This article was published on March 12, 2014

VLC app for Windows 8 arrives in beta, but no support for Windows RT devices just yet


VLC app for Windows 8 arrives in beta, but no support for Windows RT devices just yet

VLC has finally released a ‘modern UI’ version of its open-source media player for the Windows 8 platform. After raising close to £50,000 ($78,136 USD) on Kickstarter, a beta version is available for anyone with a Windows-powered PC, laptop or tablet with an x86 or x64 processor.

The app will play back a range of video and audio formats including MKV, Ogg, MOV, FLAC and MPC, in addition to all of the codecs supported in the regular desktop app, including MPEG-1, H.265, WMV3 and VC-1. VLC is known for taking almost any file type in its stride and, based on the notes supplied by VLC developer Jean-Baptiste Kempf, it sounds like the new Windows 8 app will only build on that stellar reputation.

VideoPlayer

Given the app is still in beta though, there are some shortcomings. Support for Windows RT devices is still in the pipeline, subtitles support is limited and it’s slightly slower than the VLC desktop app, in particular for video decoding.

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Music_Pane

Nevertheless, the team working on VLC were keen to release the app so users could test it and provide early feedback. If you want to access and play all of your favorite media without jumping into the desktop environment, the new VLC app for Windows 8 is worth checking out – provided you can look past its early technical shortcomings. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait for the app to shed its ‘beta’ label in the Windows Store.

VLC for Windows 8

Image Credit: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with