VLC app becomes available for Apple TV

The much-loved VLC app has just become available for the Apple TV.

VLC, which looks to play video files in “their native formats without conversions”, is a full port of VLC media player combined with platform specific features.

Per lead iOS developer Felix Kühne:

VLC for Apple TV integrates with a plethora of devices and services on your local network and includes a custom way of casting files directly to the TV from your other computers using a web browser!
I was able to test the VLC Apple TV app for a few hours earlier today, and whilst it is early days yet, I am pretty impressed at what the VLC team has been able to accomplish.

VLC obtains its content via the following network protocols:

Local Network:
The first tab of VLC for Apple TV is dedicated to discovering services on your local network that might contain media content. So whether its a Windows Share (SMB), DLNA/UPnP media servers, an FTP server, or a Plex server, you’ll be able to access it all. If you’re already a user of VLC on iOS, any login credentials will sync to the Apple TV, saving you the hassle of having to enter complex passwords with the Siri Remote.

Remote Playback:
Perhaps one of the neatest features of VLC for Apple TV is how you can use its Remote Playback feature. Enter the URL displayed by the VLC app into a browser on your PC/Mac/iOS device and you’ll be able to drag and drop media files onto the webpage. Once you’ve selected a media file it will instantly start streaming to your Apple TV. Not only that, but it will keep a copy of those video files cached on your Apple TV (until tvOS runs low on space, at which point they are automatically removed). From the Remote Playback webpage, you can also paste URLs for compatible video streams, send multiple items, and control the playback.

As an aside, if you want to delete a video file, simply tap and hold the Siri Remote touchpad until the thumbnails begin to wiggle, then press the Play/Pause button and confirm that you want to delete the item.

Network Stream:
Finally, you can also access content by directly entering the URL for a compatible video stream in the Network Stream tab. URLs entered via the Remote Playback webpage and from the VLC app on your iOS devices will also show up on this page.

The VLC team has announced that a key feature they’re aiming to add to the VLC iOS and tvOS app is support for cloud services. Support for Dropbox, OneDrive and Box is currently in beta testing and is coming soon to the App Store versions of the apps.

VLC is now available on the Apple TV App Store and requires a fourth-gen Apple TV to install and run.

If you’ve tried VLC for the Apple TV and have any feedback, please let us know in the comments.

Via MacStories and feepk.net