Vantage Player
A minimal Windows video player, HEVC, MKV, MOV, and folder-swipe navigation.
Vantage Player is an early release, expect the occasional rough edge. Spot a bug or have an idea? Tell us with the ? → Send feedback button in the app (bottom-right of the control bar), or see the Feedback section below. It genuinely shapes what comes next.
Getting Started
01 Install
- 1. Install from the Microsoft Store
- 2. Nothing else is required — no runtime, no extra codec packs
- 3. Launch Vantage Player from the Start menu. Windows will keep it updated
02 Open a video
- • Drag and drop any video onto the window
- • Ctrl+O for the file picker
- •
Pass a path on the command line:
VantagePlayer.exe "C:\Videos\clip.mp4"
What it plays
MP4 / H.264, HEVC / H.265, .MOV, .MKV, WebM, AVI, and more, using the embedded VLC engine. No Windows Store codec extensions required.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play / pause |
| ← / → | Previous / next video in the folder |
| ↑ / ↓ | Volume up / down |
| , / . | Seek −10 s / +10 s |
| F or F11 | Toggle fullscreen |
| Esc | Exit fullscreen |
| Ctrl+O | Open file dialog |
Mouse shortcuts
- • Single-click on the video, play / pause
- • Double-click on the video, toggle fullscreen
- • Right-click anywhere, full menu (open, sort order, subtitles, audio track, playback speed, auto-play / repeat / resume, file-type registration, Help, exit)
Playback & Library
Right-click the video for the full menu, or use the control bar along the bottom. Your choices are remembered between sessions.
Right-click → Subtitles to turn on a track embedded in the file or load an external .srt.
Right-click → Audio track to switch between the languages/tracks in a multi-audio file.
Right-click → Playback speed, from 0.5× up to 2×.
Reopen a video and it picks up where you stopped. Toggle it under Resume where I left off.
Roll straight into the next file in the folder, or loop the current one, both are toggles in the menu.
The control bar's ±10 / 30 / 60 s buttons jump around a clip (, / . do ±10 s).
Slide out the panel on the left edge for a thumbnail list of the other videos in the folder; click one to jump to it. Sort it by name or date via right-click → Sort order.
The ? button (bottom-right) opens Documentation, Send feedback, and About.
Make It Your Default Video App
- 1. Right-click anywhere inside Vantage Player and pick "Set VantagePlayer as a video app (Open with)". This registers a per-user file association, no admin prompt.
- 2. Find a video in Explorer, right-click it, choose Open with → Choose another app.
- 3. Pick VantagePlayer, check Always use this app, and OK.
Troubleshooting
Won't launch, or Windows warns me about it ▼
Black screen on HEVC / MKV ▼
Arrow keys don't change videos ▼
Control bar won't go away in fullscreen ▼
FAQ
Do I need to install VLC separately?
No. The native VLC libraries are shipped next to the exe and loaded internally. Your machine doesn't need a separate VLC install.
Does it work with HDR / 4K?
Yes, anything VLC can decode, Vantage Player plays. The control surface is small; the heavy lifting is the same.
Mac / Linux build?
Not currently, Vantage Player is a WPF app, so it's Windows-only.
Is it really free?
Yes. It dynamically links the LGPL'd VLC engine, see THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md next to the exe for the full attribution.
Feedback
Vantage Player is an early release, and feedback from testers is what drives it. If something breaks, feels awkward, or you wish it did one more thing, please tell us. It all gets read.
Click the ? button (bottom-right of the control bar) → Send feedback / report a bug. Right-click → Help → Contact support does the same.
What you were doing, the kind of file (e.g. 4K HEVC MKV), and what you expected vs. what happened.
Crash reports and basic stability data are sent automatically so we can fix issues fast. Optional anonymous usage data can be turned off any time via right-click → Send anonymous usage data. The names of your files and folders are never sent, they're stripped from logs and crash reports before anything leaves your machine, so only technical details (error type, codec, resolution, app version) go with them.
Privacy
Your videos never leave this PC. File and folder names are stripped from logs and are never sent. Optional usage data is a Settings toggle (on by default). Crash reports and the once-a-day update check stay on so we can fix decoder and startup failures.
Full policy: /docs/vantage-player/privacy. Event-by-event telemetry: /docs/vantage-player/telemetry.