VLC on the Apple TV allows you to get access to all your files and video streams in their native formats without conversions, directly on the new Apple device and your TV.
Following the VLC goal “VLC plays everything and runs everywhere”, you will get every feature and format support you are used to in VLC, and a few Apple TV specific features. And, following VideoLAN’s mission, VLC on the Apple TV is fully free and open source, and available right now on the Apple TV App Store.
VLC for Apple TV 1.0.0 Features:
• Play all files, in all formats, including exotic ones, like classic VLC media player.
• Play MKV, multiple audio tracks, and subtitles tracks (including SSA!).
• Support for network streams, including HLS, MMS or RTSP.
• Playback speed manipulation and fine seeking.
• Web Interface for easy playback from any device.
• Full support for file servers (SMB / Windows shares, and FTP)
• Local Network service discovery with UPnP and native support for Plex
• On-the-fly audio and subtitles track synchronization
• Full 64-bit support
• Completely free, libre and open source.
More info about VLC for Mobile (for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and iPod touch) via Apple’s App Store here.
MacDailyNews Take: Oh, yeah!
10 second download on AppleTV4…..done!!
A bit unrelated, but does anyone remember Rob Glasser and his RealAudio (and RealMedia) player? There was a time (twenty years ago) when RealPlayer was the king of streaming media playback. Apparently, it had disappeared into oblivion…
Rob is probably busy engulfing Krispy Kreme’s right now.
😉
I ran into the current RealAudio site last week. All of their public efforts on the net are now unsupported. I think the BBC had to be the LAST company to finally rid themselves of RealAudio. Now if only we could get BEEB off the Flash garbage.
Does it access iTunes Home Sharing Library?
I’m betting that like the iOS versions, there’s no Dolby audio (AC-3) support, since this is only available through Apple which has to respect the software patents granted to Sony.
The desktop version of VLC can still support AC3 it because it’s independently hosted in Europe, which doesn’t enforce SW patents.
I bet AC3 is handled like with Plex on the AppleTV, which is that it’s passed-through to your amp unmodified.
Now you can watch your seedy porn archive on your UHD TV with just a few clicks/swipes from the comfort of your couch ;p
It’s the American dream!
With all due respect, your imagination has no relation to the news being discussed here.
I am very happy that the VLC team is supporting Apple. The past decade has witnessed Apple’s video team completely fall apart. The once promising Quicktime Player and other entry-level video management and playback tools were just left to rot.
VLC is a powerful video utility available for the Mac that does what Apple has refused to do.
So what does it mean that VLC is now a utility for the Apple TV? It means that once again Apple is sitting on billions of dollars, releasing incomplete products. The VLC guys did in their spare time in a few months what Apple couldn’t integrate properly in 3+ years of Apple TV development.
Where did RealPlayer go? They cashed in, then they priced themselves out of the market and Flash took over.
The single best utility that ever consumer needs installed on a Mac is a De-Flasher, which on the fly converts Flash into HTML5 (or, if Apple was still awake, a .mov quicktime stream). But no, Apple doesn’t make tools anymore. Apple wants to be first and foremost an app store, so you get whatever the media creators sell you.
Agree and not agree.
Apples Quicktime will live at the root of OS X and iOS forever.
Totally agree that Apple has failed at pushing the envelope and making its software more expansive.
The question however — is does it need to invest its efforts at this – something Apple is not willing or capable of? Specially considering QT is at the core of playback. I am no programmer / engineer or developer – yet I am sure QT is very much needed to let VLC work on any Mac device.
Apple is a software / hardware company – and houses the components within its OSes for others to develop with – yet under the close approval of Apple – as it should be. If the guys at VLC are so capable… why do they not focus their efforts at creating a far better OS on this planet and do it in 3 months. I mean, man, you are really pulling strings here. Apple creates the platform – as if that was not enough work. And Apple itself says, we partner with others who can do a better job so we can focus on what we do best. Perhaps this is why you are not running Apple, Paul? So silly. Video is merely one aspect of what a computer is capable of doing. VLC is nothing without a platform to feed off.
HEAVENLY.
Thank you!
In deed.
So happy Apple opened up ATV to allow third party apps and further development such as VLC. Kodi, and Plex, too works on ATV4. The Heavens are blessed more so. Rejoice Apple TV lovers.
Is this only for the new Apple TV or will it also be usable on the previous models?
IS there an App Store on the previous gen AppleTV?….
Answer that and you’ll have your answer.
(TvOS is only 4th gen, App store only on TvOS…)
Hilarious and great answer.