Kodi vs VLC vs Elmedia, Which One is the Best?

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Aug 26, 2024
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There are more media players on the market than ever before. It can be tough to decide which is the right option for you. You need to consider what kind of features you want, and which of these players is better than the rest, as well as whether you are using Windows or macOS.

In our comparison, we walk you through these three popular choices to help you decide which one is best for playing any kind of video on your computer or device.

Review: VLC vs Kodi vs Elmedia

Let’s dive into some reviews to help you to make the right choice and understand the difference between these three software options when it comes to their features.

Elmedia Player

Elmedia Player is an app that solves problems for a lot of Mac users, and has a huge level of quality and reliability. As you may know, a lot of files don’t necessarily play natively on Mac. For instance, some files are designed to be Windows media files and therefore QuickTime doesn’t allow you to open them. Elmedia solves this issue with a huge level of compatibility. It also offers visual options to adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, hue, gamma, sharpness, and even reduce noise in the video.

The interface is really simple and straightforward, and Elmedia Player lets you stream directly to Chromecast, AirPlay, Roku and DLNA devices.

Compare Kodi vs Vlc vs Elmedia

Users experience:

I have the free version of the Elmedia media player software. The interface is thoughtfully designed and very easy to use. Also having compatibility with countless audio and video formats is super useful, I have not yet encountered a format that Elmedia could not handle. The main issue that I have encountered with the software is that when starting up a video there is sometimes a slight delay and it is not instantaneous.
— feedback on G2

Features:

  • Control the playback speed as well as many other features.
  • Bookmark scenes of your video if you need to.
    Stream videos from a variety of online sources including YouTube and Vimeo.
  • Create specific playlists to then cast to another device such as a TV or big screen.
  • Change the skin and appearance of the player.

VLC

VLC has millions of downloads throughout its history. It is very popular due to the fact that it is free, but it definitely has more than its fair share of bugs. Some VLC Mac users find that the bugs are particularly evident.

It’s definitely fair to say that the biggest plus point is also the biggest downside when it comes to VLC Media Player. The fact that it is free donationware means that it relies on volunteers to do the coding. If there are problems with it, then it can take a bit of time for an update or bug fix. 

On the plus side, VLC does recognize a lot of different file types, and has customizable skins so you can choose which of the looks you prefer.

VLC Media Player

Users experience:

VideoLan is one of the best video players now available to the community and one of the few successful players. Whether installed on a computer, a mobile device, a Mac, or a Windows computer, this takes up incredibly little space. Only a tiny number of codecs are not supported by VLC Player. Therefore, in those circumstances, you could need to make another choice.
— feedback on G2

Features:

  • Read media files from discs, streams, or media files.
  • Support for a lot of file types including MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WebM, and many more.
  • The software has different versions for Mac and Windows as well as tablets and mobile phones.
  • VLC player decodes video files more quickly than some competitors.
  • Video filtration option that can be applied on streams.
  • Free, but also secure with no spyware or ads.

Kodi

Kodi is perhaps best known for the fact that it can run on a wide variety of different devices. This has led to a lot of people using it on their Smart TVs to run their media centers and as a default player for streams and other media.

Kodi has nearly 1,000 different add-ons that have been made and contributed to the platform. However, a lot of these aren’t regularly updated and this can lead to bugs. You are relying on developers working on their own to keep updating these add-ons. 

This media player is another option for those looking for something free and open source, as it is made by the Kodi Foundation. This means it is another app that is run by its community. 

On the plus side, Kodi is good for managing other forms of media such as your photographs and videos on your phone. Many amateur photographers also use it to display their pictures on a large screen such as their television.

Kodi vs VLC

Users experience:

This program can not be missing on any PC, it is very beautiful with templates that give an attractive interface to play movies, videos, MP3, and much more. There are many Internet add-ons of everything you can imagine, with a lot of programming. But Kodi has many options to learn, but it is difficult to add. When I have very good add-ons sometimes they delete them, and I have to find another one to continue using.
— feedback on G2

Features:

  • Kodi runs on virtually any device imaginable from Macbook to TV! Works on desktop PC, Mac, Mobile, tablet, and more.
  • Play media from your own computer or from streams on the network.
  • .Import and make collections of media such as playlist.
  • Addons include a TV show library supporting TV series and seasons.
  • Mac video player is able to import many different types of media files.

Compare Kodi vs VLC vs Elmedia

Let’s directly compare the features and functionality of these different types of software so you can decide which one is likely to be best for you.

Quality

All three of these media players have the option to play video in HD quality natively. Kodi requires an add-on to play the highest resolutions and while VLC does have support for high video quality Elmedia player is much more reliable at playing at the highest possible quality. 

Also, Elmedia’s deinterlace option can get rid of stripe defects that you may find if you have to watch low-quality video. This is great if you are using DVDs and recordings from older analog cameras. Elmedia always provides reliable HD and even UHD with quality up to 4K.

Installation

Installation for VLC media player is relatively straightforward, though you do have to ensure you are getting the right version of the player. Kodi often relies on you managing to get extra add-ons in order to unlock the functionality you are actually looking for.

Elmedia is the easiest to install. All you need to do is choose between downloading from the App Store or directly from the Elmedia site, follow the simple instructions and then drag the Elmedia application into your Mac “Applications” folder. It couldn’t be easier.

Video streaming

All three of these programs have the option to allow you to stream, and none of them are too hard to set up as long as you have a reliable stream. 

Some of the Kodi Add-Ons that help you to find streams are less than reliable, and may cause you to find streams that are not high quality. We also found that the VLC streaming option was good, but not as reliable as Elmedia, which allows you to play in extremely high quality and avoid buffering or playback issues, just as long as you have a solid WiFi connection.

Formats

One of the key ways to compare media player options is to check what kind of file formats they support.

Videos come in so many different formats and with a lot of different specifications, so having a player that can play virtually any media file with no fuss is a huge plus point. While VLC and Kodi are pretty good at this, they are run by volunteers and when there are new or updated file types, it can take time for compatibility to be updated.

On the other hand, Elmedia has a huge list of different file formats it can understand and play with no problems. For Mac users, this opens up a world of new media possibilities and reduces the need to convert videos, which can be time-consuming.

Platforms

VLC Media Player can play on many different devices but isn’t as reliable for casting meaning it doesn’t embrace all of the modern platforms out there. Kodi has compatibility to run on a lot of different devices, but casting and streaming aren’t as reliable.

The enhanced capabilities of Elmedia and the fact that it can be used with so many different streaming devices and players makes it a superb choice. It works with Apple TV and other AirPlay devices, Smart TV, Roku devices and other DLNA devices plus models of Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra. You need a Mac device to play using Elmedia, of course.

Pricing

VLC Media Player is completely free and open source. Kodi Player is also free, however, it offers a donation system that is used solely for purchasing hardware to enhance and expand the goals of the Kodi Foundation. The free version of Elmedia Player provides a set of main and basic features, while Elmedia PRO for $19.99 adds advanced features such as streaming local files to various devices, audio and video streaming, and other useful functionality.

The Verdict

If you are using a Mac device then Elmedia Player is the number one choice for a media player you can rely on. As well as offering support for an incredible amount of different file types, it is also great for streaming to other devices such as your Chromecast or Apple TV. 

The software is regularly updated by a team of professionals and has the capacity to play video up to 4K in quality. For the best playback features as well as consistent playback, Elmedia has Mac users covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kodi runs on a multitude of devices and is a better option for using with your television, but if you are looking for a simple media player for your Mac or PC then VLC is a decent option with a wide range of compatibility.

VLC is safe and trustworthy software but make sure you are downloading it from the official source. It is possible that there are some files imitating VLC out there that may carry malicious viruses. Always go directly to VLC’s secure media player and choose your device to download.