VLC is a free, open-source media player from the VideoLAN project, and the usual answer when a video file will not open in anything else. It carries its own codecs rather than relying on those installed in the operating system, which is why it plays formats other players reject without needing a codec pack.
Format support is close to exhaustive: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, WebM and OGG for video; MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV and OGG for audio; plus DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs and streaming protocols. It will also play incomplete or partially downloaded files, and damaged AVI files it can repair on the fly.
Beyond playback it handles conversion between formats, streaming over a network, recording from a capture device or desktop, and basic effects — video filters, audio equaliser, synchronisation adjustment for tracks that drift out of sync. Subtitle support covers external files with adjustable timing, font and encoding.
There are no advertisements, no bundled software, no tracking and no paid tier. The project is run by a non-profit organisation and funded by donations, which is unusual enough in this category to be worth stating plainly.
This is the 32-bit build, for 32-bit Windows installations or where a 32-bit plugin is required. On a 64-bit system the 64-bit build is the better choice. VLC also runs on macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
