UMPlayer 0.98.2
Free
UMPlayer is a free media player forked from SMPlayer, adding skins, SHOUTcast radio and YouTube playback on the MPlayer engine, abandoned by its authors and last patched by the SMPlayer team in this 2013 build.
- Updated
- Size
- 13.8MB
- Downloads
- 31.9K
No longer developed
UMPlayer is no longer updated by its developer - the last version here is from 2013. It may still run, but it gets no fixes for newer Windows versions or formats.
Maintained alternatives that may do the same job:
UMPlayer is a free media player built on the same code as SMPlayer, with a skinnable look and built-in internet radio.
Its original project went quiet years ago, and the last build here, version 0.98.2, dates from February 2013.
SMPlayer, the player it grew out of, is still updated and does everything UMPlayer did, so that is where most people should go.
What UMPlayer Actually Does
UMPlayer is a fork of SMPlayer, which is itself a friendly front end for the MPlayer engine. Because MPlayer carries its own decoders, it plays common video and audio files without a separate codec pack.
On top of that, UMPlayer added a skinnable interface, SHOUTcast internet radio, online subtitle search and a YouTube player. It also handled audio CDs, DVDs and network streams.
The file offered here is named umplayer-0.98.2-by-the-smplayer-team-win32.exe. After the original project stopped, the SMPlayer team released their own patched UMPlayer builds to fix its YouTube support, and they recommend SMPlayer to anyone starting fresh.
Who Can Still Use It
If UMPlayer is already set up on an older Windows PC with your favourite skin and radio presets, it will still play local files. That is the narrow case where keeping it makes sense.
Anything that depends on a web service is a different story. YouTube playback and online lookups were written for sites as they worked over a decade ago, so expect them to fail today.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If you are installing a player for the first time, skip UMPlayer. The tell is simple: if a file plays badly, nobody is going to ship a fix, and newer formats such as HEVC and AV1 arrived long after its last update.
What to Use Instead
SMPlayer is the natural replacement. It shares UMPlayer's roots, finds subtitles for you and remembers where you stopped in every file.
- VLC Media Player is the safe all-rounder that opens nearly any file and also plays internet radio streams.
- mpv Player is the modern successor to the MPlayer engine itself, minimal and fast.
- MPC-HC is a light Windows player with a classic, no-frills layout.
- MPC-BE adds its own decoders, smooth 4K HDR playback and a portable build.
- PotPlayer is for people who want deep settings and skins, much like UMPlayer offered.
The full media players category has more options if none of these fit.
Quick questions
Is UMPlayer still developed?
No. The original project was abandoned, and the last version here is 0.98.2 from February 2013. The SMPlayer team, who patched it later, point users to SMPlayer.
What is the difference between UMPlayer and SMPlayer?
UMPlayer was a fork of SMPlayer with a different look and extras such as SHOUTcast radio. SMPlayer is the original and is still maintained.
Does UMPlayer need a codec pack?
No. It uses the MPlayer engine, which carries its own decoders. The same is true of SMPlayer, mpv and VLC.
Why does YouTube not work in UMPlayer?
Its YouTube code was written for how the site worked over ten years ago, and nobody updates it now. Local files are the only thing it can still be trusted with.
Download UMPlayer 0.98.2 if you still need it, or tell us what you used it for if you have history with it.
User reviews (2)
JS
John Scott
10 Apr 2011
4/5Good
I had a problem with the audio part.
When i play music, in my playlist doesn't show the length of the track until a play it.
And not always is correct.
Ex. Sean Paul - Press It Up is 03:44
In my playlist is 02:48.
When i play music, in my playlist doesn't show the length of the track until a play it.
And not always is correct.
Ex. Sean Paul - Press It Up is 03:44
In my playlist is 02:48.
Reviewed on UMPlayer 0.92
MA
MArk
9 Apr 2011
5/5Excellent
Only good things. I tried several operations on UMPlayer. So far, flawless.
Reviewed on UMPlayer 0.92
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