Windows Media Player might seem like the runaway winner in this category, simply because it ships on every Windows computer. iTunes also seems like a likely choice because of the millions of iPods and iPhones. Neither of these popular applications was rated best by reader's in the survey. Instead that honor goes to an open source audio and video player that solves many problems commercial applications from Microsoft and Apple simply don't touch. A total of 56 different applications were selected by readers, but most votes were concentrated on the top 8 apps.
Reader's Choice VLC Player received the most reader votes with 31%. VLC plays back most audio and video downloads without additional software. It also plays back DVDs without purchasing anything additional, which is one reason it's a popular choice. VLC also works to rebroadcast audio and video if you dive into the advanced settings, so you can stream content from your computer out to the Internet. And in some cases, you can use VLC to rip DVDs or convert PAL movies to NTSC.
2) Windows Media Player placed a strong second with 19% of reader votes. I'm sure some portion of voters chose Windows Media Player simply because it's the default player on their system, but if you're using version 11, it does have some handy features. The media search features are better than many other apps in this category if you take the time to figure out how to use advanced features. WMP is definitely a library manager and player, rather than being a pure media player like VLC. Many keyboard shortcuts and integration with Xbox 360 via MediaConnect also help to make Windows Media Player useful.
3) WinAMP received 15% of reader votes in the annual survey. There was a time when WinAMP was my favorite player, but it's sort of slipped in relevance thanks to iTunes and Windows Media Player expanding features. Still as a pure MP3 player, WinAMP contains many smart features and shortcuts missing from other players in this list. Recent addition of Flash video support and a song recommendation feature help keep WinAMP relevant in this crowded application field.
4) Media Player Classic received 11% of reader votes. The app derives it's name from interface similarities to the 6.4 version of Windows Media Player available in older versions of Windows. Like VLC Player, Media Player Classic is able to play most file formats. It's frequently bundled with other tools like Real Alternative and free codec packs.
5) iTunes placed 5th on the reader's choice survey with 6% of votes. I suspect a larger percentage of readers use iTunes even if they don't prefer it, specifically because of iPod and iPhone functionality. iTunes excels at music cataloging, selling music, subscribing to podcasts, and offering downloadable video content for sale.
Also worth mentioning from the reader survey are: GOM Player, which does a decent job of locating codecs for files if you don't have them on your system; the previously mentioned Real Alternative; and MediaMonkey, which is a powerful media player and also syncs with iPods and iPhones.
