Xine Media Player Review – Powerful but Outdated

good
key review info
application features
  • Skinnable GUI
  • (4 more, see all...)

Xine is both an open source multimedia playback engine and a video playback application that's been around for a very long time. The number of people using this application has diminished, and there are few maintained third-party apps that are based on this engine. We'll take a closer look at the application to see why this is happening.

There is no point in looking at the multimedia playback engine, so we'll examine the front end, which has the same name. In fact, it might be better known to users because it sports a unique-looking GUI. In this case, unique does not equal good, but we'll get to that later.

Unfortunately for Xine (or Xine-ui), the application and the engine are not included by default in any of the major Linux distributions, but they can be usually found in repositories. There are some good reasons why Xine is no longer preferred or even mentioned in passing. It has nothing to do with the software’s capabilities, which are stellar to say the least, but it's more about support, responsiveness, and mainly the GUI.

Installation

We tested the application in Ubuntu 14.10 and we used the Ubuntu Software Center to install it. Users will find the latest version of the app, but that's not really all that interesting. This build of the Xine-ui package has been around for more than two years, and that's more than enough time to get in the repos. It's also not a good sign when a package hasn't been updated or worked on for so long.

In any case, you can install the Xine media player from the Ubuntu Software Center and you don't have to do anything special to get it going. On the other hand, you can also use the terminal to install it. Just enter this simple command in a terminal near you (root is required):

code
sudo apt-get install xine-ui
There are quite a few dependencies, but after all of them have been installed, you will be able to find the Xine app pretty easily.

Usage

The first time you open the application, it will look like something that was developed 10 years ago. From a design point of view, Xine never really evolved, especially the front end. It still looks terrible and I suspect that's because there is no GTK+ 3.x support.

The main controls are embedded in an interface that looks like a car stereo. Some of the older users might remember that there was a time when many media players looked like that. People like it and there are some skins, even today, with variations of this theme. No matter what skin you're using, it still looks terrible. It helps if you don't see the setup menu, but not by much.

When it comes to features, Xine is actually a very good piece of software. It's able to play basically any format, it has a multitude of options that would make this an otherwise powerful app, and it can be enhanced even further with various plugins. Expect stuff like subtitle support, navigation for DVD menus, postprocessing for videos, playlists, you name it. If you can think of it, Xine probably has it.


The Good

Xine is a very powerful engine and the UI is not bad either, but only if we look at the features. It's a very sad thing that it's not updated more often, because it would for make an excellent media player and a real powerhouse, especially if we compare it with some of the apps we get today.

The Bad

The biggest problem is by far the interface. It's impossible to describe just how bad it is. You need to look at the screenshots. It might have been the stuff of legends a decade ago, but now it looks ridiculous. It's also unlikely that something will be done about it anytime soon, and there has been no movement on this front for years. Also, the fact that the developers chose to use an internal file manager, which is almost useless, does not help its cause.

Conclusion

Besides the wealth of features that can be found in the Xine media player, the borderless window is actually a nice touch and something that would be interesting to see in other apps as well. If you can get past the terrible interface and just focus on what the application has to offer, then you will find that Xine is actually a surprise, and a good one at that.

user interface 2
features 5
ease of use 4
pricing / value 4


final rating 3
Editor's review
good
 
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Xine (5 Images)

Xine in action
Xine main menuXine optionsMore Xine optionsVarious features in Xine