Crystal Player is a video player software developed by Crystal Reality LLC in October 2002. In the beginning, there were two versions: the Free version and the Pro version, which was paid. At present, the Pro version is completely free.

One of the main features is its native video kernel, which allows high-quality playback from any video source, such as video files (.AVI, .MPEG, etc.), from the Internet or a network. Since it does not use the built-in Windows Media environment, there are no limitations, as with most other players. Supported formats include, but are not limited to, DivX, XVID, MPEG1/2, MPEG4, WMV, Real, etc.

CrystalPlayer offers an unparalleled ability to enhance the quality of videos being played. You can check out the features of video filters, video post-processing, multisampling, and supersampling.

Among the features of the Professional version of CrystalPlayer are the following:

• Built-in MPEG4 decoder
• Skins
• Speed troubleshooting modes
• Multilingual support
• On-screen controls and multi-color search bar
• Subtitles
• Support for external audio tracks
• Playlists with bookmarks
• Image capture
• Runtime help messages
• Runtime statistics and hints
• Aspect mismatch and audio/text skew correction
• Ten-band graphic equalizer
• Video post-processing
• Zoom, pan, and scroll
• Supersampling
• Multisampling
• Video filters
• Audio filters
• Automatic codec downloader
• Native support for Crystal MPEG1/2 format
• Native support for Crystal AVI format
• Crystal MPEG1/2 video decoder
• Crystal AC3 multi-channel audio decoder

One of the most prominent features is the ability to use skins to change the look and feel of the player. This allows you to add the look and feel you prefer. CrystalPlayer also features speed troubleshooting modes, which can help if your PC cannot decompress the video stream in real time. CrystalPlayer offers four different speed troubleshooting modes:

• Skipping frames : skips frames in case it is unable to display them in a given period. The "jerk" effect is visible in this mode, but you can watch the movie anyway.
• Skip keyframes : this mode is for skipping between keyframes in case of timing problems. The main difference with Skip frames is that it tries to play the frames of the stream consecutively, and if no more time is available, a jump to the next keyframe is performed. In this case, playback is smooth (no image distortion), there are quick jumps between some frames, and there are no synchronization problems between video and sound. This is the default mode.
• Stop and buffering : this is the most potent mode, as it offers the best quality and does not skip any frames, even on the weakest PCs. The only price you pay for this is the buffering process, which occurs regularly during playback, depending on the decompression speed and the amount of memory available. In this mode, the more memory you have, the less buffering will occur. If the PC can decompress in real time, buffering occurs in the background, and there are no delays.
• Ignore : decompress and display the frames consecutively, but in this case, the synchronization between playback and sound is not guaranteed. This behavior defaults in most other players.

Another exciting feature is its multilingual support, which allows you to change the language in real-time through the menus. The default language is set according to your Windows. Crystal Player supports a wide variety of languages, including, but not limited to, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian, Czech, and Polish.

It also features on-screen controls and a multi-color search bar, making it easy to navigate and control playback. In addition, the software supports subtitles as well as external audio tracks, making it ideal for playing movies or videos with languages or subtitles that are not in your native language.

CrystalPlayer also allows you to create playlists with bookmarks and organize and access your videos easily. In addition, you can capture playback images to save or share.

During the run, help messages, statistics, and suggestions are displayed, helping you better understand how the software works and detect potential problems. It also allows the correct aspect ratio and audio and text skew.

Another outstanding feature is its ten-band graphic equalizer, which allows you to adjust the sound and adapt it to your preferences precisely. In addition, the software features video post-processing and zoom, pan, and scroll options, allowing you to see details more clearly and control the display more precisely.

Multisampling and supersampling are features that use advanced techniques to improve image quality and reduce noise and artifacts during playback. It also offers a wide variety of video and audio filters, allowing you to customize playback and adapt it to your preferences.

Finally, Crystal Player features an automatic codec downloader, allowing you to quickly get the necessary codecs without manually searching for them. In addition, the software has native support for Crystal MPEG1/2 and Crystal AVI formats, as well as specific video and audio decoders for these formats.

CrystalPlayer is an excellent choice for a high-quality video player with many customization options.