A media player is software or an electronic device that is capable of playing multimedia files. Most media players support multiple media formats, including audio and video files. Software
Some popular software media players include Windows Media Player, iTunes, QuickTime Player, WinAmp, VLC media player and XBMC. By installing these media players on the computer, different multimedia files can be played. However, not every media player plays any file size. For this, the media players are dependent on the codecs that are installed with the media player or separately. Device (Hardware)
A media player device also called media player or media streamer is an electronic device that is connected to a display with an (HDMI) cable and so plays different multimedia files. Some media players have an internal hard drive from which media can be played. Others only have streaming capabilities or just both options. In addition, there are often options for connecting USB sticks or memory cards and playing media files. The features and connectivity of a media player depend on the type and brand. Some examples of popular media players include Apple TV (56.1% market share), Roku (21.5% market share), Tivo (6.5% market share), Mede8er and Popcorn Hour. Here too, it depends on the installed codecs which media formats are played.
There are also media players that can only play audio or video files. These are called audio players and video players, respectively. This specialization can increase user-friendliness. Also see
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