The VideoLAN VLC media player is getting a major update. This past Friday, the VideoLAN organization released an update for its popular open source VLC media player, which introduces a number of new features.
VLC media player version 2.2.0 for the desktop has been given the codename of WeatherWax, and it is now available for Windows, Mac and Linux. It will be offering features such as the ability to rotate vertical videos that have been taken from smartphones automatically and it will also be able to resume playback of your videos from wherever you left off.
This latest version of the VLC media player also greatly improves support for Ultra HD video codecs and it offers new compatibility with a vast number of unusual codecs. More new features include a new hardware accelerator mechanism on some platforms and an in-app extensions downloader to the desktop.
This update is not just a desktop-centered release. The VideoLAN organization also released key upgrades across all of the platforms that the software is available for. It even adds support for Windows Phone, Android TV, and Windows RT. This is actually the first time ever that VideoLAN has launched a coordinated release across all of its platforms.
The VLC development teams updated the OS X platform interface for Yosemite compatibility, and on the Android platform, most of the user interface was rewritten to match with the new Material Design standards of Google. This is the very first non-beta release on the Android platform as well as the first time that the iOS application has been made available in the Apple App Store since last September, when it was pulled.
The VLC development teams are now looking forward to the next big release, which will be the VLC 3.0.0. It is slated for release later on in the year. The VLC version 3.0.0 will offer features like hardware decoding and acceleration on more platforms, as well as better support for mp4 and “partial” Chromecast integration.