VLC for iOS gets Google Drive downloads, Dropbox streaming in update

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Popular multimedia content viewer VLC on Monday received a substantial update with a new-for-iOS 7 UI, an improved library and hooks into Google Drive and Dropbox.

VLC Update


On the surface, VideoLAN's VLC for iOS version 2.2.0 gives the media player a new look with multitouch gestures, a revamped interface and a new startup tutorial. Behind the scenes, the app gets a few key functionality tweaks and additions many users have been waiting for.

The most significant of these changes is Google Drive integration and Dropbox streaming. For Google Drive, content delivery is limited to downloads, while users can both download and stream from Dropbox.

In addition to the cloud-based options, VLC improved stability with local UPnP multimedia servers. The latest release offers support for downloads from UPnP multimedia servers and improved Wi-Fi upload reliability when processing multiple items.

TV show and audio handling was tweaked for shows with over 100 episodes, while a number of new streaming formats were added to the app's supported list, including HTTP live streaming, HTTPS playback and m3u streaming.

VLC for iOS comes in at 24.6MB and can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I don't feel like VLC is needed these days, especially on a handheld device now that that H.264 video is so common on the internet, but I downloaded (then immediately deleted) the app just in case I ever do come across some old FLV or AVI for some unfathomable reason.

    PS: Yes I know that FLV and AVI are containers that both can support the H.264 codec but if you know that then you get my point.
  • Reply 2 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    I don't feel like VLC is needed these days, especially on a handheld device now that that H.264 video is so common on the internet, but I downloaded (then immediately deleted) the app just in case I ever do come across some old FLV or AVI for some unfathomable reason.



    PS: Yes I know that FLV and AVI are containers that both can support the H.264 codec but if you know that then you get my point.

    You don't have any mkv files?

  • Reply 3 of 14
    Originally Posted by d4NjvRzf View Post

    You don't have any mkv files?

     

    I wish there was a neat phrase or something for why MKV sucks.

     

    Like… I don’t know, “Lose Control; Take Command” for switchers.

  • Reply 4 of 14
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    d4njvrzf wrote: »
    You don't have any mkv files?

    Me, persoanally, no, but that's because I use iVI to strip and replace MKV containers with M4V.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I wish there was a neat phrase or something for why MKV sucks.

    Like… I don’t know, “Lose Control; Take Command” for switchers.

    MKV is actually a good container compared to MP4. It appears to have all its features and it's easier to utilize them.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

    MKV is actually a good container compared to MP4. It appears to have all its features and it's easier to utilize them.

     

    The ONE thing that I prefer in MKV over MP4 is subtitle handling.

     

    MKV can have subtitles, not only of differing font within a single file, but being able to apply motion to the subtitles and placement of the subtitle ANYWHERE in the frame rather than just at the bottom.

     

    Or maybe it’s just Apple and QuickTime/iTunes that doesn’t allow that.

     

    But otherwise? VLC? It’s horrible. This is my experience with VLC.

     

     

     

  • Reply 7 of 14
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    The ONE thing that I prefer in MKV over MP4 is subtitle handling.

    MKV can have subtitles, not only of differing font within a single file, but being able to apply motion to the subtitles and placement of the subtitle ANYWHERE in the frame rather than just at the bottom.

    Or maybe it’s just Apple and QuickTime/iTunes that doesn’t allow that.

    Subtitles and chapters are the two things it seems to make easier and better over MP4.

  • Reply 8 of 14
    The ONE thing that I prefer in MKV over MP4 is subtitle handling.

    MKV can have subtitles, not only of differing font within a single file, but being able to apply motion to the subtitles and placement of the subtitle ANYWHERE in the frame rather than just at the bottom.

    Or maybe it’s just Apple and QuickTime/iTunes that doesn’t allow that.

    Didn't know Americans use subtitles as well. I presume you turn them on for foreign movies and TV.

    I like that MKV can have a whole set of subtitle languages. But so can QT.
    But otherwise? VLC? It’s horrible. This is my experience with VLC.

    I wish I had a Mac that was that cracked up.

    But seriously, I don't have any problems using VLC. Have a MacMini hooked up to the big screen in the living and it just works. Don't mind the interface; I only open a movie in the Finder and it goes full screen in VLC. I use the remote app for controls, though the latest version allows you the use of the Apple Remote. The HW thingy.
  • Reply 9 of 14

    VLC was great back in the day. Now everything I download from the 'net or buy on disc, I convert using Handbrake for my Apple TV.

     

    Given that all my devices are Apple branded, the merits of the eco-system are hard to ignore.

     

    The only thing that messes it up is if I inadvertently download a WMA file. For some reason, no player I have on the Mac seems to be happy playing WMA files.

  • Reply 10 of 14
    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post

    Didn't know Americans use subtitles as well. I presume you turn them on for foreign movies and TV.

     

    Yep. And some American movies that have burnt-on subtitles for foreign languages in theaters have them removed on the home copies, so it’s nice to have some options with subtitles.

     

    I mean, I can follow German well enough not to need them and I know a few phrases in Irish and Japanese, but beyond that, nyet. Can’t all be omniglots, no matter how much we might love linguistics.

  • Reply 11 of 14
    normmnormm Posts: 653member
    I'm very happy with AirVideo. Plays anything, with live conversion on my Mac or PC, and streams my home machine to anywhere.
  • Reply 12 of 14
    Anyone using it for audio-only playback (e.g., FLAC or Ogg)? I haven't tried it out myself yet.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Anyone using it for audio-only playback (e.g., FLAC or Ogg)? I haven't tried it out myself yet.

    I've used FLAC. Works. Don't have any Ogg around anymore.

    BIG oops here: on OSX, I haven't used the iOS version, so I don't know.
  • Reply 14 of 14

    VLC is fantastic! I used to hate MKV years ago because it was poorly supported on OSX, and the implementations were flaky and slow. Things have changed, and these days MKV is just the best container format around: fast implementations, supported on all platforms, flexible and unlike AVI it supports multiple audio and subtitle tracks.

    VLC is the most wonderful video player. It supports just about every format you can imagine, and the new iOS version rocks! You can stream any video format, or easily download them for off-line viewing.

    AirVideoHD, StreamToMe and Plex are great (I use all three) but they require running a server on your Mac or PC; still when I want to take movies or TV shows on my iPad to watch on a long plane trip, I always put them on VLC. It's more convenient and I have a guarantee that everything will play -- with the exception of AC3 audio, which only plays when you're outside of the US, for licensing reasons.

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