Best MPEG player for Linux.

[Balthazar]

K, so I shelled out for the Crossover Plugin for all my juicy QuickTime needs, but what about MPEG?
What is the best, nicest looking, heh least PITA program for playing back VCD's, SVCD's and MPEG files?

(I run RedHat8.0 btw)

 

[oniq]

Take a look at MPlayer and Xine, I personally use MPlayer, but I've heard Xine is good also.

 

[Balthazar]

Tried MPlayer but the GUI version just kept giving me some symbols issue, apparently due to the authors idiocy upon compiling the package so....I will give Xine a shot.

 

[Heisenberg]

I've used both Xine and MPlayer. They're both good but I prefer MPlayer by a small margin. If the compiled version is giving you problems, why not just get the source and compile it yourself?

 

[Gooberlx2]

I prefer Xine, I especially like the gnome2 frontend for it....what's it called...totem, that's it.

 

[JavaMomma]

I'm using Xine. It seems to play all my avi & mpegs with no probs.
I'm also using RH8. Hey I tried the trial of Crossover/Quicktime but wow is ever slow and choppy on my Athlon 800
How is the performance of the full version of Crossover?

 

[TheOmegaCode]

Originally posted by: Balthazar
Tried MPlayer but the GUI version just kept giving me some symbols issue, apparently due to the authors idiocy upon compiling the package so....I will give Xine a shot.

MPlayer rocks if you know what you're doing...

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: TheOmegaCode

Originally posted by: Balthazar
Tried MPlayer but the GUI version just kept giving me some symbols issue, apparently due to the authors idiocy upon compiling the package so....I will give Xine a shot.

MPlayer rocks if you know what you're doing...

Oh reaallllyyyy.....
Well, then please explain to me why I have had 0 problem doing things like, recompiling my kernel, and adding video drivers, but a stupid MEDIA PLAYER program won't work.

And for the record, I followed EVERY line of the installation instructions, made ABSOLUTELY sure I met all the dependency requirements, and tried both RPM's AND installing from Source.

So why don't you spare me those rolling eyes.

I made a specific reference to the authors idiocy because the binary package that was distributed, as well as the source code, failed to mention not one, but TWO other dependancies that were required to get it to run. Once again, poor documentation.

If you know what you are doing....you know what, some people are so ignorant and rude it's not funny.


For the record, Xine looks/works great, even though there was a slight flaw in their installation procedure as well (the source had an issue with the latest gcc, and the binary RPM's had a flawed depenency where one wouldn't install without the other, but that RPM wouldn't install without the other, a nice little merry-go-round) in Xines favor the RPM's are 3rd party so they don't claim responsibility.

Bottom line is that IF following the instructions actually worked, then there would be no problem with MPLayer, but they DONT, and it's not just me.

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: JavaMomma
I'm using Xine. It seems to play all my avi & mpegs with no probs.
I'm also using RH8. Hey I tried the trial of Crossover/Quicktime but wow is ever slow and choppy on my Athlon 800
How is the performance of the full version of Crossover?

Slightly better, I wouldn't use it for anything other than inline Windows Media and Quicktime though....

 

[TheOmegaCode]

Oh reaallllyyyy.....
Well, then please explain to me why I have had 0 problem doing things like, recompiling my kernel, and adding video drivers, but a stupid MEDIA PLAYER program won't work.

Dang, zero? Really? I can't say I have that record...

And for the record, I followed EVERY line of the installation instructions, made ABSOLUTELY sure I met all the dependency requirements, and tried both RPM's AND installing from Source.

So why don't you spare me those rolling eyes.

No, they're so versatile.

I made a specific reference to the authors idiocy because the binary package that was distributed, as well as the source code, failed to mention not one, but TWO other dependancies that were required to get it to run. Once again, poor documentation.

So poor documentations warrants calling the programmer an idiot?

If you know what you are doing....you know what, some people are so ignorant and rude it's not funny.

It's probably funny to some people

For the record, Xine looks/works great, even though there was a slight flaw in their installation procedure as well (the source had an issue with the latest gcc, and the binary RPM's had a flawed depenency where one wouldn't install without the other, but that RPM wouldn't install without the other, a nice little merry-go-round) in Xines favor the RPM's are 3rd party so they don't claim responsibility.

Bottom line is that IF following the instructions actually worked, then there would be no problem with MPLayer, but they DONT, and it's not just me.

Xine has it's problems too, there are a lot of people that call it a buggy pos, but I would never do such a thing

BTW, I'm sure redhat has some nice xine rpm's to get the player, dvd plugins, etc, working.

 

[Priit]

I'd say Mplayer is da best. I've never tried it's GUI version, CLI-one has been more than good enough for me. Only problems getting Mplayer running has been due to crappy gcc that RedHat puts into their distros by default. Maybe that was Balthazar's problem, too?

 

[Balthazar]

"So poor documentations warrants calling the programmer an idiot?"

You know, if it was just every once in awhile that I ran into a BLANK documentation page, or pre-made generic configure/automake instructions that don't include half of what you need to know, then no, it wouldn't justify calling the author an idiot, but when 65% of the software I try to install has NO documentation, or huge gaps in documentation, then yes, it gets a little old and you might start chucking insults around.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Balthazar
"So poor documentations warrants calling the programmer an idiot?"

You know, if it was just every once in awhile that I ran into a BLANK documentation page, or pre-made generic configure/automake instructions that don't include half of what you need to know, then no, it wouldn't justify calling the author an idiot, but when 65% of the software I try to install has NO documentation, or huge gaps in documentation, then yes, it gets a little old and you might start chucking insults around.

Most of the Windows APIs (atleast the good ones) are undocumented or poorly documented (ie incorrect information). Most Windows programs out there have crappy documentation, including the operating system. Many Windows programs (high dollar items) come with little documentation, but you can buy a book on it for $60. I have not recieved a nice instruction manual in the last 2-3 games I have bought. And these are all payware.

If you want documentation, and you know what you are doing (you obviously do), write some for the author. Send the Xine guys a diff with your addition. They might thank you for it. Send an email to the Mplayer people and tell them they are idiots. Include more than just that statement and you may get a thank you out of them too.

 

[mindwarp]

Balthazar, you come off as a raving lunatic just FYI.

Anyways, yes mplayer is poorly documented, and it is much harder to get going than xine. But mplayer does play videos alot better, so a bit of time fiddling with it is very worth it. And anyone who can compile a kernel can compile mplayer. Now if you don't understand what your doing when your compiling the kernel (aka following some step by step guide and claiming you know how to) then your going to have issues compiling mplayer if you run into a hitch. For people who actually understand the compilation process, it should be less than a few minutes before it is up and running.

Mindwarp

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: mindwarp
Balthazar, you come off as a raving lunatic just FYI.

Anyways, yes mplayer is poorly documented, and it is much harder to get going than xine. But mplayer does play videos alot better, so a bit of time fiddling with it is very worth it. And anyone who can compile a kernel can compile mplayer. Now if you don't understand what your doing when your compiling the kernel (aka following some step by step guide and claiming you know how to) then your going to have issues compiling mplayer if you run into a hitch. For people who actually understand the compilation process, it should be less than a few minutes before it is up and running.

Mindwarp

There is nothing wrong with following a step by step guide, I would frequently forget steps if I didnt. Even in OpenBSD I have to check the docs, but I still think I know what Im doing.... Maybe thats part of my problem