Let me start out by saying that Eltima offers a free version of Elmedia Player, but I don’t recommend it because there are already several plugins and apps that integrate with the Mac OS and your browser to simply view videos not natively supported on the Mac. While Elmedia Player (free) does this well, it adds an extra step vs. browser plugins, etc. For a truly full-featured solution, you really need Elmedia Player Pro ($19.95).
Elmedia Player Pro is an iTunes-like application which allows you to view and download FLV, SWF, XAP (Silverlight), RM and RV (Real), AVI, MOV, MP4, WMV, and DIVX formatted videos from popular sites like YouTube, Vimeo, etc. – then view and manage them just as you would your music in iTunes.
It would be repetitive to review all the features already listed on the Elmedia Player Pro page, you can view them for yourself on the Elmedia Player feature page. In my testing, all the features worked as advertised.
What I liked most about the application was the fact that Eltima didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. The app borrows heavily from the iTunes look and feel, which means I was comfortable to jump right in. There was little configuration necessary to start using the app, just drop a URL into the URL bar and you can start viewing and downloading videos immediately.
Better yet, your downloaded videos are stored on your hard drive just as any other file instead of using some obscure application database method. This allows you to use the files easily in any other application you choose.
If you’re looking for a simple way to view, download and manage your video files, categorizing them in playlists, then give Elmedia Player Pro a try.
The Graphic Mac readers can get 15% off the purchase price of $19.95 by using the following coupon code at checkout time: GRAPH-MAC-15.