Playing multiple videos: Anemone Player vs VLC vs OBS
If you need to play multiple videos at once, Anemone Player is purpose-built for it, VLC can do it by running several separate windows, and OBS Studio can do it by treating each video as a scene source. Each takes a different amount of setup, and each trades off differently on cost and capability — here's the honest breakdown.
At a glance
| Feature | Anemone Player | VLC | OBS Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native multi-video grid layouts | Yes — built-in presets | No — manual windows | Manual scene positioning |
| Frame-accurate sync across sources | No | No | No |
| Images and video mixed in one layout | Yes | Not in the same window | Yes, via Image Sources |
| Independent per-monitor windows | Yes — assign each screen | Manual, one instance each | Manual, one Projector each |
| Streaming / recording to an audience | No — not built for it | No | Yes — this is its job |
| Price | $30/year or $79 lifetime | Free | Free |
| Learning curve | Low — pick a grid, drag in files | Low per window, tedious at scale | Steep — scenes, sources, projectors |
Anemone Player
Built specifically to display multiple videos and images at once. You pick a grid, drag sources into the panels, and it saves the arrangement — no rebuilding it every time. The honest weaknesses: it isn't free after the trial, it doesn't stream or record anything, and it has no cross-machine networking for very large installations.
VLC (multiple windows)
Free, open-source, and installed on more PCs than any other player — hard to beat for playing a single video reliably. For multiple videos, you're opening a new instance per video and positioning each window by hand; nothing ties them together, so closing one, moving one, or restarting the PC means redoing the whole arrangement. VLC can display images too, but only one source per window — mixing images and video across a shared grid means running even more separate windows.
OBS Studio (scenes)
OBS is genuinely excellent software — for streaming and recording. Compositing multiple video and image sources into a scene works, and the Fullscreen Projector trick can push that scene to a physical monitor. But it's a real workaround: no grid presets, no saved playlist or shuffle across sources, and a scenes/sources/projectors model with a learning curve that's overkill if all you want is a video playing on a screen. If you actually need to stream or record what's playing, though, OBS is the right tool — Anemone doesn't do that at all.
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Frequently asked questions
Is VLC good enough for playing multiple videos?
For two or three videos briefly, yes — it's free and reliable. Past that it gets painful: every window is positioned by hand, nothing remembers the arrangement, and there's no shared playlist or shuffle across the windows.
Can OBS actually display video to a screen, not just stream it?
Yes, using the Fullscreen Projector feature to push a scene to a physical display. It works, but it's a workaround — OBS's editing canvas is designed for compositing a stream or recording, not for being the on-screen player itself.
Is Anemone Player free?
It's free to download and try for 30 days with full features. After the trial it requires a paid license — $30/year or $79 one-time — unlike VLC and OBS, which are free and open-source forever.
Which one should I use for streaming to Twitch or YouTube?
OBS Studio. Streaming and recording is literally what it's built for. Anemone isn't a streaming tool and has no broadcast output — it's built to display content locally, not send it anywhere.
Which one should I use for a permanent video wall or signage display?
Anemone Player. It's built for exactly that: saved grid layouts, drag-and-drop sources, and unattended operation — the setup VLC and OBS both require you to rebuild by hand every time.