Java MPEG-1 Video Decoder and Player

For the instant, simple preview of videos, you don’t necessarily have to rely on complex applications which usually tend to eat up a lot of resources. Sometimes simple methods like the ones used with VideoPlayer are enough to help you fall asleep while watching a movie, or to analyze a recording.

First of all, you need to make sure that Java Runtime Environment is installed on your PC to be able to run the application. This automatically means that it’s able to run on other devices fitted with Java, and it doesn’t have an impact on system stability, because no changes need to be made to system registry entries.

The application opens two separate windows on launch. One of them is fitted with all the controls you need to load files and handle playback. The other is the preview area, which you can conveniently move around the desktop, or even on a second monitor screen to keep the control bar in a separate location.

Since dropping files over either of the windows has no effect, your only option to load file remains the built-in browse dialog. It doesn’t specify the type of files you can load. However, disappointment comes when you realize the only supported type is MPG. Once loaded, you need to hit “play” to start the video.

Progress is only shown as a counter, with no slider to be able to skip through content, but this isn’t the only inconvenience. For instance, the preview window can’t be resized, but automatically stretches itself according to the resolution of the video you load. Hotkeys are not implemented, so you need to rely on the control window.

All things considered, we can state that VideoPlayer leaves more to be desired overall, even though it comes as a straightforward method of playing your videos. The automatic resizing of the main window has a considerable impact on practicality, while file support covers very little terrain.