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VLC for iOS back on the App Store, OS X app updated alongside massive cross-platform release

VideoLAN - Official page for VLC media player, the Open Source video framework! 2015-02-27 09-32-14

VideoLAN has today launched several updates to VLC across its apps on iOS, Android, OS X, and every other platform where the app is available, marking the first time that the company has pushed such a massive coordinated release and the re-release of the iOS app. The new versions (with the main app numbered 2.2.0), include several features across the various platforms, and VLC says it took more than a year of volunteer work to put them together…

Among many others, one of the headlining features in this version is that VLC now automatically detects vertical videos and rotates them accordingly on some platforms. The new version includes other new features like the ability to resume video playback from where it left off on the desktop, much improved support for UltraHD video codecs, new hardware acceleration on some platforms, and new compatibility with a “very large number” of unusual codecs. (After all, that’s what VLC is known for, right?)

On iOS, today’s release (individually numbered 2.4.1) marks the return of the app to the App Store after disappearing around the time iOS 8 was released. The most important thing to note here is that support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus has been added, but the update also includes detection of external subtitles, support for streaming from Google Drive, media library search, UI and stability improvements, and the usual bug fixes among many other changes.

On Android, today’s release (individually numbered 1.1.0) is the first non-beta release for the platform. The update features a new aesthetic design that aligns with Google’s Material Design philosophy, a port of the app’s APIs to Android 5.0, gamepad controller support for navigation, support for pull to refresh, the ability to show videos as a list in portrait, and over 60 bug fixes.

A few platforms, including Android TV, Windows Phone, and Windows RT, are getting their very first public release today. The Android TV app is particularly notable—it’s very barebones in its current form, but surely development will continue.

VLC also took a moment today to announce that they’re working actively on version 3.0.0 for release “later this year.” “We’re working on many new features for VLC 3.0.0 to finish what we’ve started here,” Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of VideoLAN said.

Here’s the changelog, encompassing most of the important new features:

So, what’s new in VLC 2.2.0, codename WeatherWax?

  • Fight the popular vertical video syndrome! VLC automatically detects rotated videos and rotates them using hardware acceleration (on compatible platforms)!
    This is supported for MP4/MOV, MKV and raw H264.
  • Resume playback where you left off. Supported on all the mobile versions of VLC for quite some time, it is now available on the desktop.
  • Vastly improved support for UltraHD video codecs like VP9 and H265, including encoding.
  • New hardware acceleration mechanism, GPU 0-copy decoding, faster and implementations for Linux, Android, and Raspberry Pi. (Other OSes will have it in 3.0.0)
  • Extensions: supported since a long time, we now feature an in-app downloader for the desktop, like Firefox
  • Subtitles downloading extension
  • Compatibility with a very large number of unusual codecs
  • Vastly improved compatibility for problematic files in Ogg, MP4, and WMV.
  • Support for Digital Cinema Package to play native movie theater formats.
  • Experimental support of Interactive Menus of BluRays: BD-J
  • On OS X, we’ve updated the interface for Yosemite compatibility.
  • On Android, we rewrote most of the UI to match Google Material Design.
  • This is the first public beta releases of Windows Phone, Window RT and Android TV.
  • It is also the first non-beta release on Android.

And here’s a list of the new versions and links to their respective stores:

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Comments

  1. Danny Aguizi - 9 years ago

    Tried to download it on iOS, says “The item you tried to buy is no longer available.”
    Anyone having better luck?

    • Stephen Hall - 9 years ago

      It’s rolling out on Apple’s CDN right now; it works fine for me at the moment.

    • todenymyflesh - 9 years ago

      I got the same response

    • I have the old version of the iOS app. When I tried to update it gives a message saying “This item is temporarily unavailable. Try again later.”

    • greatwizard1 - 9 years ago

      I kept getting “The item you tried to buy is no longer available.” even though I could see the app in the App Store. Erasing the old version from my device fixed it, and allowed me to download the new one.

  2. 89p13 - 9 years ago

    I had an earlier version on my iPhone 6 Plus. I deleted it from the iPhone and then went to the App Store, did a search on “programs not installed on this device” and it downloaded the new version (4.4.1).

    Good Luck!

  3. Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

    Managed to get a copy of 2.4.1 for iOS by following the link in this article, as doing a search in the Canadian App Store wasn’t showing it.

    Love the new Plex integration!!! Works like a freaking charm!

    • greatwizard1 - 9 years ago

      Tried to use the Plex integration but it didn’t manage to play AC3 audio though, which is a major issue. (not sure if it’s related to Plex, I didn’t try any other method) and don’t see subtitle selection option (though it might be an oversight on my part).

  4. todenymyflesh - 9 years ago

    On iOS it says it’s no longer available to buy

  5. Andre Moore (@drdre74) - 9 years ago

    This Item is temporarily unavailable try again later. is what I got when I tried to update my old version. Maybe apple pulled it again.

  6. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    OS X app wouldn’t auto-update so I manually downloaded a new copy. It looks very nice and seems faster.

    One complaint; There is no need for a dedicated fullscreen button anymore, just use the baked-in service that repurposes the green traffic light please. Otherwise, good job VLC team.

    • Trieu - 9 years ago

      I still see a full-screen button. It’s at the bottom right corner of the app.

      • Trieu - 9 years ago

        Oops, misread what you said.

      • AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

        It’s okay, I’m having an “Oops, I misread the whole internet” kind of week myself. Reading is hard.

  7. jamie0505 - 9 years ago

    Same problem here. Can’t download:

    states it’s no longer available.

  8. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Still the ugliest program ever made.

  9. eibstudent - 9 years ago

    Says unavailable in the US store…

  10. ohho (@ohho) - 9 years ago

    VLC for iOS v2.4.1 does not come with AC3, so many .mkv files will be played without sound.

  11. Sylver (@Sylver77) - 9 years ago

    You can get my app called NAStify, it’s integrating VLC for iOS and can play AC3 (if your timezone is not in the US …)

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Avatar for Stephen Hall Stephen Hall

Stephen is Growth Director at 9to5. If you want to get in touch, follow me on Twitter. Or, email at stephen (at) 9to5mac (dot) com, or an encrypted email at hallstephenj (at) protonmail (dot) com.