Creating an open-source video player that plays most formats you throw at it is no mean feat. Not only is it a complex programming task, but there's also the 800-pound gorilla, VLC. So how does an open source development team go about competing with such an established free alternative, and does SPlayer have anything to offer to users over VLC?
In a nutshell, SPlayer does it with style. Whereas VLC has a somewhat utilitarian default interface, SPlayer brings some pizzazz into the picture. The controls are carefully styled and skinned. SPlayer also features a "theater mode"; that's a fancy name for starting up in full-screen (you can do the same with VLC, albeit with the command line options).
Another feature that distinguishes SPlayer is subtitle auto-fetching. As you load a video, SPlayer does its best to identify it and download subtitles for it. It then overlays those subtitles on the video as it plays, without you having to do anything. The entire process is seamless, save for one major flaw: The subtitles aren't always in English. I received some in what may have been Serbo-Croatian--with diacriticals showing incorrectly, no less. Still, if you're into foreign films, this is a very compelling feature.
SPlayer also attempts to make video more social. The "people" icon on the left of the control bar is used for "checking in" with your friends. It lets you share the filename of the video you're watching, a rating, and any other comment you wish to make using services from Sina or Tencent, two sharing tools popular in China. Twitter (and English) support will be added in the future.
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