Page 1 How to master VLC, the ultimate Windows media player for power users | PCWorld

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VIDEO PLAYERS (/CATEGORY /VIDEO-PLAYERS) video(/tag/video/)
How tomasterVLC,the
ultimateWindows media
playerforpower users
Let's just rip off the Band-Aid andget the badnews out of the way: The standard
versionof Windows 8won't includeWindows Media Center or the abilityto playDVDs
by default.
Wait! Put downthose pitchforks, hometheater PC enthusiasts. Microsoft's ill will toward
media support andoptical discs is really an opportunityin disguise. Nowyouhave
everyreason to check out VideoLAN's VLC media player (http://www.pcworld.com/
article/259230/free_media_player_vlc_2_0_2_plays_almost_any_video_file.html), a
versatile appthat does much, much more thanWindows' baked-in alternative. VLC
streams files fromthe Internet, streams files to the Internet, manages podcasts,
captures webcamvideos and, yes, plays DVDs. Blu-rays, too. And that's just the tip of
the iceberg.
Simplyput, VLC is the power user's media player of choice.
Unfortunately, VLC's deeparrayof powerful options canalsobe a bit intimidating at first
glance. What do all those buttons andmenus actually do? This guide will catch youup
to speed on the basics, showyouhowto watchyour favorite movies andInternet
streams, andthenclose withsome fun tips andtricks to helpyouget the most out of
this free VLC player.
More than justa DVD player
DVDs aren't the onlyphysical discs that VLC canread: standardaudio CDs, VCDs and
SVCDs all playwithouta hitch as well. Experimental Blu-ray disc support was added
earlyin 2012, but the Blu-ray encryptionsystemcanmake that experimental playback
more miss thanhit. If VLC refuses to playyour favorite HD disc, installingthese hush-
hushfiles (http://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/) (at your ownrisk!) shouldhelpfor older
Blu-rays withAACS encryption, or youcould rip the movie to your harddriveusing
BradChacos
@BradChacos
Oct 10, 2012 3:30 AM
Page 2 How to master VLC, the ultimate Windows media player for power users | PCWorld
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IMAGE COURTESY OF VIDEOLAN
MakeMKV (http://www.pcworld.com/article/242878/how_to_rip_a_blu_ray_disc_with_
makemkv.html) (more on that later) andwatchit as youwouldanyvideo file in VLC, by
selectingMedia >Open File.
(http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/10/vlc-2.0-win-100007722-orig.jpg)
VLC can handleallsortsofmedia formatsand even ignoresregioncoding,so you can watch
your favoriteforeignfilms.
Speakingof openingfiles, OGG andFLAC fans will be happy to hear -- literally-- that
VLC supports almost anyfile typeyouthrowat it (http://wiki.videolan.org/VLC_
Features_Formats), includingISO disc images.
VLC alsoplays movies andmusic fromthe Internet or over your local networkvia the
Media > Open Network Streamcommand. Media > Open Capture Device displays
inputfromwebcams or TV tuner cards so that youcansave, streamor just plain view
the feed.
Capturescreenshotsfrom videos
Likethe HTC OneX (http://www.pcworld.com/article/254792/htc_one_x_review_
beautiful_but_not_without_its_shortcomings.html), VLC includes a fun feature that lets
youeasilytakescreenshots froma video. J ust select Video > Snapshot to save a
picture of an individual frame. Screenshots save to your Pictures folder by default,
named "VLC-(date andtime)". Adjust the options in Preferences > Video > Snapshot if
youwantVLC to dumpscreenshots somewhereelse.
Stream podcastsand Internetradio
VLC is no one-trick pony: The media player sports several audio options that canhelp
youmanage your podcasts or findsomethingnewto listento. ClickView >Playlist to
bringup the playlist view, thenclick on the Internet option to reveal a largenumber of
listeningoptions -- includinghundreds of Internet radio stations fromaround the world.
The best part? They're all free. If youwantto track your favorite podcasts, simplyclick
the grayplus button next to the Podcasts option andenter the URL for the RSS feedof
the podcastyouwantto stream.
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(http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/10/vlc_stream_-100007721-orig.png)
You can stream tonsoffreeaudioand videousingthe preloadedInternetplaylist ,or add your
own by enteringthe URL ofyour favoritepodcasts'RSS feeds.
Change how VLC lookswithcustomizableskins
The lookof VLC won't impress anybodyout of the box; it's as plain vanillaas a piece of
free downloadablesoftwarecanbe. Likea mullet, however, that bland demeanor hides
a worldof awesome possibilities, as VLC lets users change the lookof the media player
withthe helpof customskin files. Simplydownloadan appealingskin fromthe VLC
website, thenheadinto Tools > Preferences > Interface. In the LookandFeel portion,
select the Use custom skin option andpointVLC towardyour saved.vlt skin file.
Dozens of different skins are available, some vastlymore appealingthanothers.
TranscodingfileswithVLC
Not all programs or outsideA/V sources handle ASV1andother esoteric file types as
well as VLC. Fortunately, VLC canhelpyouskirt that annoyance; this media player is a
basic media converter, too!
Transcodingexisting media files into a different format doesn't takemuch effort. Click
Media > Convert/Save, click the Add button, andselect an audio or video file to convert.
If youhavea subtitlefile for the film, check the boxandselect that, as well. Next, press
Convert/Save, thenclick Browse andchoosewhereyou'dliketo save the newversion
of the file. Name the file, being sure to manuallygiveit one of the file extensions listed
in the Save as Typefield, such as .mpg, .mov, .oggor .wav. Make sure the extension
matches the file typeyou're converting; an audio extensionwon't workwell if you're
convertinga video, for instance.
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(http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/10/vlc_convert_-100007720-orig.png)
VLC allowsyou to transcodeyour media intodifferentformats;you can even converta video
fileintoan audiofile(or viceversa)so you can do neat tricksliketurningyour favorite
comedian's stand-up specialintoan .mp 3 you can listen to atthe gym .
You canplayaround withthe audio/video codec details in the drop-downboxin the
Settings area if youso desire, but unless youhavea specific reason to use another file
type, I'dsuggeststickingto the default MP4profile for video andMP3for audio, as
they're widelysupported formats. The VideoLANwiki contains useful informationabout
codec types (http://wiki.videolan.org/Codec).
Transcodingveterans canfine-tune the audio/video codec combinations evenfurther by
clickingthe Edit button (representedby an iconof a screwdriver andwrench) to the
right of the drop-downbox. Once everythinglooks good, click Start andprepare to
wait--transcodingvideo is an intensive task that cantakea long, longtime depending
on your setup.
The grayarea:copyingDVDs ,Blu-raysand Internet
streamswithVLC
Note that the Convert/Save options alsolet youhandle streams fromnetworksources
andwebcams or copymedia fromphysical discs. Saving content youfindon YouTube
or wherever elseon the Internet isn't always legal, so make sure youhavethe right to
do so beforeyoubegin. Likewise, make sure you're onlymakingbackups of physical
discs that youactually own.
The actual process of copyingdiscs is fairlystraightforward, however. Open Media >
Convert/Save again, but insteadof addingfiles in the File tab, click Disc to select a disc
to rip. Afterward, the transcodingoptions are the same as witha straight file-to-file
conversion, and, yes, copyinga disc takes a longtime. If, on the other hand, youwanta
straight-up copyof the original files on the disc, just check the Dump Raw Input box.
CopyingDVDs andaudio discs shouldn't be an issue, but rippingBlu-rays can
occasionallybe an exercise in frustration. If yourun into problems, MakeMKV is a great
Blu-ray-rippingresource (http://www.pcworld.com/article/242878/how_to_rip_a_bluray_
disc_with_makemkv.html) that canhandle modern BD+-encodedBlu-rays andolder
AACS-encodedBlu-rays alike.
Saving webcamandInternet streams is simple, but the methodologyis a little different
thanwithphysical media. Open the file using Media >Open (Network Stream or
Capture Device), but rather thanhittingPlay, click the arrowto the right of it andselect
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Streamfromthe list. Identifythe source, press Next, thenmake sure the destinationis
set to File, andfiddle withthe transcodingoptions the same wayyouwouldwhensaving
a DVD or doing a file-to-file conversion.
Onefinal note: You cancapture the video you're watchingat anytime by simplyclicking
the Record button. To addthe Recordbutton to the toolbar, click View > Advanced
Controls.
TransformyourvideosintoASCIIart
Let's close things out witha bit of fun: VLC cantranslatevideo into ASCII art (http://
www.pcworld.com/article/189071/ascii_art_turn_your_photos_into_text_pictures.html)
consisting of nothingbut numbers andletters. Why? Who knows? It's pointless, but fun.
(http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/10/vlc_ascii_-100007738-orig.png)
LouisC.K.performshisBeacon TheatersetinASCII.
To get the alphanumeric partystarted, select Tools > Preferences > Video. Then, click
the drop-downboxnext to Output (in the Displaysection) andselect Color ASCII Art
Video Output. Now, just start a newvideo andenjoy the text-based show. Besure to
change the output back to Default whenyou're done!
These tricks onlyscratchthe surface of whatVLC cando. Advanced users canset the
VLC player to streamvideo to the Web, batch encode files based on their extension,
capture onlythe audio track froma DVD, access movies fromother computers on your
network, andmore. Checkout VideoLAN's incrediblyhelpful wiki (http://
wiki.videolan.org/Main_Page) andforums (http://forum.videolan.org/) for more tips,
tricks, andhelpwithanyissues youmayrun into.