10 Best HDR Video Player Of 2024

Introduction 

HDR video, an abbreviation for High Dynamic Range videos, represents cutting-edge entertainment, providing viewers with an immersive visual experience characterized by vivid colors, heightened contrast, and enhanced brightness. This technology offers the ability to maintain focus between subjects and backgrounds while adjusting brightness levels accordingly. However, due to its novelty, not all video players can handle HDR content, making it essential to identify those that do. We've curated a list of the top 10 best HDR video players to streamline your search.

What purpose does an HDR Video Player serve, and why is it essential for optimal viewing experiences?

HDR, or High Dynamic Range, enriches the contrast and intricacy of the picture, thereby enhancing its overall quality. As HDR content becomes increasingly ubiquitous, the demand for HDR playback escalates. 

However, achieving optimal HDR playback requires more than a compatible display and graphics card; it requires a dedicated HDR player tailored to your system that retains the HDR format without down-converting it to SDR. This underscores the significance of an HDR player. Whether you're a Windows/Mac user or prefer HDR playback on your iOS or Android smart device, we've covered you with our top recommendations, complete with pricing, advantages, and disadvantages, to facilitate your decision-making process.

Taking A Detailed Look At Our Top 3 Software

Please continue reading to discover the criteria we used to select and rank the top three tools. Learn about the standout features of each software and how they stack up against the competition.

Best HDR Player For Windows/Mac

We've curated a selection of the finest HDR players for Windows and Mac users to elevate your entertainment experience with stunning visuals. Let's explore our top picks:

1. PlayerFab Ultra HD Player

PlayerFab Ultra HD Player revolutionizes the viewing experience by seamlessly playing all (4K) Blu-rays from any country or region, eliminating the hassle of region code restrictions. Users can enjoy the familiar navigation menus found on traditional DVD and Blu-ray players, ensuring an immersive cinematic experience. Viewers also have the option to skip extras and commercials, jumping straight to the main movie title for instant enjoyment. Read on to understand how PlayerFab Ultra HD Player offers unparalleled versatility and convenience for movie enthusiasts.

OS: Windows

Price: $59.99

Pros:

• PlayerFab Ultra HD Player effortlessly plays physical discs, ISO files, and movie folders, providing versatile playback options.
• Leveraging hardware decoding from advanced GPUs such as AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA, PlayerFab optimizes playback smoothness for high-resolution videos without overburdening the CPU.
• Experience immersive 3D movie playback with support for 3D Blu-ray discs, ISO files, and various 3D video formats, offering four 3D output modes for compatibility with different display setups.
• Easily manage and locate media files with a well-organized poster wall, automatically downloading metadata information for comprehensive library management.

Cons:

• It might be more difficult to master than other HDR players.

2. VLC Media Player

Mac & Windows users seeking a reliable, efficient video player need look no further, as VLC seamlessly supports formats like MKV, AVI, and 4K video. Thanks to its powerful hardware decoding capabilities, VLC ensures swift playback of media files, even on demanding scenes, without the intrusion of ads or spyware. 

OS: Windows, Mac, Linux, 

Price: Free

Pros:

• VLC provides users with playback speed options while maintaining audio pitch, whether they want to slow down or increase the playback rate.
• VLC boasts the most complete feature set, including video and subtitle synchronization and various video and audio filters.
• With VLC, users can cut and trim videos directly within the player, eliminating the need for separate editing software to remove sections or make edits.
• Additionally, its screen recording and capturing functionalities enhance its appeal for users seeking comprehensive multimedia solutions.

Cons:

• Lacks a built-in media library to organize and manage media files. 

3. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer emerges as a standout choice for users encountering HDR video playback issues. This free media player excels in playing 8K/4K HDR videos in various formats like MKV, MP4, HEVC, and H.264. It ensures smooth video playback by offering three options for hardware acceleration—NVIDIA, Intel QSV, and DXVA2-Microsoft. Beyond HDR video playback, 5KPlayer facilitates free downloading of HDR videos from video-hosting sites and streaming HDR video from computer to HDR TV.  For better enjoy HDR videos streaming, get to know how to download HDR videos and upload HDR videos to YouTube here.

OS: Windows & Mac

Price: Free

Pros:

• It is capable of playing 4K/1080p/360° video, DVD, and IPTV.
• Users can wirelessly stream audio video via AirPlay & DLNA.
• You can download videos from over 300 sites like Dailymotion and Vimeo.
• It supports converting online movie video soundtracks to MP3 or AAC music format.

Cons:

• It might not feel adequately user-friendly for beginners. 

4. DivX Player

DivX Media Player is a robust video player tailored for Mac users seeking top-tier video playback. Notably, it supports AC3 and DTS audio and cloud storage syncing—a feature not commonly found in other video players. 

OS: Mac Mojave (10.14) or later.

Price: DivX Player is free, but to enjoy more features, you can buy DivX Pro for $22.49

Pros:

• DivX Media Player offers support for high-quality video up to 4K resolution.
• This player can handle various video formats, including AVI, DIVX, MKV, and MP4.
• DivX Media Player features a standout media library that helps users organize their videos, create playlists, and seamlessly loop content for continuous playback.
• Users can utilize the built-in media server to cast music, videos, and more within their home network.

Cons: 

• If you are a professional user, the free features of DivX Player won’t be much help; you will have to subscribe to DivX Pro.

5. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is a top-notch video player for PC, offering a user-friendly interface and impressive features. It supports Ultra HD, 3D movies, straightforward subtitles, online streaming, and even works with external digital TVs. With advanced options for video control, post-processing effects, and customizable video capture, it delivers a rich viewing experience. 

Operating System: Windows

Price: Free

Pros:

• It can handle all video formats, including Ultra HD with 4K resolution, 3D movies, and even corrupted or locked media files.
• KMPlayer includes the latest high-quality codecs like HEVC, h.265, h.264, and VP9 for improved video quality.
• Users have complete control over video playback, including resizing, post-processing effects, codec configuration, and real-time video capture with customizable output.
• Offers support to over 42 languages, including English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish.

Cons:

• Bundleware might get installed while downloading the tool. 

Best HDR Player For Android/iOS

Dive into an immersive viewing experience enhanced by lifelike colors, brightness, and contrast offered by HDR visuals. Check out the options below to find the best HDR video players for Android and iOS in 2024. 

1. Lark Player

Lark Player is a sleek, free offline music and SDR to HDR video player for Android devices. It supports various offline music and video formats and boasts features like a powerful equalizer, integrated lyrics, and a user-friendly interface. With file management capabilities, users can easily organize their media, create playlists, and delete unwanted files. 

Operating System: Android 4.4 and higher

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases starting at $1.14 per item.

Pros:

• Powerful equalizers and preset modes help personalize the sound effects during offline play.
• Compatible with all popular audio formats including WAV, MP3, AAC, MIDI, FLAC, etc. It can also play video formats like MOV, MP4, MKV, etc.
• You can create and manage playlists easily according to artist, song, genre, and more criteria.
• Users can switch between the day and night theme.

Cons:

• Users have often complained that a file stops playing automatically after a prolonged stretch of 5 minutes.

2. CNX Player 

CnX Player is a robust video player app designed for iOS & Android devices, offering smooth playback of 1080p and 4K 10-bit HDR content. It ensures compatibility with diverse media files by supporting popular video formats like MKV, TS, Webm, MP4, and more, along with codecs including HEVC, VP9, VP8, and H.264

Operating System: macOS 11.0 or later, iOS 8.0 or later & Android 5.0 and up

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases starting at $4.20 per item.

Pros:

• It supports various resolutions and audio codecs, making it a must-have for users seeking high-quality video playback.
• Intuitive interface helps arrange videos in List view or Grid view.
• You have the option to modify the playback speed anywhere between 0.5 times slower to 2 times faster.
• Supports multiple Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, English, and more subtitles. 

Cons:

• GUI might seem very outdated.

3. VLC App 

VLC, a multimedia player, is freely accessible and open-source, compatible with various platforms. It supports various formats for movies, shows, and music without conversion. It offers file synchronization with multiple cloud services and allows for direct downloads, Wi-Fi sharing, and streaming from different media servers and the web. 

Operating System: tvOS 11.0 or later, visionOS 1.0 or later, iOS 9.0 or later & Android 4.2 and up

Price: Free utility

Pros:

• Can play both network streams, audio & video files, DVD ISOs, and more.
• Supports formats like MP4, OGG, MKV, AAC, and more.
• Offers support towards closed captions, teletext, and subtitles.
• You can directly browse folders from its built-in media library.

Cons:

• Video freezes often on being re-winded or fast fast-forwarded. 

4. MX Player

MX Player boasts a vast library of over 150,000 hours of premium content in multiple local languages, making it your ultimate entertainment destination. With MX Player, you can enjoy seamless video playback with gesture controls, download your favorite videos for offline viewing, create personalized watchlists, and even play music in the background while browsing other content. 

Operating System: VisionOS 1.0 or later, iOS 12.0 or later & Android 5.0 and up

Price: Free with in-app purchases starting at $5.98 yearly.

Pros:

• It offers a privacy folder to hide sensitive videos.
• You can keep your children entertained without compromising on their safety.
• Offers easy controls for changing brightness, volume, backtrack, subtitles, etc.
• An efficient file manager helps you find your favorite movies easily. 

Cons:

• The notification panel doesn’t have the ‘Shuffle’ and ‘Loop’ buttons.

5. Archos Video Player

Experience seamless video playback across tablets, phones, and AndroidTV with the highly praised Archos Video Player app. With hardware-accelerated video decoding supporting a wide array of formats, including MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, and FLV, alongside the multi-audio track and subtitle support for file types like SRT, SUB, ASS, and SMI, Archos Video Player stands as the ultimate choice for an immersive video experience.

Operating System: Android

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases starting at $0.72  

Pros:

• Supports buttery smooth decoding of files.
• AndroidTV users can benefit from a dedicated “lean back” UI.
• You can play 3D TV content in top-bottom and side-by-side modes.
• Users can enhance the audio level of files that haven’t been appropriately encoded. 

Cons:

• Users have complained of the application installing malicious bugs in their system alongside advertisement pop-ups. 

Standard definition videos lack the vibrancy found in HDR content, particularly in shadow and highlight detail. This deficiency has driven the global embrace of HDR content, which boasts a broader color spectrum, enhancing image brightness for a more lifelike display. Though the players mentioned above excel at handling HDR content seamlessly, what options remain if you're initially confined to SDR content? In such instances, a specialized ai video upscaler is indispensable for enhancing videos from SDR to HDR10 or Dolby Vision, thereby enriching the viewing experience. Please continue reading to discover our expert recommendation for the ultimate upscaler to elevate your viewing pleasure.

Transform SDR to HDR10 or Dolby Vision with UniFab

Utilize advanced AI algorithms to enhance your viewing pleasure by transforming standard dynamic range (SDR) videos into high dynamic range (HDR10) or Dolby Vision formats using UniFab HDR Upconverter AI. With UniFab's HDR upscaling capabilities, take your video quality to the next level by upscaling to Dolby Vision standard. Enjoy unparalleled picture quality, with dynamic metadata optimizing brightness, color saturation, and detail on a frame-by-frame basis.  If you want to enhance your video from every genre, like the resolution, audio and denoise, you can choose the comprehensive AI video enhancer solution- UniFab All-in-One.

Conclusion

With the rising availability of HDR content, the demand for HDR video players is also growing. Numerous developers are crafting HDR video players to provide users with an unparalleled visual experience, showcasing vibrant colors and lifelike lighting. Today, we've explored various tools designed to play HDR content on your Windows, Mac, and Android devices. While all these utilities promise top-notch performance, PlayerFab Ultra HD Player distinguishes itself by offering the versatility to play 4K Blu-ray discs, HDR10, ISO files, and more. Opt for this all-in-one video player to meet all your media playback needs. Choose PlayerFab Ultra HD Player for comprehensive functionality on Windows or Mac.

FAQs 

Discuss Windows 10 and HDR Compatibility

Windows 10 supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, offering a wider color and luminance range for more vibrant visuals on compatible displays. However, to make the most of HDR, both the monitor and graphics card must support it, and users need to enable HDR in the display settings. 

What is the HDR Experience on Windows 11?

HDR can significantly improve visual quality on Windows 11, given you have an HDR-compatible display and content. It brings richer colors, better contrast, and a more immersive viewing experience. 

What is the Video File Compatibility on MacBook Pro?

Mac OS supports various audio and video file formats, such as QuickTime movie files (.mov), most MPEG files (.mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .mpg), and sometimes AVI and WAV files, which can be played using the QuickTime player.