The Five Best Linux Video Players

“Have some downtime and want to watch a movie or two on your
Linux laptop? Linux has plenty of options when it comes to video
players. In fact, there might be a few too many to choose from. So
here, in no particular order, are the best video players you can
find on Linux, and a few resources to help you get started.

“Codecs and Other Silliness

“Let’s start with the obvious: Multimedia isn’t quite as
straightforward on Linux as it is on other platforms. This is not a
technical deficiency, it’s a legal one. Specifically, due to patent
encumbrances, the DCMA, and other licensing silliness, it’s either
illegal or legally murky for vendors and open source projects to
ship codecs to play DVDs or some video and audio codecs.

“This is especially troublesome for vendors doing business out
of the United States, because the patent laws and copyright law are
so badly skewed in favor of the entertainment industry. Whereas
Microsoft and Apple can license (or own outright) the technologies
and bundle them as part of the overall cost of the operating
system, the costs of licensing codecs and such for Linux are
prohibitive for vendors giving away the OS for free.”

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