Cameras
Camcorders
Cell Phones
Components
Desktops
HDTV
Home Theater
GPS
Laptops
Monitors
MP3 Players
Networking &
Printers
Storage
VLC
Version: 1.0.2
Downloads Count: 181,363
License Type: Free
Price: Free
Date Added: Sep 30, 2009
Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Vista
File Size: 18094 KB
Author: VideoLAN
- Windows Movie Maker 1,634,697
- DVD Shrink 1,155,191
- LimeWire Basic 1,046,537
- WinMX 809,844
- DivX Play Bundle v6 493,618
Editorial Review of VLC
For several years, the free, third-party media player of choice for many video connoisseurs was the open-source VLC media player. It worked on multiple operating systems, it worked on a bare install of Windows without any special codecs, and it was light and fast. All that is still true. Now, VLC finally hits an important milestone: version 1.0.0 (given the James Bond-referencing nickname of Goldeneye), and with this version comes a pile of useful new features.
The most important addition to VLC 1.0.0, and one that will garner the most attention, is the ability to easily record all media on the fly. Yes, that means CSS-protected content as well. I was able to take a Sony DVD movie, Spider-Man 2 (Sony movies being notoriously difficult to decode), and stream it to VLC's .PS format on my hard drive. I then played the file on a laptop on the network running VLC, even before the host computer was finished transcoding the DVD to the file. The default encoding is pretty rough, but you can fine-tune it to be DVD quality. You'll have to have some good network bandwidth in order to stream it in that case, but at least it's feasible for most DVDs. Note that the very newest DVDs may have copy protection that might prevent VLC from streaming in this way, so you'll have to experiment.
VLC can also act as both a streaming server and client. You can set up VLC to stream media from a file or from a DVD as a server, and then another client can stream that media, without having to encode the file first. You'll need a little knowledge of network administration to do this, though--it might be easier just to stream to a file, though it can take a couple of hours to get the whole thing. Also, be sure and check the box to get rid of the DVD menus, otherwise all you'll be streaming is the main DVD menu in an endless loop.
Other new features in 1.0.0 are the ability to play back a single frame at a time, the ability to pause instantly(whereas before you always lost a couple of frames that way); and Blu-Ray and HD audio support for the first time. The developer also claims that VLC can also record live TV from a decoder card and act as a sort of mini-DVR in that respect; I was unable to verify this on my test PC, which lacks a TV decoder card.
And the nicest thing is that VLC is small, at about 17MB, and is entirely self contained after installation. No additional installs or codecs are required. VLC is a good choice if you format your machine and still want DVD playback (as DVD codecs are normally proprietary and difficult to come by). It's also a great choice for streaming media of any kind.
Note that you won't be able to burn a streamed file to a disc to copy your DVDs; there are other utilities out there for that. VLC is strictly for playback using many media types across many local or network sources. VLC 1.0.0 is a must-download.
Note: This program is donationware. It is free to try, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.
--Steve Horton
People who downloaded this also downloaded:
Sponsored Links
-
YouTube Downloader is a free application for downloading videos from YouTube.
-
A feature rich professional quality flash video player.
-
Convert DVD to MPEG1 (VCD),MPEG2 (SVCD), AVI (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, YUV...) Convert DVD Audio to WAV, MP3, WMA, ASF, AC3 Audio. Can Open DVD ,IFO, MPEG/VOB files. Split large video/audio files to volumes
-
Print CD Covers the easy way!
-
Software for quick colorizing of B&W photos and replacing colors on color photos
-
A powerful DVD to PSP video converting tool. It consists of ImTOO DVD to PSP Converter and ImTOO PSP Video Converter thus it s the best solution to convert DVD to PSP Movie. Besides, user could get many extra using from the suite.
-
A monk and a prostitute struggle with the meaning of life in this drama short.
-
Backs up your DVDs to AVI, DivX(MPEG4), WMV, MP4,3GP,MPEG format with ease.
-
A complete solution for video file converting and burning.
-
Spruce up your Web pages with Java applets and effects.
-
Place your photos into stunning 3D galleries and share them on the web!
Dell Laptop Deals
-
Save Hundreds on Dell's Most Popular Laptop Models Inspiron, Studio and Studio XPS Models all at Steep Discounts!
Muvee Reveal Makes It Easy to Turn Footage Into Movies
Producing professional-looking movies is simple with template-driven production utility Muvee Reveal.
Make Your CDs and DVDs Look Great With SureThing CD Labeler Deluxe
Layout program SureThing CD Labeler Deluxe creates effective DVD/CD labels, case labels and inserts.
If you have questions about finding, downloading, or opening files in our library, you'll probably find the answers here.
The new Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 gives you creative inspiration and all the tools you need to enhance your digital lifestyle. Create, share and enjoy your movies, memories and music as only you can."/>
- Browse the Downloads Store by Topic
- Security »
- Utilities »
- Graphics & Multimedia »
- Visit the Download Store Home
Most Recent Threads