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Popular VLC media player app arrives on the new Apple TV

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After a false start late last month, VLC for Mobile has now arrived on the new Apple TV. VideoLAN officially announced the new Apple TV version of the VLC media player app, which it calls “a full port of VLC media player combined with platform specific features.” VLC enables unsupported media formats to be played on Apple products including the new Apple TV for the first time.

VideoLAN notes that the first version of VLC for Apple TV is notably missing connections to cloud services like Dropbox and OneDrive, but these features are being tested and will be added in the future. The shipping version currently relies on server-based content for media playback on the 4th-gen Apple TV:

VLC on the Apple TV automatically discovers storage and shares on your local network (using the SMB, UPnP media server, FTP and PLEX protocols). You can browse them with the clicker or the Remote, select the content you want and it will play.

During playback, you’ll be able to add subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org. Login credentials can be securely stored on your Apple TV and will be synchronized to your iPad or iPhone (and the other way around) to ease access.

VLC for Apple TV also supports remote playback and controlling media playback from a web browser as well. The app let you change playback speed, view album art, and much more. The app is especially notable because apps like it were not sanctioned before on older Apple TVs and only now possible because of the more open tvOS app platform which allows developers to create channels on the new device.

VLC for Mobile is a universal app so downloading version 2.7.2 on your iPhone or iPad should place the Apple TV app in the purchased section of the tvOS App Store. Otherwise simply search for VLC on the Apple TV App Store as the update is rolling out now.

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Comments

  1. tl790 - 8 years ago

    Can someone explain if/how to play files directly stored in an external hard drive connected to an Airport Base Station through this VLC app?

    Does the Base Station set up its own local network for sharing? I’m hoping for a simple plug and play system (I use a portable hard drive).

    Or is that not possible?

    • Josh Lambert - 8 years ago

      Wondering this as well

    • I have an HDD plugged in via USB into my Base Station. This almost automatically creates a share on your network. I have a 4TB drive connected and can watch all of my movie files off of it via my phone or my Apple TV. Also, using Back to Mac, I can access the drive from work.

    • i have a similar issue with time capsule

    • aplusim - 8 years ago

      I tried to do the same thing. I just wanted to use VLC for Apple TV to look at my pictures and videos stored on my external hard drive connected to my AirPort Extreme.

      I kept getting an ‘Empty Folder’ icon no matter what I tried!

      I finally gave up and searched the Apple TV App Store for another app. I found Free File Explorer for TV. It had an excellent interface for adding network drives and one specific option for Time Capsule. I tried it (even though I have an AirPort Extreme with an external hard drive connected by USB). I entered my password to gain access and it worked effortlessly!

      The paid version of File Explorer can play more video formats and you can connect unlimited computers, external hard drives, network locations, etc. The free version is limited to one network drive or computer and plays only Apple-friendly videos.

      I’ll play with it some more, but I think I’ll upgrade to the paid version. I think it was only $3.99 or something like that.

  2. cool ! love the subtitles option, im going to try it today.
    i dont like plex is messy for me, I prefer AirVideo HD is more simple.

    • Randy J. Mendez - 8 years ago

      why are they charging me for the APTV version of Airvideo HD ? i already bought it for my ipad, im not going to give them more money for the same app

      • srgmac - 8 years ago

        While I don’t agree with it — it’s a brand new platform right?
        Are there universal apps, where one app runs on ATV/iPad/iPhone/iTouch?
        If they have to make a specific build for the ATV that seems like justification enough for charging.

  3. triankar - 8 years ago

    Somehow I think this is a MAJOR step in the right direction.

    Now if Synology releases the ATV4 equivalents of DS Video and DS Audio, I’ll be a very happy man :D

    (…and will get myself an ATV4 pronto – I bought the ATV3 in the hopes that it would be jailbroken for XBMC and I haven’t used it for anything else than internet radio and lots of Airplay from my iPad :( )

    • srgmac - 8 years ago

      Doesn’t it suck that the ATV3 still doesn’t have jailbreak? So crappy. I did the same exact thing, I just use it as a netflix / airplay box.

    • atashian01 - 8 years ago

      Me too! XMBC (or Kodi now) is the best media center ever.

    • jramskovk (@jramskovk) - 8 years ago

      Look for MrMC on the ATV4 app store. It’s Kodi/XBMC for ATV4. It’s got limitations for sure (due to Apple restrictions) but it’s pretty good I think.

  4. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

    Well not really a full port as e regular iOS version supports downloads and streaming from Google Drive and other cloud services.

  5. crichton007 - 8 years ago

    I’m not really sure why this is a big deal. Apple’s review process doesn’t allow apps like VLC down mix audio like Dolby Surround for stereo unless they have officially licensed the codec which is why I bought Infuse for my iOS devices rather than use VLC. What good will VLC for Apple TV do me if it has the same restrictions in place?

    • srgmac - 8 years ago

      So it is a licensing issue — that’s pretty ridiculous. Can’t you just side load the app manually though?
      I thought you could do that now with ATV?
      Or does VLC not have a version with DD decoder in it for ATV?

  6. atashian01 - 8 years ago

    VLC does not support AC3 audio encoded videos. I just tried it with my iPad. Video playback through a hard drive connected to my router was jerky. I will stick to InFuse and nPlayer which are far superior though they will not run on the Apple TV.
    I have been long waiting for the Apple TV to play videos, with subtitles, from my network by itself. Still a no go. I have to resort to my iPad, AirPlay to ATV3 and then to TV.

    • srgmac - 8 years ago

      Well, that sucks. I wonder why they can’t just implement a software decoder? Maybe it’s a licensing issue?

  7. David Robertson - 8 years ago

    VLC enables unsupported media formats to be played on Apple products including the new Apple TV for the first time.
    Sorry but Infuse does that.

  8. srgmac - 8 years ago

    Now people can use their ATVs to watch pirated media in other formats from local storage! Yay! Lol.

  9. Paul Douglas - 8 years ago

    This came along just at the right time for me. After watching Making a Murderer I downloaded all the Serial Season 1 MP3s to my WD My Cloud, but Infuse can’t play MP3s yet. VLC sees them and plays them no problem.

  10. animatedude - 8 years ago

    so if i have porn clips on my iMac or iPhone, what’s the easiest way to play them on VLC on Apple TV? iCloud? Airplay?

  11. Leandro Leite - 8 years ago

    I have a time capsule where i save my files including movies. But when i try to watch a dual audio file it just play one of them. I try to change the language but apple tv don’t change to the second audio. Does anyone have the same issue?

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.