Already there are tools to watch Netflix with friends in a synchronized way. Now the question is: is there something that works with offline players and doesn't depend on streaming? An efficient and very compatible option is Syncplay. It has builds for Windows, Linux, Mac OS and BSD, and works with the most popular players: VLC, MPC-HC (including its Black Edition variant) and MPV.
More than once, time and distance betray us, and it becomes difficult to stay in touch with those we truly appreciate. Social networks are supposed to help solve any contact deficit, but very valuable things are lost, like getting together for dinner or watching a movie.
The Web can't do much in the first case (unless both order from the same place and use Skype or Discord to talk), but there are options in the second. One of those options, more Spartan in visuals and with additional advanced parameters, is Syncplay, which solves the question of how to watch synchronized movies.
How to Watch Synchronized Movies with Syncplay
It all starts by selecting one of the available public servers (click here to configure a private server), a username (optional), and a 'room' where session participants will gather (mandatory).
In the second section we specify the player to use (our example is based on MPC-HC), and the video. It is important to note that everyone must have the same copy of the movie, but it doesn't need to be bit by bit (the help menu indicates that the duration should be as close as possible).
Another very interesting aspect of Syncplay is that it also syncs user actions, meaning anyone can pause the video, attend to any issue that arises (say, a call or a "biological commitment"), and then continue from the same point.
In advanced settings we discover that Syncplay will automatically fast-forward or lower playback speed (depending on the software used) if synchronization is lost.
Syncplay has builds for Windows, Linux, Mac OS and BSD. Personally, I recommend using the portable edition of Syncplay on Windows, and I haven't had problems with MPC-HC, but on the official page they are very insistent about MPV, especially when syncing YouTube videos (yes, you can do that). The only major technical detail to note is that some editions of Windows may need one of the Visual C++ redistributables to run Syncplay correctly. The latest version is from April 2022, so it's up to date.
Official site and download: Syncplay.pl
