VLC Media Player is one of the most versatile video and media players that is available today. It can be installed on computers, smartphones as well as tablets to play songs and videos. VLC Media player can read and play videos and songs that have been encoded in a variety of formats. It has many features that enable one to enjoy media comfortably. Moreover, there are many VLC tips and tricks that you can employ while using VLC Media player. Here are seven amazing things you can do with VLC.
First things First: How to Get VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is available to download from many sources, including the official site and download repositories like Softonic.
Use VLC to convert media files from one format to another
You can use this software to convert music and videos from one format to another. Sometimes, you may need to convert a video from one format to another for the purpose of sharing over a network faster or to reduce its size to play in an MP4 player or smartphone. VLC can be used to do this effectively. To convert the videos, simply navigate to media and click on Convert/Save. In the Source dialog box, select the file that you want to convert. After that, select the format that you want the video to be converted to. Give the new video a name and destination folder and then click Start. VLC will convert the video and save it in the target folder. Thus, you can use this versatile VLC media player to convert your videos.
Use VLC to play and download online videos
We all love to watch videos online. We love downloading these videos even more. You can actually use VLC media player to download Internet videos. To watch a video on the Internet using VLC, simply do the following:
- Navigate to Media then to Open Network Stream.
- Click on the Network tab.
- Insert the URL of the video into the dialog box.
- Simply click on the Play button.
If you want to download it instead of playing it, click on the downward pointing arrow right next to the Play button and select the Convert option. This will download the video for you. Thus, when you have VLC, you don’t need to get a video downloader. It can simply do that for you.
Use VLC to record media that is currently playing
If you want to record some media that is playing, you can use VLC media player to accomplish this. The media can be a song or a video. To accomplish this, you can simply go to View on the menu bar and then select Advanced Controls. This will activate some extra buttons to appear on the VLC program. One of these buttons has a red button on it. You can simply click on it to record the media that is playing. To stop the recording, simply click on it again. The recordings that you make will be saved in your Videos folder. If you are recording music, then the recording will be saved in the Music folder. If you are running VLC on an Apple Macintosh laptop, you can simply go to the Menu bar and click on Playback. After that, select and click on Record. The recordings will be saved in the named folders. Alternatively, on a Macintosh machine you can simply press the combination of the CMD + ALT + R keys to record media in VLC media player.
You can record your desktop using VLC media player
Sometimes you may need to record the activities that are happening on your desktop. This may be in a case where you are creating a tutorial. VLC can help you to do this. To perform desktop recording using VLC, you can navigate to Media in the menu bar and then select Convert/Save. After that, you can navigate to the Capture Device tab. On the Capture mode drop down menu, simply select Desktop. When you click on this, simply select the frame rate that you want for the capture that will be conducted and then click on Convert/Save. After that, select the codec that you want as well as the destination folder for it to be saved. After that, click on Start. If you want to stop recording, click on the Stop button. VLC allows you to record your desktop that easily.
Record your Webcam using VLC media player
VLC can assist you to use your webcam to record video. To do this, you can navigate to Media on the menu bar and then to Open Capture Device. After that, select DirectShow from the Capture mode drop down menu. From this menu, you can simply identify the device from which VLC will capture the media. In this step, you can select the webcam. After that, activate the software’s ability to record the video that is currently playing. You are now recording footage using your webcam. VLC has a host of features that most users have not explored yet.
Rip a DVD using VLC
VLC is very versatile. As such, you can use it to rip DVDs from the disc into your computer. This is an efficient way to archive your DVDs for future reference. Also, in case the physical DVD discs get damaged, you can view the archives that you made in your computer. To do this, simply navigate to the Media button on the VLC medial player menu button and click it. Then navigate to Convert/Save. After that, click on the Disc tab. This will bring up a Disc Selection window asking you which Disc you want to rip. In this window, clock in the button of the media disc that is in your drive and check the No disc menu check-box. Go over the settings and ensure that the Disc device you selected is correct. After that, click on Convert/Save. Select the codec that you want to save the ripped DVD in and save the process. VLC will rip the DVD for you.
Perform video and audio effects on VLC media player
If you want to add some interesting video and audio effects to the media that you are playing, VLC will help you to do this. Simply go to Tools in the menu bar and navigate to Adjustments and Effects. In this window, you will see tabs that have the tools you can use. There are tools to adjust the colors, crop the video and even rotate it. There are equalizers for adjusting the audio to your preference. VLC is more than a simple media player, it is an audio and video entertainment center.
