SMPlayer

Overview

SMPlayer is a free, open-source, multi-platform media player based on MPlayer (some versions support mpv), offering an intuitive user interface for Windows, Linux, and macOS, supporting x86_64 and some ARM architectures. Developed by Spanish developer Ricardo Villalba, it is hosted at smplayer.info and GitHub, uses the Qt framework, and supports multiple languages (including Chinese, out of over 30). SMPlayer is renowned for its universal format support, playback settings memory, and rich feature set, playing nearly all audio and video formats without the need for additional codec packs. The latest version is SMPlayer 25.6.0 (released in June 2025), based on Qt 5.15, and supports 4K playback, YouTube videos, and Chromecast.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2006: Ricardo Villalba created SMPlayer as a graphical front-end for MPlayer, addressing the complexities of MPlayer's command-line operations.
  • Based on Qt, initially supporting Windows and Linux, focusing on common format playback.
• Development History:
  • 2007: SMPlayer 0.6.7 introduced an NSIS installer, enabling automatic downloading of MPlayer and codecs.
  • 2014: Support for the mpv backend was added, and SMPlayer2 (for mplayer2, later replaced by mpv) was released.
  • 2017: SMPlayer 17.1 introduced Chromecast support (requires Google Chrome and the webfs package).
  • 2021: SMPlayer 21.1 supports Wayland, AppImage, Flatpak, and Snap.
  • June 2025: SMPlayer 25.6.0 released, fixing the play/pause button, Linux screensaver issues, M3U8 playlist loading, and supporting the new OpenSubtitles API.
• Community & Support:
  • Maintained by Ricardo Villalba and the community, hosted on smplayer.info, SourceForge, and GitHub.
  • Forum (smplayer.forumotion.com) and FAQ available.
  • Reddit user says "SMPlayer's subtitle downloading feature is super convenient."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v2 or later.

Key Features

SMPlayer is built around universal format support, playback settings memory, and user-friendliness, making it ideal for multimedia and development scenarios. Here are its key features:

1. Universal Format Support
   • Supports nearly all audio and video formats (AVI, MP4, MKV, MPEG, MOV, DivX, H.264, MP3, OGG, and more) without the need for external codecs.
   • Supports DVDs, VCDs, YouTube, and online streaming (4K 60fps).
2. Playback Settings Memory
   • Automatically saves playback position, audio tracks, subtitles, and volume settings, restoring them when reopening a file.
   • Example: Resuming playback:
     • Open SMPlayer -> File -> Recent Files -> Select a file.
3. Subtitle Support
   • Supports SRT, SUB, SSA, and MKV embedded subtitles, automatically downloading them from OpenSubtitles.org.
   • Customizable subtitle font, size, and color.
4. Advanced Playback Features
   • Supports variable speed playback (0.1x-4x), frame-by-frame playback, audio and video filters, an equalizer, and subtitle delay adjustment.
5. Chromecast Support
   • Supports casting local or online videos to Chromecast (requires Google Chrome and the webfs package).
6. Cross-Platform and Performance
   • Supports Windows XP/7/8/10/11, Linux (Ubuntu, Debian), and macOS.
   • Minimum requirements: 1 GB RAM, 500 MB disk space, 100-200 MB RAM idle.
7. Customizable Interface
   • Supports multiple skins and icon themes, allowing you to switch between different GUI styles.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Format Compatibility:
  • Supports all major formats without the need for additional codecs, surpassing Windows Media Player.
  • Post X claims, "SMPlayer plays 4K YouTube without any issues."
• User-Friendly:
  • Intuitive interface and settings memory, perfect for beginners.
• Cross-Platform Support:
  • Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS, surpassing VLC's macOS instability.
• Advanced Features:
  • Subtitle downloading, Chromecast, and variable-speed playback, surpassing MPC-HC.
• Lightweight and Efficient:
  • Low resource usage, suitable for low-spec devices.

Limitations

• Outdated Interface:
  • The default interface resembles Windows XP, requiring manual skinning.
• False Virus Alerts:
  • Windows installation may trigger antivirus warnings.
• External Tool Dependencies:
  • YouTube playback requires youtube-dl/yt-dlp, and Chromecast requires webfs.

Summary

SMPlayer is a free, open-source media player. The latest version 25.6.0 (June 2025) is based on Qt 5.15 and MPlayer/mpv, supporting Windows, Linux, and macOS. It's centered around universal format support, playback settings memory, and advanced features like subtitle downloading and Chromecast. Compared to VLC (feature-rich), MPC-HC (lightweight), MPV (minimalist), and Kodi (media center), SMPlayer stands out for its settings memory and subtitle support, but its interface is a bit outdated.