I’ve been using VLC as my default media player for as long as I can remember. Mostly because it plays anything you throw at it, and this was the whole pitch as far as I was concerned. Then, I used it to extract audio from a concert video on my computer, which subsequently led me to explore what else was buried in those VLC menus. Turns out, quite a lot. What’s more, these features aren’t limited to just making video playback better, and other adjacent stuff.
VLC has a video converter and audio extractor hiding in plain sight
You may not use them all that much, but they’re there when you need them
Most of us download separate apps for video conversion or extracting audio from a video. Well, there’s no need to do that if you already have VLC installed. The Convert / Save feature in VLC lets you convert videos to a number of different formats or extract audio from the video. You can use it to convert some niche video format into a more widely compatible one. In some cases, converting a video can also fix minor playback issues.
- OS
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Android, iOS, Windows
- Price model
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Free, open-source
VLC can read every format ever invented, from modern files to the digital relics on old drives. It opens whatever you throw at it, turning your device into a centralized hub for all your scattered media.
To access the feature, click Media -> Convert / Save. Add the video(s) you want to convert using the Add option, then click the Convert/Save button. Use the Profile drop-down menu to choose the codec and container combo you want the new file to use. If you want to extract the audio from a video, pick an audio-only profile from the drop-down menu: you can choose among Vorbis (OGG), FLAC, MP3, and CD audio formats.
How to Watch Plex in VLC (and Why It’s Worth Doing)
As if I really needed another reason to love VLC.
Play videos from the web
VLC supports network streaming, i.e., streaming video from a website like Dailymotion or Vimeo. Granted, you won’t find yourself using it every day, but it’s a lifesaver when you want to stream videos from websites that have clunky video players, or from a local server. To use the feature, click on Media -> Stream -> Network. Paste the video’s URL and click Stream. If that seems like too much work, you can opt for browser extensions that can play online videos in VLC with a single click. While VLC technically supports streaming videos from YouTube, I failed to get it to work in my tests.
It can fix damaged video files
And has other features you wouldn’t expect from a video player
All of us have dealt with interrupted video downloads or transfers at some point. Typically, these videos won’t play, and you’ll need to re-download them. However, VLC can manage to play these corrupt videos in most cases, as long as they are in the AVI format. To enable this feature, click on Tools -> Preferences -> Input / Codecs. Select the Always fix, or Ask for action options from the drop-down menu next to Damaged or incomplete AVI file. Keep in mind, the Always fix option can occasionally mess up AVI files and make them unplayable on other players.
VLC can record your desktop screen, and your webcam
For some reason, VLC has an in-built screen recorder too. While it’s not as feature-packed as a dedicated screen recording tool, it gets the job done: good for one-off captures when you don’t want to use the Snipping Tool or download other screen-recording apps. You can set the frame rate, capture your webcam, and save the recording in multiple formats. To use VLC’s screen recording feature, go to Media -> Open Capture Device. You can pick among three capture modes:
- Desktop (to record your screen).
- DirectShow (for webcam capture).
- TV – digital (to record digital TV, provided you have a compatible TV tuner card, or a USB receiver).
Ensure you pick the Convert option from the drop-down menu next to the Play button and choose a destination folder and file format for your recording. To stop the recording, press the stop button on VLC’s control bar.
If you own a smart TV or some other streaming device, VLC can stream videos to it directly, too. You don’t even need to have the VLC app on your TV for this to work. You can do this by playing the video on your laptop, then clicking Payback -> Renderer. VLC will scan and find any display devices that are available. Simply click on it, and your video will be streamed to the selected device.
Use VLC to its full potential
If I have one complaint about VLC, it’s that they don’t advertise these features enough. To add to it, most of them are hidden in menus within menus that the average user won’t explore. While these features won’t replace dedicated apps, they’re genuinely useful for quick fixes and everyday video-related stuff, from streaming to fixing minor corruption.
