Subhash VCDPlayer is a free media player with support for VCD playback, image capture, and transcription. It works with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Apart from Video CDs, Subhash VCDPlayer can also play all audio and video formats that are compatible with Windows Media Player 6.4, such as wave, MP3, MP4, midi (mid), MPEG (mpg), AVI, ASF, Windows Media Audio/Video (WMA/WMV) and DivX/XviD (codec required).

The best-loved feature of the player is its ability to capture still images from video files and save them in bitmap (BMP) format. Captured images can be automatically set as the desktop background (wallpaper), allowing you to preview the images the very moment they are captured.

To play a VCD, insert the CD into your CD drive and start Subhash VCDPlayer. The program will automatically search the CD and start playing the DAT files without any further intervention. When the program is running, it does not show up on the taskbar. Instead, it is accessible from an icon in the system tray. (See the above screenshot.)

Subhash VCDPlayer uses Window Media Player 6.4 under the hood, which gives it rock-solid stability. Unlike other such programs, Subhash VCDPlayer takes WMP to surreal heights of functionality and ease of use. This has been made possible by borrowing a few ideas from IrfanView (file browsing), Winamp (system tray icon capabilities) and CyberLink PowerPlayer (single-key keyboard shortcuts and still-image capture), and combining