CNET Editors' review
Haihaisoft Universal Player is a mouthful of a name for a simple program that will play practically any type of media file. With a user-friendly layout and excellent results, we were well-pleased with this free player.
The program's interface is exceptionally easy to navigate, thanks to its well-labeled command icons. Its familiar design mimicked other video and music players we've tested, so we never needed to consult the Help file's instructions. The player impressed us with its ability to jump quickly and seamlessly from media type to media type. We opened various video, audio, and photo file types without any trouble. We threw various file formats at the player, ranging from WMV, MP3, JPEG, and more, and never encountered a snag. The sound was always crisp, and the video and still images were clear. The program also includes a special Library feature for organizing your media so you don't need to pull the files from your hard drive each time you access them. This isn't a unique feature; Windows 7 has a Library feature, and many other players offer something similar, but this one works well and helps you stay organized. Haihaisoft Universal Player is simple and versatile and exactly what you need to manage your media.
Haihaisoft Universal Player is a free program. It leaves folders behind after uninstalling. Its ability to play various media files easily makes this a program we recommend.
Publisher's Description
From Haihaisoft:
Haihaisoft Universal Player offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV. It supports playing more than 400 media formats and the media files protected by DRM-X. Haihaisoft Universal Player has its own online ActiveX Player which supports playing protected or unprotected media files online smoothly. Haihaisoft Universal Player supports playing more than 400 formates, including WMV(Windows Media Video), WMA(Windows Media Audio), ASF, WMS, DVD, VCD, SVCD, MOV, RM, RMVB, AVI, MPEG, WMV, 3GP, FLV, SWF, MP3, AMR, M4A, ACC, OGG, MIDI, GIF, and JPEG file format.
What's new in this version: Version 1.5.7 solves codec conflict problem with other players.
More Popular Video Players downloads
- VLC Media Player
204,724 downloads
- GOM Media Player
195,480 downloads
- UMPlayer
152,912 downloads
- RealPlayer
93,098 downloads
- FLV and Media Player
60,685 downloads
-
All versions:
3.1 starsout of 10 votes
-
Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
Write review
Results 1-10 of 10
-
"i get an error message and it closes after a minute."
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.5.6
Pros
it started right up and played a whole minute before quiting.
Cons
it would play for about one minute, then i would get an error message and it would close down. so i don't know if i want to uninstall it or see if you can help me fix this problem. you tell me???
Summary
i disliked it because i have never had the chance to use it. it always plays for about a minute then gives me an error code and closes down. whats to like about that???
-
"Best Video / DVD Player on the download site."
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.5.1
Pros
This Player does it all plays. No experience needed. The software works right out of the box. Excellent player. no spyware. Super crisp display. Down load this software you will not be sorry. The best I used.
Cons
There is non that I can find.
Summary
The CNET Review says it all.
-
"This player is very clearly."
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.5.1
Pros
It can play lots of format files like as WMV WMA SWF Flash AVI MP etc. I like it very much.
Cons
I think there is no place.
-
"It does the job"
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.4.0
Pros
I guess I may not be very demanding, but this player does everything I want--especially when the cost is FREE!
Cons
The only con I can think of is it's rather silly name -- difficult to say, difficult to remember -- so they won't be getting people recommending it!
-
"Great Universal Player"
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.4.0
Pros
It plays just about every video format under the sun.
Cons
None that I can think of.
Summary
Try it out, I bet you won't regret it.
-
"Better alternatives out there."
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.3.3.0
Pros
Plays AVIs, which is what I needed it to do.
Cons
Very bulky program. (Alternatives like VLC, GOMPlayer, KMPlayer do not have extra codec packs.)
Both this version and previous version leave garbage behind when uninstalled.Summary
So leaving behind the Klite codec pack installed gave me no way of getting in to deactive AVI Chunk. I found a workaround, which was to download the K-Lite codec pack (do a search for it and it will come up), then installing it into the HaiHaiSoft Universal Player/codec folder. Afterwards, you can uninstall the K-Lite codec pack from control panel, then uninstall the player from there as well. It will still leave an annoying Program Files folder behind, but just delete it without too much worries and use a registry cleaner to fix everything up.
Haihaisoft has chosen to make a functioning albeit malfunctioning program. If you never plan to uninstall it or have the K-Lite codec pack installed already, go ahead and download. Otherwise I suggest you move toward alternatives as I listen above. -
"Does what it says, but not worth the hassle."
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.2.2.0
Pros
Has a lot of codecs, so plays most of the files you will need.
Cons
Has a lot of codecs, most of which you don't need.
Does not uninstall properly.
Looks just like a weak version of windows media player.Summary
If you are thinking you need this player, then just stick with VLC, GOMPlayer, or KMPlayer. They do not need the extended hassle of downloading codec packs and will uninstall as you wish it to!
So leaving behind the Klite codec pack installed gave me no way of getting in to deactive AVI Chunk. I found a workaround, which was to download the K-Lite codec pack (do a search for it and it will come up), then installing it into the HaiHaiSoft Universal Player/codec folder. Afterwards, you can uninstall the K-Lite codec pack from control panel, then uninstall the player from there as well. It will still leave an annoying Program Files folder behind, but just delete it without too much worries and use a registry cleaner to fix everything up.
Haihaisoft has chosen to make a functioning albeit malfunctioning program. If you never plan to uninstall it or have the K-Lite codec pack installed already, go ahead and download. Otherwise I suggest you move toward alternatives as I listen above. -
"Not as exspected"
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.3.3.0
Pros
That it is free
Cons
Not able to play the file types as It said It could
Summary
Small of size--not to easy to work with.
-
"the best player seen,used ever"
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.3.3.0
Pros
it plays all video formats available
Cons
nothing so far
Summary
the best player, would recommend all to use this beautiful player
-
"Watch out! Warning new Haihaisoft U. Player users"
Version: Haihaisoft Universal Player 1.2.2.0
Pros
Plays most video file formats, but several other players also do that and it does it at the expense of an outdated third-party pack of codecs which it doesn't provide a way to uninstall, leaving an unusable entry on Software Add/Remove control panel.
Cons
Doesn't remember last window size nor it remembers last window position, even if you specifically selected those options;
Doesn't uninstall properly, leaves clutter entries on Windows registry and codecs which you can't uninstall through Windows CP.Summary
The purpose of this message is to alert potential [b]Haihaisoft Universal Player[/b] users to make them aware of a few problems they will run into when installing this player.
As someone in Haihaisoft Community forums already noticed, the program doesn't remember the last window size nor it remembers the last window position, even if you specifically selected those options in the Options window.
But I found a more annoying problem than that, which I'll describe next:
During installation of the player (I installed latest version 1.2.2.0v), you are given the option to install Codecs. If you choose to install them, it installs an [u]old outdated[/u] version of K-Lite Mega Codec Pack (version 3.7.5) on your computer and adds a corresponding new entry in your Software Add/Remove control panel of Windows, called [b]K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 3.7.5[/b]. But then, if you choose to uninstall [b]Haihaisoft Universal Player[/b], the K-Lite codec pack (or some part of it) remains in the system, it isn't properly uninstalled and you are left with a [b]K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 3.7.5[/b] [u]useless entry[/u] in your Software Add/Remove control panel. It is a useless entry because you are not able to use it to remove [b]K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 3.7.5[/b], thus it can't be uninstalled through your Software Add/Remove control panel. If you try to do it, you get error message - see image file attached to my post in http://community.haihaisoft.com/index.php/Haihaisoft-Universal-Player/214-Watch-out-Warning-new-Haihaisoft-U.-Player-users.html
[img size=499]http://community.haihaisoft.com/images/fbfiles/images/Useless_entry_in_Software_Add_or_Remove_control_panel.jpg[/img]
More than that, uninstallation of [b]Haihaisoft Universal Player[/b] leaves a lot of clutter entries in the Windows Registry, you'll have to use a good Registry cleaner to find and get rid of them.
Given all this, if you didn't install [b]Haihaisoft Universal Player[/b] yet, I strongly recommend you to keep it that way and [b]not[/b] install it!
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
See more CNET content tagged:
Previous Versions:
