Top 5 Best Windows Media Center Alternatives [Updated]

Do you consider seeking professional Windows Media Center alternatives to manage your files effectively on Windows? Why was Windows Media Center discontinued? What replaces Windows Media Center in Windows 10? Which media player supports all formats? You might be frequently haunted by such questions. Fear not! All these problems will be resolved in this post. Check the best media center replacements right now.

PART 1: Why Need Alternatives to Windows Media Center

Microsoft Windows is one of the most used operating systems across the globe. Microsoft has been updating it continuously for giving its users the best features and user experience. But everything has changed as time passes by.

Discontinuation. When Windows 8 came, it was completely upgraded to something new which matches the contemporary app like the startup menu, and various other changes as well. Some good tools were discontinued as well, one of which was Windows Media Center, the default media player and digital video recorder for the early versions of Windows but in Windows 8.

Replacement. With the release of Windows 10, the original Windows Media Center vanished completely, replaced by the default music or media player Groove Music which supports more file formats than you may think. But it won't play everything, merely covering the most popular codec bases. Anyway, Groove is still a great music player for your own local and cloud-stored music.

Considering this, it’s imperative to hunt for an alternative Windows media center for Windows 10 so as to manage and play your media files with desired style and quality. To save you much time and energy, we’ll cover a list of the top 5 Windows 10 media center alternatives in the next part.

PART 2: Top 6 Best Windows Media Centers for Windows 10 Alternatives

Among all possible alternatives to Windows media player, we’ve picked out the top five best media center software for your option.

PlayerFab All-In-One [Advanced Version of DVDFab Player 6]

Operating system: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 (32/64 bit)

Price: $169.99 (lifetime)

If you are looking for the best alternative to a Windows media player, PlayerFab All-In-One is definitely your top option. It contains powerful functions enabling users to enjoy the best viewing experience, no matter whether you want to play your DVD or watch videos from a streaming platform, PlayerFab All-In-One can satisfy all your needs with high-quality video and audio.

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• Play local videos, DVD/Blu-ray/UHD discs, and streaming videos with ease

Have you preserved an outdated DVD disc full of your valuable moments and worried about compatibility issues? Armed with PlayerFab All-In-One, all your problems will be solved easily. All your local videos, DVD/Blu-ray/UHD discs are available to PlayerFab. Besides, you are able to find Netflix and Amazon videos through PlayerFab. This extremely versatile software is able to handle all the playback issues.

• High video and audio quality ensured

All the videos played on PlayerFab All-In-One will be displayed in FHD 1080p video quality and lossless high-resolution audios, such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master, and DTS:X, etc., with up to 7.1 channel surround sound output. Professional quality is not available in the movie theater, a home-theater watching experience is right at the touch of a finger.

• All-Round 3D Playback supported

Want to enjoy 3D movies at home? Together with PlayerFab All-In-One, watching 3D content in a media player will never be a dream. It provides four modes including Anaglyph Red/Cyan, 3D-Ready HDTV (Checkerboard), Micro-polarizer LCD 3D (Row-interleaved), and HDMI 1.4 enabled 3D TV.

Pros

• It is able to auto-skip advertisements at the beginning of the video.
• Users are allowed to choose audio and subtitles and adjust the playback speed.
• PlayerFab supports all formats such as MP4, MKV, MOV, FLV, and VOB.
• PlayerFab will automatically scrape and download posters, and put your movie series into one file.
• If there is something wrong with the downloaded metadata, users could revise it.

Using Guidance of the Best Windows Media Center Alternative: PlayerFab All-In-One

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• Users could find their wanted functions in the left column. No matter you want to manage your local files, or search for appealing online videos, you can finish within this all-featured media player.

• Play your local videos, DVD/Blu-ray/UHD disc

• Set your video to make a customized experience.

DVDFab Player 6 

In terms of overall performance, DVDFab Media Player outshines the rest as the best alternative to Windows Media Center Windows 10 on our list. As the successor to Player 5, DVDFab Player 6 has been considered the most versatile and powerful best 4K player able to support all sorts of file formats. It is definitely the next-generation media player and one of the best Windows Media Center alternatives. Now let’s take a quick glance over its robust features as follows.

• PC and TV modes optimized for small and larger screens
• Import DVD and Blu-ray (including BDAV)discs to the local library as ISO files
• Organize and manage local media library via poster wall
• The support navigation menu on DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays
• Play 4K UHD, HEVC (H.265), and all regular videos
• Support 3D play for all formats of 3D contents
• Adjustable thumbnails to facilitate fast and precise review
• Support HDR 10 and Hi-Res audio (Dolby Atmos &DTS:X ) output
• Stylish outlook to meet different UI skin needs
• Available on: Windows & macOS

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Compared to other rivals, DVDFab Player 6 is well deserved the best 4K video player software, 100% a trustworthy Windows media center replacement. Not only does it work as a Windows media center on Windows 10, but it also acts as an all-purpose media player. To take full advantage of this media center software. You can try its free download service before subscribing to its advanced features.

Kodi

Kodi, first developed for Microsoft Xbox and later known as XBMC, has been very popular since its launching date. It’s probably one of the most popular Windows Media Center alternatives. With Kodi, you can play local files on your computer, stream audios or videos from YouTube, and various other streaming service platforms, and even record live TV. Kodi runs on various operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS. That being said, it is open-source, hence completely free.

It comes with TV recording programs using hardware. Kodi add-ons are the cherries on the cake because they make the user experience better by offering better management of your media files. When using Kodi, make sure you have an efficient graphics configuration on your computer so that you can enjoy the best performance and video quality. In this sense, Kodi is no doubt a worthy Windows media center for Windows 10.

Emby

Emby, formerly known as Media Browser, is a good alternative to Windows Media Center. Previously, Emby had limited features but when it was upgraded, and rebranded, it got some really cool modern features such as cloud sync, folder sync, and some good improvements in playback as well. You get parental control as well that helps you monitor what your kids are watching.

It can play various media formats without any problems. When it comes to features, it mimics Windows Media Center mostly along with some modern upgraded features. It collects all your media files including videos, audios, and photos into a single interface for easy access, and enables you to stream content from PC via TV without a cord. If you are looking for some good Windows Media Center alternatives, Emby is a good bet here. 

Plex

Plex is another good Windows Media Center alternative that has some limitations. For instance, you cannot record TV or watch it live. But still, it is one of the best alternatives to Windows Media Center out there. It helps you keep your media well organized, and it does support a wide range of file formats enabling you to play almost all files you desire.

Plex contains two components – the Plex media server which works as the back end, and the Plex media center which works as the front end. Plex’s networking feature is great which lets you access content from almost every device you have. It also comes with sharing options where like-minded media lovers can share their content. Meanwhile, it offers an end-to-end encryption service, trying to improve the user experience. Therefore, it’s also a good Windows 10 media center alternative.

MediaPortal

MediaPortal’s idea is completely from XBMC(Kodi), but it was completely rewritten and designed. You can play various file formats, watch live TV, record live TV, and do various other things as you like. For example, you can play media files even from other PCs in your network.

However, it is only available for Windows currently, and this is a very good alternative to Windows Media Center. Though based on Kodi, it has a much better interface. You would fall for it. In a nutshell, it boasts a handful of features that will enhance your user experience. To some extent, it can be the last choice when you look for an alternative to Windows 10 media center.

PART 3: How to Use the Best Media Center Software: DVDFab Player 6

As mentioned above, you have gained a full picture of the best alternatives to Windows 10 media center software. Among the given options, DVDFab Player 6 is second to none due to its outstanding features. In this part, we’ll show you to how to make the best of this Windows media center for Windows 10.

STEP 1: Launch DVDFab Player 6 and insert your movie discs into the optical drive on PC

Free download and install Player 6. Run the program and choose PC or TV mode. Here takes PC as an example. Insert your physical DVD or Blu-ray discs into your PC’s optical drive so that they can be loaded as ISO files into the local library. Feel free to get the alternative Windows media center download for free!

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STEP 2: Snyc all local media files to the media center software

Click Movies, Collections, TV Shows, Videos or Music in a row and load all media files into the Windows 10 media center library.

First, click the Movies button, then the Add Now, you will see all your movie files displayed by poster wall on the profile window. This will help you fast access the movie you are going to watch.

If you want to manage your music files in an organized way, just click Music button in the left pane and add your music files to the local library.

STEP 3: Start to play your desired media file

Once the media files have been loaded into the Windows media center in Windows 10, it’s time to enjoy your media files. Just locate your wanted movie or music, and click the Play button. You will be taken to the play interface. This media player will present you with high-quality image.

Conclusion

Up to now, you have known the top five Windows media replacements and mastered how to use one of the best alternatives to Windows 10 media center software, DVDFab Media Player. All five alternatives are good in their own ways but we are using PlayerFab All-In-One currently, and it has been working really well, and we never felt trying out some other media center tool.

By the way, many people around the world might say that sitting in front of the TV or watching movies is an act of wasting time. But entertainment is very important to keep the mind relaxed, and always ready to work with fresh mind. When watching your favorite movies or shows, you actually release stress from your mind that impacts positively on you and that improves your overall performance in your work as well. That is why you must entertain yourself. And, if you are a PC guy, this article is for you since it lists the best Windows Media Center replacement which you can use to play and organize your media files. 

One more word, if you look for a multipurpose video downloader that can download movies, TV shows, 1080p/4K/8K videos or music from various websites, you might as well try out DVDFab Downloader All-in-One.