OS X doesn’t play Windows Media Video out of the box, but there are some quick downloads you can grab in order to watch WMV files on your Mac.
I recently made the switch from PC to Mac and everything is great, but one thing I am missing is Windows Media Video. Is there a way to play WMV on a Mac?
Yes it is possible to playback these types of files on a Mac. OS X doesn’t come with the software you need by default, but there quite a few downloads that can get the job done. A plug-in called “Flip4Mac” gives Quicktime the ability to play WMV files, VLC is a stand-alone cross-platform media player that can understand your Windows Media Video files, and if all else fails there is an old version of Windows Media Player for Mac OS X.
Some people may ask if there is an alternative to VLC Media Player to cut or trim video more efficiently. Here I will recommend 2 powerful all-in-one video editors for Windows and Mac users. EaseUS Video Editor. Applies to: Windows 10/8.1/8/7. This freeware allows you to edit video with numerous features. Mac Apps for Video Players. The Video Players catalog includes software programs developed to watch online video or view video files saved locally, such as AVI, WMV, MOV, or FLV files. Devices and Mac OS X version. VLC media player requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later. It runs on any 64bit Intel-based Mac. Previous devices are supported by older releases. Note that the first generation of. Why People Convert VLC to WMV. Below lists 2 common scenarios the best explain why people will need to convert the VLC file to WMV format. To get a consistent file format for easy handling and, at the same time, to retain the quality. It is good to convert VLC to WMV format for Windows users to get the best out of their computers.
Open and Play WMV in VLC Player on MacOS (High) Sierra WMV file format is a very famous file format among Windows users to play video files which can be easily played on Windows operating system.
Contents
- Flip4Mac
- VLC media player
Flip4Mac
Windows Media Components for Quicktime go by the name Flip4Mac. This add-on will give Quicktime the capability to playback WMV videos. It’s distributed for free on Microsoft’s site:
Installation Instructions
- Download and open the Flip4Mac DMG file from Microsoft.
- Double-click the Flip4Mac WMV.mpkg file to launch the installation wizard.
- Click your way through the wizard’s screens, agreeing to the Terms of Service and choosing where to install. You will need to enter your administrator name & password at one point.
- The installer will let you know when it’s done, at which point you can hit the “Close” button.
- If Quicktime is open, quit the application then open it back up.
You will now be able to watch WMV files in Quicktime. Make sure to eject the “Flip4Mac” installation volume — hit the “Eject” button next to its name in the Finder sidebar.
Embedded Video
Installing Flip4Mac also makes it possible to watch streaming WMV videos in your web browser. There is no extra configuration necessary in order to make this happen. Just quit your browser after installing the plug-in, the start it back up and revisit any site containing a video you wanted to watch. It should play without a hitch.
Flip4Mac & DRM
One caveat of Flip4Mac is that it cannot play WMV video that uses Windows Media digital rights management, so some videos may not be accessible even though you’ve installed Flip4Mac.
VLC media player
VLC is a stand-alone media player like Quicktime and Windows Media Player. Many people prefer VLC because it is available for many different operating systems and is an open source software project supported by many dedicated programmers across the world.
All versions of VLC support the various formats you’re used to opening in Windows Media Player: WMV (video), WMA (audio) and ASF. You can get VLC from the VLC media player for Mac OS X download page.
There are a few different options on this page:
- 32 & 64 bit releases for Intel Macs (what most people have now)
- The “32/64 bits Intel Mac” version should work on most computers.
- Macs from 2006 or newer are 64 bit.
- The “Power PC” version is for older Macs dating back to the time before Apple switched from Motorola to Intel chips.
- Web plugins for Intel and PowerPC Macs, for viewing Windows Media Video embedded in web pages.
- Older VLC releases for previous releases of Mac OS X.
Once the .DMG file is downloaded double-click on it, wait for a Finder window to open, and then drag the VLC icon to your “Applications” folder.
Make VLC the Default Media Player
If you like VLC enough to make it your default media player, follow these steps:
- Right-click on any media file. If you don’t have a two-button mouse, hold the “control” key while clicking.
- Select Get Info.
- Expand the Open with: section.
- Choose VLC from the drop down menu.
- Click Change All…
Window Media Player for Mac
There used to be a version of Windows Media Player for Mac OS X, but it’s outdated and no longer available. Flip4Mac and VLC are much better options than this, so it should only be a last resort. Plus, it isn’t known to play well with recent versions of OS X.
VLC Media Player, a freeware that enjoys tons of cross-platform functions and features, has gained a great reputation in the video editing software market. However, you may come across the problem of cutting a video with VLC. How to trim or cut the unwanted part of a video when using this versatile tool?
In this post, methods of cutting a video on Windows or Mac computers as well as 2 recommended powerful VLC alternatives to cut or trim videos will be covered. Read this post and learn more about it.
Main Content on this Page
Part 1. Introduction to VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player, also known as VLC, is a simple and powerful cross-platform multimedia player and framework. This software is a completely free and open-source tool that enables you to play most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. In addition, it has many editing functions. You can cut or crop your video, reverse video or perform other editing operations. You are allowed to screenshot when using this app. This tool is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux as well as Android and iOS.
Part 2. How to Trim a Video Using VLC on Windows
If you do not know how to trim or cut a video using VLC on your Windows computer. Here I will show you step by step tutorials.
Step 1. Download and install VLC. Then launch it.
Vlc Media For Mac
Step 2. Drag and drop the targeted video into VLC.
Step 3. Start playing your video till the beginning of the part you want to keep.
Vlc Media Player Download
Step 4. Go to 'View > Advanced Controls'. Roll down the 'Playback Menu' and click to select 'Record'. (This function is similar to 'cut/trim' and works well. )
Step 5. Restart playing the video and stop it at the part that you want to end this video by clicking the red button at the left-bottom of this tool. Then your new edited video will be saved on your disk.
Part 3. How to Cut a Video Using VLC on Mac
Mac users may wonder if there are differences when cutting a video with VLC on macOS computers. In fact, the distinction is little. But someone may find it hard to locate the saved video on Mac. Because of this, I suggest you set the default directory location before trimming videos on Mac with VLC.
Here I will show you the detailed steps to trim or cut a video with VLC on Mac computers. Before editing, please install VLC and launch it.
Step 1. Set the default directory location where you want to save the edited video by navigating to 'VLC Preferences > Input / Codecs > Record directory'.
Step 2. Go to 'View > Advanced Controls > Playback Menu' and click to select 'Record'. (This function is similar to 'cut/trim' and works well. )
Step 3. Restart VLC and play the imported video, stop it till reaching the part you want to keep by clicking the red button.
Step 4. Find your cut video in your record directory that you have set in Step 1.
Part 3. How to Cut a Video with VLC Alternatives
Some people may ask if there is an alternative to VLC Media Player to cut or trim video more efficiently. Here I will recommend 2 powerful all-in-one video editors for Windows and Mac users.
1. EaseUS Video Editor
Applies to: Windows 10/8.1/8/7
This freeware allows you to edit video with numerous features. It enables you to merge videos, split videos, trim, cut and crop video clips. You can add cool effects to video like transitions, background music and overlay. After editing, you can save the video on your computer or share it on your social platforms.
This app is free to download. Now click the following button to get this amazing video cutter!
Here are the steps to cut video with EaseUS Video Editor:
Step 1. Import the source file
Launch EaseUS Video Editor. On the home screen, you can import the source file by either clicking the 'Import' option or simply dragging the video to the appropriate area.
Step 2. Add to project
You need to add the imported file to the track by choosing the 'Add to Project' option, or you can drag and place the video to the track as you want.
Step 3. Split or cut the video
Move the starting point and click split to cut the file.
Step 4. Export the source file
Now you can click 'Export' on the main menu on the top.
2. QuickTime
Applies to: Mac
QuickTime video application is built into most Mac computers. It is a free app that allows you to edit videos on Mac computers easily. You can trim, rotate, flip, cut, copy, paste, and delete video files. After editing the video, you can save it with a customizable name. Also, if you want to trim mp3, this app also supports to finish this task.
Here are the steps to cut video with QuickTime:
Step 1. In the QuickTime Player app on your Mac, open the video you want to split into clips, then choose 'View > Show Clips'.
Step 2. Move the playhead (the red vertical line) to the place where you want to cut, then choose 'Edit > Split Clip'.
Step 3. When you have finished, click 'Done'.
Conclusion
To sum up, methods to trim and cut videos using VLC Media Player on Windows and Mac are covered in this post. In addition, we have introduced you to 2 alternatives video trimmers and cutters to help you cut and trim videos on Windows and on Mac. For Windows users, we highly recommend EaseUS Video Editor as the best video trimmer. You can download this amazing video cutting tool to have a try!