Apple’s Mac operating system and Microsoft’s Windows operating system are two of the most widely used computers. The two companies have proven to be highly competitive with each other.
As a result, there has been identical software throughout the years. QuickTime and Windows Media Player are two such multimedia frameworks.
Key Takeaways
- QuickTime is a media player developed by Apple, while Windows Media Player is a product of Microsoft.
- Both media players support audio and video formats, but QuickTime focuses on Apple-specific formats, and Windows Media Player targets Windows-centric formats.
- Both applications allow users to organize, play, and stream media but have different user interfaces and features.
QuickTime vs Windows Media Player
QuickTime is a high-quality playback multimedia framework created by Apple Inc. that can handle many different types of media files. Windows Media Player is a multimedia player known for its ease of use and integration with Windows, which can play many different types of media files.
QuickTime is a media player and multimedia framework that was developed by Apple in 1991 when multimedia in operating systems were introduced. It is used to handle videos, pictures, audio files, etc., in Apple’s own Mac operating system.
QuickTime’s supported file formats include Apple’s specified .mov and .qt.
Windows Media Player is a media player and library that was developed by Microsoft in 1991 when Windows 3.0 with multimedia extensions.
It is used for accessing audio, videos, pictures, etc., on Microsoft’s own Windows operating system. Windows Media Player’s supported file formats include .asf, .wma, .wmv, etc.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | QuickTime | Windows Media Player |
|---|---|---|
| Developers | It was developed by Apple. | It was developed by Microsoft. |
| Compatibility | It is compatible with Mac OS. | It is compatible with Windows OS. |
| File Format | It supports a few formats such as .mov, and .qt. | It supports almost all file formats. |
| Optimization | It is highly optimized. | It has a few bugs and crashes. |
| Unique Features | Recording, editing capabilities, etc. | Playback music, Visualizations, etc. |
What is QuickTime?
QuickTime is a media player and multimedia framework that was developed by Apple in 1991 when multimedia in operating systems were introduced.
It is used to handle videos, pictures, audio files, etc., in Apple’s own Mac operating system. QuickTime’s supported file formats include Apple’s specified .mov and .qt.
Apple provides excellent features and support for QuickTime. It has an abundance of features, including synchronized graphics, time-based synchronization, created recordings, alternate languages, subtitles, etc.
QuickTime is critically acclaimed for its stability and optimization. However, Apple has various limitations to keep the ecosystem secure. Unlike in Windows Media Players, Users of QuickTime are bound to what is provided by Apple only.
Third-party plug-ins, customizations, and .srt subtitles do not work.
Quicktime was also made available to the Windows operating system in 1994. However, it was discontinued in 2016 to protect the Apple ecosystem and reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.
QuickTime 7.7.9 was the last Windows release of QuickTime. As of now, Apple provides QuickTime X, which is the latest version of QuickTime. Apple did not update the older versions of QuickTime for the newer software, and hence, they are not compatible anymore.
What is Windows Media Player?
Windows Media Player is a media player and library that was developed by Microsoft in 1991 when Windows 3.0 with multimedia extensions. It is used for accessing audio, videos, pictures, etc., on Microsoft’s own Windows operating system.
Windows Media Player’s supported file formats include .asf, .wma, .wmv, etc.
It comes with an abundance of useful features such as playback music, a library, visualizations, portable device sync, disk burning, online music stores, etc.
It has always been critically acclaimed as it offered far better features than the competition. Nevertheless, Windows Media Player had several drawbacks.
The media player offers limited sound quality choices, interruptions in slow DSL connections, small album cover art, etc.
Windows Media Player was also made available to Apple’s Mac OS X. However, it was discontinued in 2009 due to Apple’s QuickTime’s lack of features.
Windows Media Player 12 was the latest version, and it was released along with Windows 7 in 2009. Earlier versions of Windows Media Player can run on older versions of Windows, and with the release of Windows 8, Microsoft replaced it with Groove Music. Hence, Windows Media Player is now only compatible with older operating system versions.
Main Differences Between QuickTime and Windows Media Player
- QuickTime is for Mac OS, whereas Windows Media Player is for Windows OS.
- QuickTime is comparatively far more optimized as compared to Windows Media Player.
- QuickTime supports only limited file formats, whereas Windows Media Player supports almost all file formats.
- QuickTime is highly bound when it comes to additional features, whereas Windows Media Player allows more freedom to its users.
- QuickTime has many editing capabilities, whereas Windows Media Player doesn’t.
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