Software » Video Players » Zoom Player 22.0.1 / 22.2 Beta 1

What's new in Zoom Player MAX v22.2 beta 1:

Legend :

"*" = New
"+" = Changed
"-" = Fixed

New :

* Introducing Home Theater Video Streaming search!

I implemented a new "Search" section to the Video Streaming Home Theater
interface that allows you to search for Live Streams, Live Programs,
VOD Movies and VOD TV Shows.

The global "Programs" search is still not implemented in this beta
version, I hope to have it ready by the next beta in a week or two.

* I've added support for YouTube DirectShow/libVLC streaming based
on the yt-dlp open source project:
https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp

yt-dlp is a command line tool that can be used to scan YouTube
video URLs and provide the direct Video/Audio streams.

In Zoom Player, you can now configure YouTube playback to use either
the official YouTube IFRAME Javascript player. DirectShow media
engine using yt-dlp or DirectShow directly (in case you want to
use a DirectShow component such as "3DYD Youtube Source").

You can pick the YouTube media engine under "Adv. Options / Playback" and
in the case of yt-dlp, you can specify the exact command line Zoom Player
uses with yt-dlp to list the stream URLs. Verify that the path to where
you have yt-dlp installed is correct and you have any yt-dlp prerequisites
installed.

For context, the official IFRAME Javascript player is the fastest and
most responsive, but since it's embedded in a Web Browser (Microsoft's
WebView2) and doesn't use the DirectShow media engine, it lacks support
for higher quality video scalers (MadVR/MPC-VR) and custom audio output
device.

* Beyond YouTube, yt-dlp supports finding streams on many other website
such as Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, Twitter/X and many many more :
https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md

In the "Advanced Options / Playback" section, you can now specify
website URLs Zoom Player should pass through yt-dlp before trying
to play the stream.

Take into account that playback from such sources may not be perfect.

* Since I've already added support for YouTube, I took the next obvious
step of yt-dlp based stream URL parsing for major websites such as
"Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, etc." under "Adv. Options / Playback".

yt-dlp is compatible with many other websites, here is the full list
of websites supported by yt-dlp:
https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md

* New "/UseLibVLC" command line parameter that instructs Zoom Player to
try using libVLC as the media engine for the next media played.

* New "Mouse Hover" color effect for the control overlay's timeline.
You can fully customize the colors in the advanced options dialog
under "Interface / Control Overlay".

* New "Use fuzzy logic when indexing the Episode Guide" Video Streaming
setting (Adv. Options / Playback / Video Streaming). Disabled by default.

In previous versions Zoom Player always used a fuzzy name matching logic
when trying to match the stream index of a Stream Playlist with the
Electronic Program Guide (EPG).

However, using fuzzy matching logic is a lot slower than a direct
match, causing the global program search feature to become impractically
slow when dealing with a massive amount of streams which is the reason I
disabled fuzzy matching by default and created a new setting which you
manually enabled.

For comparison, on the same playlist and program guide, using fuzzy
matching logic took over 2 minutes while a direct match took 4 seconds.
The results were identical since the provider's Playlist and EPG databases
were not too messy.

For greater context, regardless of using either a fuzzy or direct match,
the results are cached so fuzzy-matching's long processing time is only
triggered once per provider and repeated global program searches should
usually take 1-2 seconds on even large databases.

* I wrote new code to load the Playlist -> EPG indexing code to
run in a background thread as soon as you open either the Windowed or
Home Theater versions of the Video Streaming interface.

This means that performing a global program search should return results
a lot faster in most usage cases.

* New "2800" TCP/IP API command to force the next media to load with
libVLC instead of DirectShow. May not apply if DirectShow isn't used
to load the media.
Changed :

+ Filtering streams (searching) in the Video Streaming Windowed interface
should be significantly faster, to the point you may want to disable the
"Filter streams when pressing enter (otherwise filter on each
key stroke)" setting.

+ The "Filter streams/programs when pressing enter" Video Streaming
setting has been changed to "Filter streams when pressing enter"
and now only applied to streams and no longer to program searches
which now always require pressing enter to search.

+ Scrolling through the Video Streaming Home Theater interface should
be a bit smoother.

+ Optimized EPG indexing by removing EPG channel entries that did not
contain any program entries.

+ When creating Windows Shortcuts to streams from the Video Streaming
windowed dialog's right click menu, if libVLC is set as the playback
engine for Video Streaming, the new "/UseLibVLC" command line parameter
will be included in the new shortcut to ensure Zoom Player uses the
correct media engine when the shortcut is launched.
Fixed :

- Fixed multiple bugs in the Video Streaming Episode Guide to Playlist
indexing cache which could inflate the cache file with duplicate
entries, slowing down future indexing and global program searches.

- Enabling the "Pre-load navigation gfx" setting (Adv. Options / Interface
/ Home Theater / Settings) could have triggered a crash under some
conditions, causing the home theater fullscreen interfaces to glitch.

- Fixed a crash when trying to use an external audio track with
Zoom Player's DSP filter disabled.

- Fixed a crash when trying to open the Video Streaming window and then
closing Zoom Player before the Video Streaming window had a chance
to appear.

Home Theater PC made Simple
Zoom Player's fullscreen navigation interface is based on a simple 5-Key system (up/down/left/right/select). The 5-key system allows easy access and navigation to such interfaces as Media Library, File Browsing, Playlist, Color Control, Audio Equalizer, Chaptering, Play History and many more. The system's simplicity makes it ideal for users with no previous computer experience.

With Zoom Player, you can instantly Convert any PC into a Home Entertainment Center or Home Theater PC (HTPC) with no requirement for specialized hardware or operating system (Zoom Player runs on every version of Windows).

Utilizing Zoom Player's modular design and flexibility, you can easily design a safe viewing environment, limiting or extending functionality, making it ideal for both children and to the consummate professional.

Forward Thinking
Zoom Player's Install Center will scan your system for missing or outdated components and automatically present you with a list of recommended updates and patches. Using Zoom Player's Install Center technology, you can be sure your system is up to date with the most recent technological innovations without compromising security (all updates are digitally signed) while gaining access to a centralized location, removing the burden of manually searching for the latest updates yourself.

Technology meets Sophistication
Zoom Player installs easily, learning your computer's hardware and software setup. Using the innovative Smart Play technology, Zoom Player employs the ideal "play profile" for every session. This profile comprises the most suitable Audio and Video decoders matched with compatible components - a combination that guarantees a perfect viewing experience, time after time.

A tool for every need
Zoom Player addresses every aspect of DVD and Media control. Zoom Player plays media in every conceivable color composition, display type, playback speed and more. With Zoom Player you can create and manage personalized Media Libraries, virtual Chaptering and Bookmarks, cut and edit scenes with the Scene Cut Editor. Zoom Player employs customizable display characteristics and user defined presets, allows to Remote-Control all menu, navigation and playback functions via wireless (RF) or Infra-Red (IR) Remote Control units, and comes ready with a set of TCP/IP Commands to allow control of Zoom Player via the internet (or any TCP/IP based connection).

Customize, Modify, Reshape as you like
Use Zoom Player's flexible customization options to match your taste. Modify the Graphical User Interface, menus and splash screens. Change operation modes, control options, codec compatibility and many other features. Don't compromise. Make the system meet your EXACT needs.

Shape your desired viewing environment with ease using Zoom Player's modular design and flexibility. Extend or limit functionality as you wish. Personalize the interface, functions and viewing parameters to suit any type of use, any viewer - from a simple, safely monitored, children-friendly viewing tool to a sophisticated, no-limits powerhouse for professionals.

Flavors for All
Zoom Player comes in three flavors: Zoom Player Professional, Zoom Player Premium, and Zoom Player MAX Professional.