Best iPad video player app

[fredtgreco]

I am looking for the best (or at least a very good) video player app for iPad. I am looking specifically for something that will play local files and Dropbox available files on the iPad itself - the end game is to stream them in our church using AirPlay on AppleTV.

I know I can use the Dropbox app to play video, but I am looking for a more single purpose, robust player. I don't mind paying for a good one. It should play the major formats (mp4, m4v, avi, wmv, etc.)

If you have had experience with an app, please suggest one!

 

[gkterry]

VLC would be my choice. I am doubtful it (or any iOS app) will play wmv files. But otherwise, it may be one of the better ones and it is free.

 

[Andrew1142]

I'm unfamiliar with iOS in general, but since Greg mentioned VLC, I thought it'd be worth mentioning that on every desktop OS, VLC uses its own codecs instead of the system codecs (one exception being encrypted DVDs, but that's a separate issue), which means that it'll play just about anything. I would imagine that that's the case on iOS, because otherwise it would be VLC in-name-only.

That's also a blessing and a curse though. More of a blessing, but it also means that sometimes the VLC codecs aren't great quality, especially with a proprietary format like wmv. Usually it's fantastic, though.

 

[jfschultz]

Fred's mention of using AirPlay may be the major issue. (This allows for a MacOS or iOS system to stream audio and video over WiFi to an Apple TV and to a connected TV.) I am not familiar with VLS on iOS and whether it can do AirPlay or not. Another option might be Handbrake, which has MacOS and Windows versions to convert the video to a form that the iOS native player can use and stream to AirPlay.

 

[Tirian]

MoliPlayer

 

[Tirian]

MoliPlayer - does AirPlay, will stream off a central storage device to your AppleTV, DLNA support. Even has its own ftp server so you can remotely deploy movies to it etc. We (@my home) use it a lot because the kids can look a movie up on our NAS storage via an iPod or mac or whatever then beam it straight to the AppleTV

Though having said that, my NAS storage device is pretty cool - I now use QPlayer on it which allows anyone in the house to create a playlist over WIFI and the NAS sends the playlist over the wire to the apple TV. VERY COOL