Is 5KPlayer better than VLC? A Brief Comparison [2021]

Written By TheTechTop10

Every article is rigorously researched & written by a Tech Expert and reviewed by Two Editors.

5KPlayer is a media player, streaming media server developed by DearMob, Inc. It is a software developing company that loves to creates wonderful application software for Windows and Mac OS.

Since there had been no good alternate to VLC media Player nearly for 10 years, users prefer VLC as their first choice. But the fact is that VLC is still limited in terms of smooth 4K or 8K video playing.

A better thing to justify the fact is that the VLC media player still has the same 32-bit build that seems outdated in this 64-bit era. Also, if you want to cast your phone screen to a big display through AirPlay, you won’t be able to do that with VLC. 

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The 5K player takes advantage of the gap and sit in the place of the best VLC alternative. It packs more features than VLC. It a powerful and handy media player that can do everything besides, it’s free of cost application.

Primary features of 5KPlayer

  1. Supports AirPlay

5KPlayer outshines as airplay enabled software. That means you can do instant screen mirroring by adjusting the resolution. Along with mirroring, there is an option to record the screen in 4K quality.

  1. DLNA Wireless Stream

DLNA is a growing demand in the market. 5KPlayer has support for the DLNA controller, DLNA renderer, DLNA server. That means you will be able to connect your device to home theaters, tablets smartphones, Blu -ray players, and game controllers. This free video player skills also trigger H.264/MP4/MP3/AAC through DLNA.

  1. Hardware acceleration

5K player is powered by the most powerful GPU and CPU hardware acceleration. This free VLC alternative can handle tough rendering and decoding while you watch 4K/8K videos in very less consumption of CPU and GPU. A hardware-accelerated media player lets you watch and enjoy your videos without any stutter or glitch.

  1. Automatic detection for Hi-Fi audio files

5KPlayer automatically detects if the audio is formatted for Dolbys, Rstereo, or DTS multi-channel that needs sound surround for a better experience. The format can be MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, and ALAC. It tends you provide you the ultimate experience of the real sound. 

  1. Built-in support for Online video and Music download

This free media player can be a great place to deal with YouTube and social media videos. 5KPlayer supports over 300+ online video and music sites to download and stream media without any hassle. The application can serve you as one of the best YouTube video downloaders for PC.

It can also serve as one of the best YouTube video converters for PC. The sites include some of the top places such as Facebook. Vevo and Dailymotion etc.

Primary features of VLC

  1. Put video effects

If you can’t find good colors in your videos, you can adjust it in the adjustments and effects section. VLC allows users to apply different effects and see live changes. You can develop customized videos by putting some great effects and adjust hue, brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpen your video. The parameters will easily be synchronized in seconds. 

  1. Record Your Desktop

Here is a feature that might sound helpful in sound cases. VLC has a built-in superior screen recorder for Desktop. Yes! You can enable desktop video recording on VLC by simply navigating to the media option. You can also adjust frame rates for your output video. 

  1. Convert Video Files

VLC also allows users to convert their video file format without relying on any additional plugin. Although this doesn’t sound a big thing, this feature is very helpful for instant media converting. It saves you from installing a giant software for the purpose. Also, uploading a video to an online video converter site can be messy and sort of time-consuming.

  1. Play and Download YouTube videos

VLC can also help you to download YouTube videos directly from the internet. You can also watch the YouTube video on your VLC, without downloading. In case you want to download the current video playing, you can also do that by navigating to tools option and selecting the codec. 

VLC player
  1. Set video as Wallpaper

This is the most interesting feature you would ever find on a media player. You heard it rightly! You will be able to set the videos to your desktop wallpaper. You can also create custom wallpapers by trimming your videos. It takes the use of DirectX to create the output. 

A Brief Comparison: VLC Player vs 5K Player

Formats5KPlayerVLC Media Player
High Definition VideoAVCHD Video
H.264/H.265/MPEG-4 AVC
MPEG2 HD Video
MPEG-4 TS HD Video
MPEG-2 TS HD Video
Quick Time HD Video (*.mov)
WMV HD Video (*.wmv, *.xwmv)
Blu-ray Video (*.mts, *.m2ts)
HDTV Video (*.ts)
Matroska Video (*.mkv)
360°
H.261/H.263/H.263i
H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
Cinepak
Theora
Dirac /VC-2
MJPEG (A/B)
WMV 1/2
WMV 3 / WMV-9 / VC-1 1s
Sorenson 1/3(Quicktime)
DV (Digital Video)
On2 VP3/VP5/VP6
Indeo Video v3(IV32)
Real Video 1/2
Real Video 3/4
360°
Size39MB38MB
PlaybackUltra-smooth and comfortable playback (CPU and GPU friendly)Good video playback but throw errors occasionally (VLC not working)
AirplayAirPlay mirroring and recording on both Windows and MacOnly on Mac
Video Customization1. Video preview
2. Video Deinterlacing
3. Video rotation/Flip
4. Audio channel switching
1. De-interlacing
2. Video cropping
3. Video rotation
4. Built-in audio equalizer
Raw or Damaged Video filesIt can play incomplete or damaged video filesIt can play incomplete or damaged video files
User-InterfaceTrending Style UIOld fashioned reminding you of Windows 7
HD Image Quality8K/5K/4KA little poor-quality image captured during processing
DownloadSupports 300+ sites VLC can stream YouTube videos and can integrate with web channel streaming services.
Table comparing VLC and 5KPlayer

Which one should you use? 5K Player or VLC Media Player?

I think 5KPlayer is more trending and adaptable. It tends to deliver a good video and audio quality than what VLC offers. There you going to face no stutters and glitches even if you play ultimate 8K. 5KPlayer also consumes less RAM and CPU due to hardware-acceleration.

While with VLC, you may come up with rendering errors even if you play 4K videos. 

Also, if you find the use of AirPlay and DLNA. You might be required to pick up 5KPlayer.

Conclusion

The majority might not want to bend themselves from VLC, since it’s serving them for a very long time, and they have no issue with that. But I think it’s time to make the switch toward a more trending and more versatile application which in my sense is 5K player. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is 5KPlayer free to Download?

Yes, 5KPlayer is free to download. You can download it from here (Windows), (MacOS).

Is 5KPlayer Legitimate?

5KPlayer comes from a DearMob which is a big brand. 5KPlayer is also serving users for a very long time since now. So, it completely legitimate.

Is 5K player better than VLC?

In my opinion, Yes! 5KPlayer has more features than VLC packed in a completely new User interface. 

Why choose 5KPlayer over VLC?

5KPlayer provides you a lag-free experience even if you watch 8K videos, while VLC stutters and popups errors even with 4K.

Also Read: Is Avast Free Antivirus Better Than Windows Defender?

The Tech Top 10