Versatile video player

The invention includes a versatile video player application, system and method for playing video files stored on a removable CD. The invention permits a user computer to play video files even though the user computer may not have a specified video enhancer or video renderer installed in its operating system or even though the specified video enhancer or video renderer is improperly installed. As it does not require installation of files into the user computer operating system, the video player does not require IT intervention in local networks where the user's operating activities are restricted, thus posing no compromise of security on the users system nor the network the system resides on. The invention provides a compact disc comprising at least one video file to be played, a video player application, at least one optional target content file, and at least one video player application extension adapted to utilize a video renderer application extension in the OS of the user computer. The video player application comprises a video decoder routine, audio decoder routine, a graphical user interface routine and an optional video performance optimization routine. The video player application also utilizes a number of specified "always-present" application extensions located in the operating system of the user computer.