> And unlike mplayer, mplayer2, wmp, and most other players out there, you don't have to goto some random website and download some random codec pack, and install it with who knows what malware.</FUD> All the codecs are included with the program.
You're absolutely right to tag that as FUD, because I have never had to download "random codecs" from "random codec packs" in order to get videos to play in MPlayer on Linux (I don't know how it is on Windows).
>never had to download "random codecs" from "random codec packs"
Second that. I have had videos which couldn't be played on VLC (codecs or missing frames) play nicely with mplayer. Easily the best versatile player, especially if you are conversant with the command line options ( or take a quick look at man page).
At least some time ago, for Windows there was a (main) installer that included the player and the most used codecs, and there also was available an additional package with the uncommon codecs. This is what I've got after a quick search:
http://data.netfast.org/downloadse.html
mplayer and mplayer2 use the Windows codec libraries.
Playing a video usually means having to learn about codec packs like ffdshow from Google searches and random internet forums, and then finding the legitimate website for the codec pack (not a linkspam site or a rehosting company like cnet who bundle Ask toolbar into the installer), then locating and downloading the codec pack on the (sometimes intentionally) badly designed website, and giving it blanket permission to alter files on your hdd.
I don't want this to become a fanboy flamewar, but the above process is time consuming, technically difficult & also requires a broad and complex network of social trusts. Whereas VLC "just works", well at least the older versions.
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I don't know where my responses would lead a media player developer. I don't like licensed codecs, but I understand that encoding groups will use the codecs which work best; illegally if necessary since encoding tv & movies for free downloading are all still legal and moral grey-areas. And I know people want to be paid for their art which others have demand for. And free media player developers don't want to pay to license codecs when they gain no benefit over just supporting whatever codec libraries the OS has installed.
There is absolutely no connection between the two. Media Player Classic is an open-source imitation of the "classic" UI of Windows Media Player, and is only for Windows and was originally closed-source (but is now GPLed). MPlayer is an open-source cross-platform media player that doesn't have a default GUI.
You're absolutely right to tag that as FUD, because I have never had to download "random codecs" from "random codec packs" in order to get videos to play in MPlayer on Linux (I don't know how it is on Windows).