Video files may cause serious headaches sometimes. Your default player may not be able to run a certain format, the playback can be choppy, you may need new codecs and so on. With VLC media player you will not encounter such problems. Many users choose it over other players, due to its functionality, the fact that it is free and, of course, it can play pretty much any audio or video file out there. By using VLC, you can say "goodbye" to searching the Internet for codecs. Besides installing the software, there is nothing else you will have to do.
Regarding compatibility, the program does not limit itself only to Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms. It also comes with full support for other operating systems, such as BeOS, Syllable BSD, MorphOS, Solaris and Sharp Zaurus. The setup file is 21 Mb large, so it may take some time to download if you have a slow connection, but the wait is absolutely worth it. After downloading it, you only need to go through a fast setup process.
Like all media players, VLC will play videos on the main area of its interface. It is possible to customize the interface with various skins, which can be found here. The playback options, volume control and other functions are found on the lower part of the window. Extra settings can be brought up on a separate window by clicking one of these buttons. The window contains a graphic equalizer, compressor and many more options for applying effects and synchronizing the audio track or subtitles. The volume control has always been one of VLC's most appreciated features. You can go from 0% all the way to 200% and even higher by using the mouse wheel.