, reliable, and available across platforms for a long time now. I use it for the simplicity of having a familiar and ready solution.

mpv

which one (still) works on all platforms?

I’ve a penchant for sexy UI design, so I ditched VLC for Screenbox on Windows.

But I still keep VLC for playing the really old video files, MPG and such. From the handicam days.

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I have both and default use Media Player Classic. But VLC works just as well.

On windows, I have been a big fan of MPC-BE for years. That being said, I switch to linux (arch BTW) and now I watch basically everything using jellyfin instead.

That being said, VLC is the main Linux option, so VLC I guess.

In recent years I would have to say MPC-HC simply because it plays everything I throw at it flawlessly while VLC has failed me more and more in recent years.

mpv is better than either imo. Was a long time vlc user who switched this past year. It’s highly customizable with a bevy of support documentation, has an incredibly clean ui, and most importantly, it just works flawlessly. I highly recommend it

I lice vlc