Totem For Linux

Totem (popularly known as Movie Player and Videos) is an open source project that provides users with a GStreamer-based movie player application specifically designed for the GNOME desktop environment.

The program is capable of playing almost any video file format that is supported by the GStreamer multimedia framework (codec pack). Key features include support for playlists, full-screen mode, volume and seek controls, as well as a powerful plugin architecture. Among other functions, we can mention a built-in video thumbnailer for Nautilus, the default file manager of the GNOME desktop environment, a plugin for the Mozilla Firefox web browser, which allows users to view online movies, as well as a command-line video properties helper (for indexers).

The application lets users to capture screenshots of video files, supports OGG and OGM subtitles, configuration of font style and size for subtitles. It automatically loads subtitles when a movie file is loaded, playbacks DVD-Video and VCD discs, and supports external chapters. The application’s default functionality can be extended through a wide range of built-in plugins, including Always on Top, Gromit Annotations, Instant Messenger Status, MPRIS D-Bus Interface, Python Console, Rotation Plugin, Subtitle Downloader, Video Disc Recorder, and Zeitgeist Plugin.

Deinterlacing of interlaced videos is also possible, as well as display of visual effects when an audio file is played, such as GOOM, Stereo visualizer, Waveform oscilloscope, Synaescope, and Frequency spectrum scope. Another interesting feature is the built-in video equalizer, which will allow users to change the brightness, contrast, saturation and hue of any video file during playback. Supported audio output types include stereo, 4 channel, 4.1 channel, 5.0 channel, 5.1 channel, and AC3 Passthrough.

The graphical user interface is written in GTK+ and follows the GNOME HIG (Human Interface Guidelines) specifications, allowing users to load local or remote video files, search for multimedia streams locally, or online on YouTube, Vimeo, Rai.tv or Blip.tv, as well as to play online videos. During our tests, Totem proved to be a great video playback application, and not so great audio player. Considering the fact that it runs on any open source desktop environment, not only GNOME, and because it features a video equalizer, we strongly recommend it instead of VLC or GNOME MPlayer.