How to play a video format that is not supported on Windows 10

Windows applications like Movies & TV and Windows Media Player only allow certain types of video to be played. If you're looking to play unsupported video formats, you'll need to use third-party video player software, install codecs, or convert the file.

If you're not sure whether Windows supports the video file format, try opening the video in Movies & TV or Windows Media Player. If you receive a format error message that is not supported , you need to try one of the methods below.

If Movies & TV is not found, search for Films & TV. This is an alternate application name in certain markets. If not already installed, download Movies & TV from the Microsoft Store.

Use third party video player software

Movies & TV app only supports some popular formats like MOV, AVI and MP4. Windows Media Player supports a number of other file types, but Microsoft seems to be pushing users out of pre-installed applications.

Because the Movies & TV app doesn't support all video file formats and Windows Media Player hasn't been updated in a decade, the best way to play unsupported video files on Windows 10 is to use software. play a third party video.

VLC Media Player

1. Download VLC Media Player for Windows

VLC Media Player is one of the best options for Windows 10 users. VLC can play most audio and video file formats, making it a strong alternative to the default player.

You can play video files, live streams, or play DVDs with VLC if the default Movies & TV app doesn't do this. It also comes with hundreds of other options for customization.

1. 10+ interesting hidden functions of VLC Media Player

To open a video file in VLC, click Media> Open File from the top menu.

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MPV

 https://mpv.io/ 

MPV is a powerful alternative video streaming software for Windows users. It's cross-platform, so it's also an option for Linux, macOS, and Android users.

Unlike the endless and custom menus that VLC provides, MPV is simple and straightforward, there is no menu and only basic playback options are available. This is portable software so you do not need to install, just run it from USB flash.

To open a video in MPV, simply drag the file into the open MPV interface.

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PotPlayer

 https://potplayer.daum.net/ 

PotPlayer is one of the best video streaming software for power users. It offers lots of customization, supports hardware acceleration for high-resolution video, and includes an integrated video editor for editing video files during playback.

The default interface is black but you can customize it with themes and integrated colors.

To open a video file in PotPlayer, right-click inside the open PotPlayer interface or click the PotPlayer button on the left. From here, click on Open File (s) to select the video file.

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Change the default video player

If you want to use a third-party video player as the default video player, you can do this in Windows 10 settings.

You can access the Settings menu by right-clicking the Start menu on the Taskbar and clicking the Settings button. From here, select Apps> Default Apps .

In the Default menu, click on an existing video player. If installed, Movies & TV application will be the default player.

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Select a third party video player from the drop down list. When finished, Windows will open every video file it detects using the video player of your choice.

Install additional video codecs

A codec is a type of software that decodes video files into appropriate audio and video. If the PC lacks the appropriate codec for the video file format, the video will not load. You can download and install a third party video codec to your computer.

However, you should be careful, do not download in less reputable sites because this can expose your computer to malicious ads.

To avoid this, download the K-Lite Codec Pack, one of the most popular video codec packs. It adds support for a significant number of media file formats, including FLV and WebM.

Installing K-Lite will add video format support for Windows Media Player and some third-party video players. However, this method does not work with the default Movies & TV application.

To get started, download the K-Lite Codec Pack versions you choose from the link below and run the installer. It will default to Normal installation mode with preset. If you want to customize this, select Advanced .

 https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm 

Click Next to continue the installation process.

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You need to select your favorite video player as the default option of K-Lite. If you use the Movies & TV application as a video player option, you will receive the following error message:

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If you use VLC, you get the same warning. VLC contains its own video codec, so there's no need to download another codec.

Instead, choose Media Player Classic, older Windows Media Player, or other third-party video player.

Confirm the other settings and then click on Next to continue.

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The following installation steps will appear if the Install MPC-HC as a Secondary Player option is selected in the previous screen.

Confirm the settings for K-Lites Media Player Classic and then click Next to continue.

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Confirm the next stage of installing K-Lite Media Player Classic. Here, the installation is already set, so click Next to continue unless you want to replace the hardware acceleration option for K-Lite Media Player Classic.

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Set the language for subtitles and captions on the next screen. Select the primary, second, and third language from the drop-down menu.

When done, click on Next .

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Select your preferred audio profile on the next menu. This is also a preset, so if you want you can use the default settings and click on Next to continue.

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If asked, refuse any additional software installation options at the next stage by clicking the Decline button.

Finally, check K-Lite installation options again and then click the Install button to start the installation.

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When the installation is completed, click on the Finish button.

The video player of your choice can now play some additional video formats.

Convert to another video format

If you have set up to use Movies & TV, you only have one option to convert unsupported video files to a format that the default Windows player can open.

There are many ways to accomplish this. The live web page will automatically convert the video file into another format. For example, searching for FLV to AVI conversion will give you a list of online conversion sites but this can be risky and not recommended.

The best option, especially for users who already have VLC installed, is to convert the file using this software.

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VLC has an integrated menu for converting video and audio files into supported Windows formats like MOV, AVI, MP4 and other formats.

When VLC converts the file to a supported Windows format, you can open it in the Movies & TV application.

I wish you successful implementation!