VLC alternative

[dmw3]

Due to licensing issues with codecs bundled with VLC we need to find an alternative media player, what are others using?

From our legal department:
"On the webpage it is explained French law, which is the only one to be applicable to VideoLAN. Most pieces of software from VideoLAN are licensed under the GNU General Public License Version 2.
The University may therefore use VLC under this licence, even though VLC itself is copyrighted, as the purpose of the public licence is to allow for free use by the public. What we found was that the codecs, etc., are only royalty free in France because of the EU laws regarding software patents, etc.
I think you’ll find we’ll need to pay a licence for one of the codecs (mpeg-2?) to MPEGLA to use VLC here at the Uni.
http://www.mpegla.com/main/default.aspx"

I am looking at MplayerX but cannot find anything about what codecs are used, as this is the real issue using these media players in an educational institution.

[calumhunter]

interesting take on it from your legal dept.

[taugust04]

VLC uses mostly open source libraries for its encoding and decoding codecs. Many other free players use these same codecs. You should find out what the legal department for your university feels about those open source libraries (most likely FFMPEG) before you start looking for alternatives.

[damienbarrett]

If you end up going with MPlayerX, be sure to grab a clean version. It has been offered for download in many places online as a free video player, but comes bundled with various adware installers slipstreamed into the installer. This is the primary way my users have been tricked into installing adware.

[dmw3]

@damienbarrett Yes, already have a clean version from the developer, different to that which is available on the App Store. Version 1.22 which works well with OS 10.10.2.

Still have to run it past legal before we package it and have it available.

it would be nice if there was something native that handled all video formats and bundled with the OS.

[gskibum]

Where are you getting your clean installs? The one available here tries to make Yahoo! the home page and install MacKeeper.
http://mplayerx.org/

I'm much less inclined to offer a title from a developer that keeps company with slime developers like the MacKeeper developers, as well as all the other nonsense.