Simply the best multi-format media player
Nick Mead
Video software Players Multimedia
VLC for Android overview
PLAY
VLC for Android overview
How to add subtitles in
VLC Media Player
How to stream from VLC to Chromecast
Main interface
Interface
options
Subtitle settings
Subtitles
Basic video effects
Playback options
Basic media menu
Video zoom options
Right-click options
cover
ARTICLES VLC MEDIA PLAYER
Redesigned VLC for Windows teased by developers
How to sync music via Wi-Fi without
using iTunes
Use VLC media player as a video converter
If you want to play video or music
files in just about any format, VLC media player is probably your answer.
Media player and
more
VLC media player is the most stable, flexible and lightweight audio and video player
around today, especially when compared to others that will play unusual formats after
downloading a codec, or simply refuse to play things.
The program handles tons of formats,
from MPEG to FLV and RMBV files. V10 bit codes plus multi-threaded
decoding for H.264, MPEG-4/Xvid and WebM, as well as the ability to play HD and BluRay.
Also useful is the fact that you can use VLC media player to preview files you are
downloading since it plays incomplete parts of video files. VLC media player is not
just for video playback however. It also offers superb integration with video channel
streaming services such as Channels.com giving you access to channels such as ESPN,
Reuters and National Geographic. Just right-click or CMD-click on the playlist, select
Services Discovery and Channels.com.
Channels.com will then appear in your
VLC media player playlist. Click on it to reveal the the different categories of channels
available. Click on the category you want and a drop down list of all available channels
appears in VLC media player. Just click on the channel you want to watch and streaming should begin almost immediately.
How does it work?
VLC media player also has great hotkey support
and if you take the time to learn the shortcuts so it can be controlled without touching your mouse.
If you're watching DVDs or video files through it, this is not an issue. For music, it plays
more or less any file and features an equalizer and playlist creation. VLC media player isn't as intuitive as iTunes as a media manager, but it's a much more flexible player in terms of file formats. You can even use VLC to convert your files, and on top of all the formats and physical media it will play, many streaming protocols and TV capture cards are supported.
VLC media player makes it easy to add subtitles to your video files too - just add the SRT file to the folder where your video is kept, and it will automatically play with subtitles.
Finally, the interface in VLC media player has been somewhat improved in version 2 although it remains strictly functional. However, you can download skins to completely change VLC media player's appearance. The preferences menu is comprehensive without being overwhelming, and there is extensive documentation online.
Complete and free
VLC Media Player is quite simply the best multimedia application for Windows and Mac. It plays just about anything, hassle free - what more could you need?
VLC media player supports the following formats
MKV, WMV, MPEG, MP4, MOV, AVI, DIVX, XVID, FLV, FLAC, WAV, REAL, VOB plus many more
Review last updated: 11/06/15
Pros
Supports a wide range of formats
Good hotkey support
Easy to use
Very flexible and lightweight
Integration with web channel streaming services
Improved interface in version 2
More format support in version 2
Plays BluRay and HD
VLC DOWNLOAD NOW