Movist Pro 2.17.1

Movist Pro

A macOS media player built around QuickTime and FFmpeg decoders, aimed at viewers who want fine control over subtitles, HDR color, playlists, and playback quality without juggling separate tools for local files, network shares, and web video.

Unlike a minimal quick-look player, Movist is designed for long-form watching. You can pick QuickTime or FFmpeg per codec and reopen a file with another decoder instantly. Hardware-accelerated H.264 and H.265/HEVC decoding keeps 4K UHD playback smooth, while Dolby Vision support, HDR tone mapping, and 10-bit color handling help HDR clips from phones and cameras look less washed out on standard monitors. Audio options include digital out over S/PDIF (including on USB devices that macOS does not expose natively), per-device channel and delay settings, and an equalizer.

Subtitles, playlists, and the viewing UI

Subtitle support is a core strength: embedded and external files, compressed archives, 3D subtitles, letterbox placement that uses black bars instead of covering the picture, multiple concurrent language tracks with separate styling, and optional spoken subtitle playback for accessibility or language study. When you open a file, Movist can auto-build a playlist, scan the folder for related episodes, and attach matching subtitle files. The interface follows modern macOS light/dark themes with hover-only controls, thumbnail previews on the seek bar, and Touch Bar integration on supported MacBook Pro models.

Pro-only workflow extras

Movist Pro adds capabilities beyond the base App Store Movist app: streaming from FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and SMB servers without a full download, a Safari and Chrome extension for in-page web media (YouTube, TED, and similar sources), Picture in Picture, Open URL, default-app assignment without broad folder access prompts, media-key control, and Now Playing in the menu bar. Network playback includes automatic buffering so brief connection drops are less disruptive during viewing.

Version 2.17.1

Build 2.17.1 requires macOS 12 or later and focuses on AirPlay and polish. On macOS 15 or later, beta AirPlay lets you continue playback on Apple TV or compatible smart TVs from the player window, with automatic conversion when a format is not AirPlay-native and support for text plus PGS/VobSub image subtitles during streaming. A new full-screen option hides the menu bar, Touch Bar CPU use is reduced, and several localizations are updated. The developer distributes Pro primarily via direct download; App Store Movist owners can upgrade at a discount. Pro is also listed on Setapp, though direct builds may lead the version number.