Download Video Player to Play MP4 without Installing Codec

Why you still want a Plan B? Main reason, based on the feedbacks from users on the forum, is that some codec pack software contain adware, spyware, ransomware or even trojan virus to put your computer and internal file data into the edge of risk if you download from some informal websites. So comparatively, most users prefer an even safer way to play MP4 on Mac or Windows without codec incompatibility problem. The safer way you might need is to download MP4 video player to play MP4 video on MacBook/iMac or Windows.

And here we mainly focus on top two video player for both Windows and macOS: VLC player and 5KPlayer. Both of them are downloaded thousands of times each month on softonic. They have something in common and meanwhile differ from each other. Read the below table to see which one you like better.

WMV is a codec usually used for video compression in ASF format. It is possible to open WMV files both on Mac and Windows with almost any player or convert the format to another one. WMV supports DRM protection that prevent users from copying information. Part 2: Top 3 WMV Players for Mac Top 1: VLC for Mac. VLC is a popular WMV player for both Mac and PC. It includes a large collection of codecs, so is compatible with tons of video formats. Moreover, it is able to repair corrupted video files efficiently. Play both local videos and streams. Include bonus features. This is a free media player for Mac that is capable of playing WMV videos without the need to install extra third-party plug-ins. In addition to WMV video format, 5KPlayer for Mac can also play most mainstream video and audio formats, including WMA, AVI, MOV, MP3, MKV, MP4, FLV, 3GP, MOV, DivX, AAC, FLAC, OGG and more.

VLC Player

The best K-Lite Codec for Mac – Perian. Perian is one stop codec resource on Mac similar to K-Lite Codec Pack on Windows. Perian is a free, open source, QuickTime component that extends QuickTime support for many popular types of media, including MKV, FLV, WMV, AVI, DivX, and XviD. Avi Codecs For Quicktime Mac Free How to download and install. However, there still is a need you want to convert WMV to another file, like H.264 video for a better distributing and playback across platforms—say play it on a Mac machine, for example. H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) is a popular video codec standard for video compression that' supported by majority video players, devices and TVs.

1. Free play MP4 video on Windows and macOS with H264, MPEG-4, H265 and H263 codecs.

2. Support MPEG Audio, MP3, AAC, AC3, Vorbis, Flac, A52/AC-3, Opus, Speex, WAV and WMA2, 11 audio codecs in total.

3. Free convert MP4 to MKV, MP4 to AVI, FLV, WebM, etc.

4. One of VLC hidden features: free download YouTube MP4 via VLC.

5. Record non-downloadable MP4 screen video on you PC/Mac.

5KPlayer

1. Free play MP4 files on Mac and Windows with codecs like H264, H265, H263, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 ASP, MPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-4 AVC, etc, no 3rd party app needed.

2. Up to 14+ audio codecs supported, for instance, MP3, AAC, AC3, iPhone Ringtone M4A, WMA, AIFF, WAV, Flac, OGG, DTS, etc.

3. Allow you to AirPlay MP4 video from iPhone iPad to MacBook, iMac, Mac Mini, etc. and stream MP4 file from Mac to Apple TV.

4. Free download MP4 video from YouTube, FB, Vimeo, etc. 1000+ sites.

Windows Media Video under .wmv format is very commonly seen in digital world. A lot of movies and videos that you downloaded from the internet are ended with .wmv extension. This type of compression format allows multiple video codecs for encoding videos in it, along with a manageable file size without an visibly loss of image quality. The biggest advantages of it is its universality and general ease of use in Windows operating systems. It can be played by all of Microsoft Windows applications and devices natively, and can be supported by a wide variety of other media players from other developers.

However, there still is a need you want to convert WMV to another file, like H.264 video for a better distributing and playback across platforms—say play it on a Mac machine, for example. H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) is a popular video codec standard for video compression that' supported by majority video players, devices and TVs. Compared to Xvid and MPEG-4 codec, H.264 consistently produces higher quality video at lower bitrates. It usually encoding video, along with AAC audio, in MP4, AVI and MOV container file.

Today we're going to look at an easy way of how to convert from a WMV movie file that ends in .wmv to H.264 video in Mac OS X or Windows.

WMV to H.264 video converter

Video Converter is our favorite for its features and end results. It's a cross-platform video converting tool which enables you to transfer WMV to H.264 video on Mac or Windows quickly without losing image quality, as well as converting practically any source video file into a format you want. It comes with basic video editor tools and preset options for portable device like a smartphone or tablet, making it one of the most user-friendly and adoptable video converting application in the web.

for Windows | for Mac

The installation is a breeze and only takes a few seconds — just follow the instructions on the screen.

WMV video to H.264 file conversion workflow on Mac and PC's

Another Useful Tutorial: How to Burn WMV onto a Blu-ray Disc.

Stage 1 – Load WMV files through 'Add File' button

First, you need to select the source to the application. Click on the 'Add File' in the top. This opens a dialog box, asking which movie you want to select. The application accepts any sort of video file as input. In this example, we choose WMV files that we want to convert into H.264 format.

Stage 2 – Specify an output format and ensure that H.264 video codec is select

Once WMVs selected, head to 'Profile' drop down menu in the bottom corner, and this will reveal a panel with a list of format profiles, including MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, MPG, M4V, etc., as shown in the picture below.

Since H.264 is just a video codec, not a true container file format, you'll need to choose your output format firstly. I like MP4—it's the most widely supported format on this planet, and works great in almost every media player, device, including media center software.

Also, it must be pointed out that you can choose other formats like MKV, MOV, AVI container formats as output, as they supports H.264 video in the container.

Once you choose export file format, next, choose the H.264 codec from the 'Settings' window.

Click the button that labeled 'Settings' next to 'Profile' to get into Profile Settings window. As you can see in the picture below, there are a number of tweaks you can make for the video and audio parameters of format. If you're experienced with these parameters, feel free to fine-tune them. Or just leave these areas to the defaults.

For the purposes of this example, we just ensure that H.264 is selected in Encoder filed.

Click OK to close the window and head back to the main interface.

See More: How to Import WMV Movies to iTunes on Your Mac.

Use preset instead

To make things easier for most users, The WMV converter also comes with presets available for you to convert videos for use on a device like Android smartphone, tablets, Apple iPad, iPhone, PS4, Xbox and more.

Stage 3 – Click 'Convert' to begin converting WMV to H.264 MP4 video in Mac and PC's

The next step would be choosing a location to save output files in 'Destination' box.

Wmv Mac Free

Check again until you've got everything just right, then go ahead and click the blue 'Convert' button in the bottom right corner. The conversion process of WMV to H.264 format for Mac or Windows begins.

Convert Wmv Files For Mac

At this point, all you have to do is sit back and let the program do its job. If you want immediate access to the newly-minted files after conversion, tick the 'Open output folder' option in the bottom of the window, as picture shown below.