VLC media player

VLC plays local files, discs, capture devices and network streams, and it carries its own decoders instead of relying on codecs installed elsewhere on the machine. That single design decision explains most of its reputation: a file that other players refuse to open usually opens here, including partially downloaded or slightly damaged ones.

Beyond playback there is a streaming and conversion side. VLC can transcode between container and codec combinations, send a stream over HTTP or RTSP, and record what it receives. Subtitles can be loaded from a file or picked up automatically, and playback speed, audio delay and video filters are adjustable while a file is running.

Desktop builds cover Windows, macOS and Linux, with mobile versions for Android and iOS published by the same project. The VideoLAN project started at École Centrale Paris in 1996 and VLC has been released as free software under the GPL since February 2001; the interface is available in a long list of languages.