Lightweight portable tool for offline playback of legacy SWF Flash clips with minimal features
Lightweight portable tool for offline playback of legacy SWF Flash clips with minimal features
Pros
- Functionally Portable
- Plays Flash Files
- Small, Fast App
Cons
- Mediocre Interface
- Only Plays SWF Format
- Limited Options
SWF Player is a piece of media software that will let you play Flash clips even when you have no internet connection. Most modern devices have forgone the Flash format, and as such there has been an equal decline in its use on the web. However, Flash is still a viable format that many people want to continue enjoying. This app provides you with a portable solution to this problem. It acts as a full replacement for missing native Flash players, and the fact that it works offline is quite appealing.
One of the main reasons why Flash videos essentially fell off the face of the internet is that they had several inherit weaknesses that could easily be exploited by those with the knowledge and means. Many people have experienced viruses or malware that infiltrated their system through a Flash movie. The interesting thing about this is that the software itself and all the content it has spawned in the SWF format is quite safe on its own. When someone uses a Flash movie to get into your system, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the Flash movie itself. The result of this exodus of Flash from the web means that a lot of people have Flash movie files in the SWF format that most other players can't play.
This is the main reason people take advantage of SWF Player to watch their Flash content. All the content is still out there, but there aren't any browsers that come with native Flash players capable of playing that content. Even if there were native Flash players still included with web browsers, it would be difficult to use the browser to watch files on your home system.
The aesthetics of the player are below par by a fair margin, but that's a purposeful choice that limits the size of the file and the time it takes to install on a new system. This is why the software is considered so portable. Of course, this small size also comes at the cost of any additional features that perform advanced functions. You could argue the unpleasant appearance of the app is another cost, but it's negligible at best and disappointing at worst.
There are a few reasons why SWF Player isn't that popular despite all the Flash content out there. Dedicated Flash players are becoming extinct, and their functionality is being absorbed by top-tier media players that are compatible with dozens upon dozens of formats. This player has one main selling point, which is its incredibly small size and fast install time. Beyond that, the software is unfashionable, has limited options, and is restricted to playing the SWF format. If you have a large number of SWF files, and you want the freedom to remain portable, SWF Player is a good choice.
Pros
- Functionally Portable
- Plays Flash Files
- Small, Fast App
Cons
- Mediocre Interface
- Only Plays SWF Format
- Limited Options
Pros
- Lets you watch SWF files associated with Flash videos on your computer
- Comes with easy to use buttons for changing the way you watch
- Allows you to loop and watch a video over again
- Free program that plays automatically when downloading and viewing Flash videos and animation
Cons
- User interface looks pretty outdated
- Lacks any features for customizing your experience
- Doesn't support a lot of other video file formats
- Is a little too simple for advanced users
- May experience a lot of buffering when watching longer videos
Even if you already have a media player on your computer, you may need to download and use SWF Player to load and watch certain videos that you see online.
It's almost impossible to get through a single day without coming across at least one video that you want to watch online. You might receive a link to a funny video from a friend, have a coworker email you a link to a business video or even want to watch a short clip posted by your local news station. While standard media players can support most video file formats, SWF Player is one of the players that supports the SWF extension.
SWF is a type of file format often associated with Flash videos. The developers and creators of Flash videos prefer the FLA format, but these files are often larger and take up more space on your computer. Those files also take longer to download. Using an SWF format lets users download and watch those videos even faster, which increases the chances that they might comment, like and recommend the video to others. As most media players do not support these videos, you need to download SWF Player to watch those films.
As with other media players, SWF Player has a simple interface, though you might find that it looks outdated. When you click on the button next to the loop movie section at the bottom of the screen, it will create an endless loop that lets you watch that same video as many times in a row as you would like. Watching a video on a loop is especially helpful when watching instructional content. You can watch that clip multiple times until you feel comfortable following the steps you saw on your own.
Other buttons let you start and stop the video, pause, fast forward and rewind. When watching longer videos and films with chapters, you can even skip ahead or jump back to a previous chapter. SWF Player is helpful for those creating their own Flash videos and animated clips too. You can preview your video to make sure it plays right before sharing it online. Though it's not the best media player for those who watch a lot of videos online, SWF Player is a must-have for those who create and watch a lot of Flash animation and videos.
Pros
- Lets you watch SWF files associated with Flash videos on your computer
- Comes with easy to use buttons for changing the way you watch
- Allows you to loop and watch a video over again
- Free program that plays automatically when downloading and viewing Flash videos and animation
Cons
- User interface looks pretty outdated
- Lacks any features for customizing your experience
- Doesn't support a lot of other video file formats
- Is a little too simple for advanced users
- May experience a lot of buffering when watching longer videos
