In a digital world where media content is king, choosing a reliable player that can handle any format is essential. That’s why VLC Media Player remains a timeless favorite. It doesn’t just play videos—it plays everything, across all devices, with minimal fuss. Whether you're a casual movie lover or a power user, VLC is likely already in your toolkit—or should be. It’s free, secure, and endlessly capable.
We’re reviewing VLC not just because it's popular, but because it continues to stay relevant even after 20+ years. With upcoming features like a browser-based version and Vision Pro compatibility, it's clear the team behind VLC isn’t slowing down. For users seeking freedom, flexibility, and privacy in one package, this review will show exactly what makes VLC shine—and where it still lags.
Basic Overview
VLC Media Player, developed by the VideoLAN project, started out in the early 2000s as a lightweight media player called the VideoLAN Client. It has since grown into a powerhouse media solution, supporting virtually every format and operating on all major platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Its open-source nature and community development model give it unmatched flexibility and trust. With billions of downloads and an active global user base, it’s often the first recommendation for a media player—by pros and casual users alike.
What VLC Media Player Promises
VLC promises a hassle-free playback experience for all media types: video, audio, DVDs, CDs, online streams, and even live TV if you have a tuner. It requires no extra codec installations and works right out of the box. The player also boasts advanced features like file transcoding, subtitle synchronization, and media streaming across networks. On top of that, VLC is open-source, so it doesn’t track users or run ads—something increasingly rare today.
Our Testing VLC
We put VLC through a full test across multiple devices, and the results were impressive. It handled various file types—MP4, MKV, AVI, FLAC, and even DVD discs—without a hitch. Streaming a YouTube URL and playing media over a local network worked smoothly, with no buffering or sync issues. Subtitle adjustments were quick and accurate, letting us fine-tune timing in real time. We also tested VLC’s transcoding feature: converting a 500MB MKV file to MP4 took under two minutes on a mid-range laptop. Additionally, we streamed media to another PC and a smartphone using VLC’s built-in media server, and both sessions were stable and responsive.
Below, we break down each part of our experience in more detail.
Ease of Use
VLC has a basic, no-frills interface that's very functional. For casual users, you can drag and drop a file and click play—no need to tweak settings. For advanced users, the menus offer deep control over codecs, filters, audio sync, and hotkeys. However, as many Trustpilot users pointed out, the UI hasn’t evolved much. While powerful, it can feel outdated or confusing to new users who are used to slick modern interfaces.
Playback Quality
We played 1080p and 4K content on both desktop and mobile. The playback was smooth, with accurate color rendering and no stuttering. Audio quality was crisp, and using the equalizer made a noticeable difference when switching from laptop speakers to headphones.
On older Android phones, it handled 720p smoothly but showed minor lag with 4K content (Community also faces it and fixes it), especially when subtitles were enabled. The app auto-resumed playback after pauses or interruptions, which was helpful during testing.
Features That Stood Out
Universal Format Support
While testing VLC, we tossed in everything—MKV, FLAC, AVI, even some weird old formats we hadn’t used in years. To our surprise, everything just played. No error messages, no missing codec popups—just instant playback. It felt like unlocking a magic media key.
Subtitle Synchronization
We’ve all had those “out of sync” subtitle moments—and VLC handled them like a pro. Shifting subtitles forward or back by a few milliseconds was super easy. It honestly saved our sanity during some poorly synced anime episodes.
File Transcoding
There was a moment when we needed to shrink a large MKV for mobile. We used VLC’s convert/save tool and it worked like magic—no external apps, no fuss. The ability to switch formats inside the same app was incredibly handy.
Network Streaming
We tried streaming a video from one laptop to another over Wi-Fi, and it worked surprisingly smoothly. Pasting a YouTube URL also played it instantly in VLC. It felt awesome to bypass browsers and play directly from the player.
Audio Equalizer
The moment we cranked up the bass on a flat-sounding song, we knew VLC's equalizer wasn’t just for show. You can really tweak your audio until it sounds just right. It's perfect when you're switching from speakers to headphones or external systems.
DVD & CD Support
We dug out an old DVD just to test it—and wow, VLC still plays discs flawlessly. Menus worked, subtitles loaded, and everything felt surprisingly nostalgic. If you still have a disc collection, this feature is a blessing.
Digital TV Tuner Integration
Using a USB TV tuner, we actually caught a few live news channels inside VLC. It wasn’t a feature we expected to use—but it worked great and gave us a full “media center” vibe without needing anything extra.
Cross-Platform Consistency
Switching between our phone, Mac, and Windows machine felt seamless. Sure, the UI looks slightly different—but the core experience was familiar and stable. That kind of consistency is rare, and super appreciated.
Features that could be improved
Outdated User Interface
Let’s be honest—VLC looks like it's stuck in 2008. It’s functional, but we couldn’t help but wish for a sleeker, more modern interface. Even a simple dark mode toggle would make a big difference.
Confusing for Beginners
While exploring advanced features, we realized how easily a beginner could get lost. Some menus feel buried or use terms that aren’t very friendly. You shouldn’t need a tutorial just to stream a file.
Subtitle Auto-Download Fails
We tried downloading subtitles for a popular movie, and it just… didn’t work. The service either timed out or showed unrelated results. It felt frustrating because we expected this feature to “just work” by now.
Playlist Editing is Clunky
Dragging and dropping tracks to reorder a playlist wasn’t as smooth as it should be. Sometimes it didn’t register the move at all. We ended up creating a new playlist just to fix the order—which felt like extra work.
Playback Glitches on Newer Codecs
On one machine, VLC struggled with some newer MP4 files—there was weird pixelation and even a crash. Turning off hardware acceleration helped, but it’s something that could trip up casual users quickly.
What Its Users Say
On Trustpilot, VLC received a mixed score of 2.6/5. Long-time users like Steve Muscato called it their go-to when other apps fail, praising its YouTube download and format support. Others criticized its stale UI and confusing features.
Softonic highlighted VLC’s versatility, describing it as “the ultimate multi-format player” with unmatched format support, subtitle sync, streaming, and transcoding tools.
Reddit users largely consider VLC a gold standard—especially in communities like r/pcmasterrace—although many have begged for a UI redesign and better mobile feature parity.
VLC vs. Other Media Players
VLC stands out for its unmatched format support, ad-free experience, and cross-platform availability. Compared to PotPlayer, VLC is simpler and works instantly without tweaking, though PotPlayer offers deeper playback control on Windows. Kodi is great for organizing libraries and streaming add-ons, but it's bulky and better suited for home theater setups than quick playback.
MPC-HC is lightweight and fast but only works on Windows and lacks modern features. MPV plays smoothly with low system use, yet its minimal UI can confuse casual users. In the end, VLC offers the best mix of usability, power, and reliability—making it the most practical choice for most people.
Our Final Thought
VLC is like that old toolbox in your garage—it might not look shiny, but it gets the job done every time. From privacy to power, VLC delivers. We think it deserves its spot on every device, even if we’re still hoping for a fresh coat of UI paint in version 4.0.