Flip4Mac WMV Player

CNET Editors' note: Beta or prerelease software is not intended for inexperienced users, as the software may contain bugs or potentially damage your system. We strongly recommend that users exercise caution and save all mission-critical data before installing and/or using this software.

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on October 17, 2012

Flip4Mac WMV Player is used to play Windows .WMV files on your MacBook or iMac. Since WMV files are ubiquitous on the Internet, the ability to play these files natively without converting them is a nice feature. Flip4Mac WMV Player plays WMV files through QuickTime, so any application that supports QuickTime can be used to play WMV files, including Mac-supported Web browsers like Safari, Chrome and Firefox.

Flip4Mac WMV Player is free, although there is limited functionality unless you upgrade to the full Pro (or higher) version. Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro has some conversion capabilities, so you can convert WMV files for use on portable devices like the iPad and iPhone. There are some editing capabilities built in too, but they are pretty basic. The software worked well in our testing, although to get any real capabilities beyond normal playback of standard definition WMV files you need to upgrade.

The interface used by Flip4Mac WMV Player is clean and won't require much time for users to become familiar with it. Flip4Mac WMV Player works as expected and we played back both stand-alone and embedded WMV files with no hitches at all. However, converting to other formats requires the upgrades to the Pro version or higher, so the free app will have very basic playback utility for most users.

Publisher's Description

From Telestream:

Flip4Mac WMV Player component allows you to play Windows Media in QuickTime Player and your web browser. In fact, you can play Windows media in almost any application that supports QuickTime. With Flip4Mac, you don't have to pass up high-definition movies or Windows Media files you find on the Web. You have more viewing options and the great playback experience you've come to rely on with QuickTime Player

By upgrading Flip4Mac WMV you can import Windows Media files and create Windows Media files for distribution. These features are optional and available in trial mode until you need them. Flip4Mac WMV export components can be used with applications such as QuickTime 7 Pro, Final Cut Pro, Compressor, iMovie, Keynote, PowerPoint, among others as well as within web browsers such as Safari, Firefox and Google Chrome.

Editing local Windows Media files or downloaded web streams is easy with Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro. Simply open Windows Media files in QuickTime 7 Pro and convert them to other formats such as for iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPhoto or iTunes. For advanced editing Flip4Mac Player Pro enables direct import into iMovie or for large amounts of files a batch conversion with Apple Compressor to QuickTime AIC (iMovie), ProRes (Final Cut Pro X) or even MPEG-2 for DVD is also possible.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio includes all features of Player Pro plus click-simple ability to export Windows Media. We've taken the mystery out of making WMV movies with our built-in video and audio encoding templates. Flip4Mac WMV Studio is the perfect companion to ScreenFlow, QuickTime 7 Pro and Compressor.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro includes all features of Player Pro and WMV Studio. In addition you can use custom settings to export Windows Media or create your own encoding templates. Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro provides 1-pass, standard definition Windows Media encoding with standard audio.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro HD is the ultimate toolset for the video professional providing maximum flexibility and superior quality. Expand your viewing audience by adding true Windows Media import and export capabilities to your editing workflow, and enjoy the ultimate encoding capabilities: 2-pass, high definition and pro audio features.

What's new in this version:
- All software is now signed with a digital certificate from Apple to address security and anti-malware requirements in Gatekeeper.
- Added support for the application/x-ms-wmp mime type.
- Added 64-bit Core Audio support for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
- Flip4Mac will now continue playing even if it encounters corrupted audio packets, as long as there are enough valid packets to prevent a perceptible problem with the audio.
- Fixed a bug that prevented Flip4Mac ... See all new features