How to get help about VLC console commands?

To obtain the available commands there are several console commands, consider them below

Obtaining regular help

Getting help with VLC and modules

vlc.exe --longhelp

As a result, a file will be created: vlc-help.txt

Get complete help, including module help

vlc.exe --full-help

As a result, a file will be created: vlc-help.txt

How to get debug information in VLC?

Debug information outputs a lot of additional information, including errors, additional information about files. This is very useful for identifying the reasons causing the error.

To obtain debugging information, you need to type the command:

vlc.exe --extraintf=logger --verbose=2

It is worth noting that in in this case VLC will start and a console window will also open with debug information, but all debugging information will be duplicated in the vlc-log.txt file. The vlc-log.txt file must be in UTF8 encoding. Different levels of detail are also supported:

• --verbose=2 - means that all debug information will be displayed.

• --verbose=1 - means that warnings and errors will be displayed.

• --verbose=0 - means that only errors will be displayed.

Tested on VLC version 1.0.0

How to run VLC in full screen mode?

To run in full screen mode, you need to type the command:

vlc.exe file_name_video_clip -f

vlc.exe file_name_video_clip --fullscreen

Tested on VLC version 1.0.0

How to run VLC with remote control?

Remote control allows you to create multiple control interfaces.

Controlling VLC via web browser

To launch VLC player you need to type the command:

vlc.exe --extraintf http.

After launch, you need to open the page in the browser:

Through this page you can control the operation of the player.

Controlling VLC via RC

This control is very convenient for creating a program that will control the VLC player, since the control is carried out by sending simple commands. To start the player you need to type the command:

vlc.exe --control=rc --rc-host 127.0.0.1:4444

Control requires a program that can transmit binary commands. The putty command is suitable for this. We launch the program and select the RAW protocol, IP address 127.0.0.1 and port 4444. It is worth noting that if the Russian language is installed, then UTF-8 must be installed on the Windows->Translation tab.

Then click Open.

If there were no error messages, then you can type the help command and press Enter, then you will see help about available commands. There are many teams there. For example, to make the video play, you need to type the command

add movie_filename.avi

Tested on VLC version 1.0.0

Where is the VLC log file?

Usually the VLC log file is located where the VLC itself is located. executable file, that is, in C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\. If the file is not there, then it may be in the directory in which the file you ran is located.

Tested on VLC version 1.0.0

How to run vlc from a specific interface?

VLC includes many different interfaces, both standard and specific. For example, controlling it through a browser or controlling it remotely. It is also possible to launch with several interfaces at once. In order to launch VLC with a specific interface, you need to type the command on the command line:

vlc.exe -I "dummy" FILE_NAME

In this case, dummy is the name of the interface; instead of FILE_NAME you should write the file you want to run; in principle, you don’t have to specify it. In addition to it, there may be other names, which are given below:

• dummy - an interface with nothing, that is, a complete absence of all controls.
• http - control interface via a web browser.
• telnet - control via Telnet.
• skins2 - graphic skins. To launch with a specific skin you need to run the following command:

vlc.exe -I "skins2" --extraintf=logger --skins2-last="blackpearl.vlt"

• blackpearl.vlt is the name of the skin file, which is located in the skins folder.

logger - log interface, read more in section [[#debuginf | getting debugging information in VLC.

• qt4 is a standard interface for Windows.
• rc - remote control interface.
• ntservice - running as a service may not work. Additional parameters may be required.
• lua - to run you need to set additional parameters.
• gestures - mouse control.

Also, instead of -I, you can use --extraintf, in which case the interface will not be the main one, but an additional one. The team might look like this.

To watch Internet television on Windows devices, a special player is often used IPTV Player . Its main alternative is its progenitor - the popular media player VideoLAN VLC , on the basis of which it was created IPTV Player, but with a different shell, functionally and organizationally adapted specifically for viewing IPTV. The latter, being, in fact, tailored to work with IPTV product "from the box", at the player VLC will win on many counts.

But these will be possibilities purely within the function IPTV. U VLC before IPTV Player there are only two advantages, but these are two serious advantages - cross-platform And versatility. Free VideoLAN VLC is a media player with a built-in set of codecs that can play almost any video and audio file format. This is a powerful, functional combine with a lot of settings and tools for working with media content, including setting up streaming. In this article we will look at the possibilities VideoLAN VLC in terms of viewing IPTV.

To view IPTV In addition to the player, you also need playlists IPTV– selections TV-channels that exist either as a web address or in a file format ".m3u". This is content that can be played at least VLC, at least with any other player that supports playback IPTV. Playlists with list TV-channels can be downloaded on the website of your provider, if he is a supplier IPTV, or on the Internet.

How to play a playlist IPTV by using VLC? VLC player allows you to do this in several ways.

1. Launch associated IPTV playlist files from Explorer

One way to open playlists IPTV by using VLC can be configured directly during installation of the player. At the stage of setting up associations VLC with types certain files you can specify the file format ".m3u", which will allow you to launch playlists IPTV in the player window directly from Windows Explorer or file manager double click. To do this, you need to check the box in the column "Other", expand it, if necessary, uncheck other file formats, but be sure to check the format ".m3u". By the way, at this stage of installation VLC You can remove the preset checkboxes that associate this player with audio and video file formats. This is advice for those who already have everything configured in the system, and intervention new program in current media format associations is undesirable.

If VLC already installed in the system, we use the usual method of assigning default programs. We do the same if the version Windows 10 will not want to recognize the right to open files of the format ".m3u" not a standard audio player, but third party program. On any of the files ".m3u" call context menu , select and in the graph "Application" via button "Change" We change the program to open files from Explorer by double clicking.

If files ".m3u" are already associated with another program and will more often open it and launch playlists IPTV from Windows Explorer using the context menu. VLC by default it is configured to integrate into the Windows Explorer context menu. If this setting is checked during installation VLC didn't clean, open playlists IPTV possible using direct player commands. Which is a couple of clicks faster than using standard command Windows "To open with…".

2. Opening playlists inside VLC

Alternative ways to open playlist files IPTV– options inside the player VLC. Files ".m3u" You can drag and drop into the player window directly from Windows Explorer or a file manager.

You can also use the file opening function, launched by the Ctrl + O hotkeys or the menu item "Media - Open file".

3. Open the playlist web address

If the playlist IPTV exists in the form web-addresses, to open it, or click hot Ctrl keys+ N, or select the item in the menu.

In the window that opens, select a source in the column "Enter network address» paste the copied web-playlist address IPTV. Click.

In the future, you can open this playlist, without bothering with copying and pasting the web address, from the list of sources remembered by the VLC player. Select the item from the menu "Open from last" and indicate web-playlist address IPTV. Another way to simplify working with a playlist is in the form web-addresses – save it to one of the playlist formats supported by the player VLC. To do this, select the item in the menu "Save playlist as".

To ensure compatibility with others IPTV-players, the playlist can be saved in the same format ".m3u" .

4. List of TV channels

After opening the playlist file IPTV in any of the ways in the window VLC we'll see a broadcast of one of TV-channels – usually the first one on the list. Switch between TV-channels can be opened by opening the contents of the playlist using special button on the player toolbar at the bottom of the window.

For ease of switching between TV-channels in the full-screen mode of the player, the playlist display button that is initially absent from the toolbar in this mode can be organized using interface settings. Select from the menu.

In the window that appears, switch to the tab "Panel for full screen mode» and drag the playlist button to the other toolbar buttons.

When using other shells (skins) for player VLC access to the playlist display will be different accordingly.

5. Aspect Ratio and Cropping

Settings for the video being played are available in the player menu. Let's note a couple of them that will be useful in case of broadcasting TV-channel IPTV with a skewed image or mourning stripes on the sides - this is a change in aspect ratio (hotkey A) and framing (C key).

6. Set IPTV channel as default stream

VLC can be configured so that a specific thread IPTV turned on automatically when the player started. How to do it? Select from the menu "Settings" (or press hot keys Ctrl + P) . At the bottom of the settings window that opens, we need a column "Show settings", in it we select "All". Next, on the panel on the left, look for the settings section, switch to the panel on the right and paste the copied file into the field. web-playlist address IPTV. Save changes.

You can also configure a separate thread as the default TV- playlist channel IPTV by inserting it into the above field web-address. To do this, you first need to open the playlist file in text editor, for example, in notepad Windows. But it's better to use a third-party editor like Notepad++ or AkelPad with syntax highlighting HTML . In a playlist file opened in this way, you can copy web-stream address of any of TV- list of channels.

Working with video

Under the cut:

1 . A short introduction to the VLC media player/server.
2 . Remote control VLC.
2.1 . VLC as a Remote Control (iPhone/ iPod touch\PDA)
3 . Single/batch video conversion/encoding in VLC (using the example of video encoding for iPod/iPhone)

Brief introduction in VLC

Much has already been said about the VLC program from VideoLAN, and from the very beginning it quickly became part of the daily life most IT people. Attractive cross-platform (Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, *BSD, Solaris, Familiar Linux, Yopy/Linupy and QNXs, etc..), has also been ported to many mobile platforms. There were some unsuccessful attempts (Windiws Mobile). But one way or another, all its advantages more than outweighed its disadvantages. And just recently, this combine was ported to the iPhone/iPod Touch.

This at first glance unsightly video player has so many functions (the purpose of which still remains a mystery to many) that a description of all the features would hardly fit into a standard printed edition 400-500 pp. Many people bypass it precisely for this reason, and the most unreasonable aesthetes describe the player as “a defective piece of unhewn log” citing not its beauty, but rather complete absence graphic design. Anyone who considers himself one, or is sure that VLC is just an Audio/Video player, can stop reading further and save himself a lot of time.

For those who are reading about VLC for the first time, I will briefly describe what it is:

• Cross-platform, Multiportable media player- supports most audio and video ( H.264, Ogg, DivX, MKV, TS, MPEG-2, mp3, MPEG-4, aac, and many others...) formats with the ability to play from physical ( DVDs, VCDs, Audio-CDs) media, capture cards and support for many network streaming (including Network TV) protocols.
• This is a Converter and Transcoder- all media formats that you can play yourself. It can also act as a Stream Server using unicast, multicast, IPv4 or IPv6 protocols.

In the case when VLC acts as a Stream Server, videos can be received by:

• one computer (i.e. one IP address): this is called unicast,
• a dynamically changing group of clients that can join or leave a broadcast at any time (i.e. multiple IP addresses): this is called multicast.

One of the most notable features is the ability to play out of the box all supported content without installation. additional programs, utilities or codecs. As nice bonus Possibilities can be noted:

• Viewing photos;
• Removing and saving in *. png file freeze frames;
• Ability to control all player functions from mobile devices and through a regular Web browser;
• Use VLC plugins for Firefox, etc.

All VLC features on each platform are listed in the VLC Features list.

VLC Remote Control

VLC has many built-in modules, among which there is a very useful “http”, which allows you to remotely control the player via the Web interface, which opens up great opportunities for using mobile devices without additional software. But this path will satisfy the needs of only avid gigs who are not afraid of the lack of beauty

Setting up and using the VLC http interface:
There are three ways to launch VLC with the http interface:

1 . Through VLC itself. Settings -> Add interface -> Web interface.
2 . Via terminal.

vlc -I http
--http-host host:port (if you want to specify the host and port yourself)

3 . Via a desktop shortcut with the "-I http" parameter.
Then just open any browser and enter the URL or IP (by default in Windows this is 127.0.0.1 :8080 )
and its capabilities.

Thus, you can use VLC as a Video Player absolutely free, and your mobile device will act as a Remote Control.

But this method is not for everyone, firstly you need Wi-Fi, and for those who do not have an access point, this can be corrected by purchasing a budget option- USB Adapter D-Link DWA-110 (price from 500 rubles, I bought for 610.) This adapter fully able to meet all needs for mobile devices as a hotspot. And secondly, this approach For many it will seem extremely unaesthetic. But we can also solve this option with the help of utilities and applications for most gadgets. For iPhone/iPod I recommend VLC Remote, complete with a Utility for Windows and Mac that will configure everything on the Computer side.

Quickly convert video to VLC for iPod/iPhone and other devices.

Above, I already mentioned the wide capabilities of VLC, and the most popular ones for me on this moment is the function of converting/encoding one video file and simultaneously viewing another (if encoded through the VLC shell). The conversion/encoding functions do an excellent job for home viewing (I’m writing this for home viewing because I haven’t tried to convert sophisticated HD and other formats for viewing on TV. And I take Video for PDAs and smartphones as a basis for explaining the principles. In VLC it is possible to convert with almost any settings, and people advanced in video mastering will be able to set their own parameters for this. It is also possible to convert a video file with external subtitles into one *mp4 file, or any other for your device.
Below I will describe the approximate conversion process using the example of a file for iPod Touch, which plays video in mp4 format 320x200; for those who connect their device to a TV, they can increase the resolution to 640x480.
After launching VLC, just press CTRL+R, then select any video file, and press ALT+S. In the window that appears, you can not change anything and just go straight to the Options tab, and enter the following code in the field:

:sout=#transcode(width=320,canvas-height=240.vcodec=mp4,vb=800,scale=1,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100):std(access=file ,mux=ts,dst=%input_video%)

Where, width this is the width, canvas-height this is the height vcodec video codec, vb video bitrate, acodec audio codec, ab= audio bitrate, mux encapsulation, and dst this is the path and name of the output file (note that the drive name is indicated with two slashes (C:\\ D:\\, etc.)).
There is also an interesting semi-automated process that will allow you to convert stacks of files en masse, for example if you need to go to work or go to bed and convert many files while you are away.

I am attaching an example for Windows (For other systems, check VideoLan WIKI):
So, we need to create a Batch file, or in Russian, a BAT file with the following content:

"C:\\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv "C:\\in.avi" :sout=#transcode(vcodec=h264,vb=800,scale=1,width= 320,height=240,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100):std(access=file,mux=mp4,dst=C:\\out.mp4)" vlc://quit

Where C:\\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe Path to VLC (quotes "" are required, they are needed to indicate the path to the file, since many folders with spaces, quotes will not allow interrupting the execution of the process in place of these spaces, and after the drive letter do not forget about the double slash \\) .
C:\\in.avi path to the source video file.
C:\\out.mp4 path to the outgoing file with *.mp4 extension.
vlc://quit command to close VLC after the encoding process.

For mass conversion, simply copy this line, paste it on the line below and replace the data of the source and outgoing files.
And if you need to convert all files and then turn off the computer, then this procedure will look something like this:

"C:\\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv "C:\\in-1.avi" :sout=#transcode(vcodec=h264,vb=800,scale=1, width=320,height=240,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100):std(access=file,mux=mp4,dst=C:\\out-1.mp4)" vlc: //quit
"C:\\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" -vvv "C:\\in-2.avi" :sout=#transcode(vcodec=h264,vb=800,scale=1, width=320,height=240,acodec=mp4a,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100):std(access=file,mux=mp4,dst=C:\\out-2.mp4)" vlc: //quit
SHUTDOWN -s -t 120

Where SHUTDOWN this is the command to turn off the PC, and 120 This is the time in seconds after which to shut down.
PS: If you run this command during testing, you can cancel the shutdown by typing in the command line SHUTDOWN-a.

I'm attaching it just in case

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Local networks are far from uncommon. They are found in offices, enterprises and even in private apartments and houses. Life connected to a local network is much more convenient: data exchange occurs faster. Not everyone knows that within such a network it is possible to open a real video broadcast. Our material will try to embrace the immensity. We will learn: how to set up broadcasting in local network, and also create a web page that will be available to all computers connected to the network. By opening it in a browser, the user can enjoy watching the broadcast video. VLC will be one of the main tools in our work. Media Player, it allows you not only to play audio and video files, but also organize streaming on the network.

Once again about the conditions of the task

I propose to define the conditions of our task more clearly. There are two computers on our network. The first one works under Windows control 7, second under control Ubuntu Linux.

The computers are assigned the following IP addresses:

192.168.1.2 – computer running Windows 7

192.168.1.3 – Ubuntu Linux

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

Since my network is organized using a router, the IP address – 192.168.1.1 is occupied by this useful device.

Now directly about what needs to be done:

Set up streaming a movie from a Windows 7 computer to a Ubuntu Linux computer. In our case, it will be the cult Soviet-era cartoon “Ghost Ship”

Create a website on a computer running Windows 7 that will be accessible from a second computer.

We will place a page on the website that will broadcast our streaming video. Accordingly, opening this site from a computer under Ubuntu management Linux, without any tricks you can enjoy watching your favorite “Ghost Ship”.

VLC Media Player - installation

A version of this wonderful player exists for both Windows and Ubuntu Linux. This is no coincidence, because the player is built on open source code.

In Ubuntu Linux, to install the player, just go to the “Application Center”, enter VLC in the search and click the “Install” button

In order to download and install the player under the operating system Windows system 7, you need to follow the link:

This is the player developers page. Here we are interested in one single button “Download VLC”.

Clicking it will take us to the download page. We save the distribution kit with the program to our computer and start its installation.

Setting up streaming

So, VLC Media Player is installed on all computers. Go to a computer with Windows 7, open the player and go to the main menu “Media” - “Streaming”

The first thing we need to do is add our cartoon to the playlist. To do this, click the “Add” button and using Windows Explorer, select this movie on the hard drive of our computer.

After the movie is added to the playlist, click the “Stream” button at the bottom of the window and go to the next page

In the next window, practically nothing is required from us other than clicking the “Next” button

A very important window will open. Here we cannot get away with simply pressing one button and will have to perform certain magical actions so that streaming video will actually be broadcast over the network in the near future.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the drop-down list at the top. Here you can select the protocols that will be used for broadcasting. In fact, a separate article could be written about each of them. And we will probably do this in the future.

Today we will simply choose HTTP protocol and click the “Add” button

The "Port" and "Path" text boxes will open. There is no need to touch them. Let’s leave everything as it is and pay attention to the “Profile” drop-down list, which is located below. Here we will select the option:

Video – MPEG-2 + MPGA (TS)

After all of the above has been completed, we again click the “Next” button and go to the next window. Here we are waiting for a kind of summary of the previous actions. In general, in this window our task is to simply click on the “Stream” button

If you did everything correctly, then in the player window we will see a modest inscription “ Streaming" This means that the broadcast of our video is officially opened, and you can start watching.

To view, we will move to a computer running Ubuntu Linux, where VLC Media Player is already installed. Open it and go to the main menu “Media” - “Open URL”

A window will open where you need to enter the address of our broadcast stream in a single text field.

Then click the “Play” button.

You can safely enjoy watching the cartoon “Ghost Ship”

The cross-platform VLC player is known to almost everyone, but most users have no idea that it can be used not only to play media content, but also to perform many other tasks. Which ones exactly - about this in the new issue of our software section

Interest in the VLC player, developed by enthusiasts since 1996 as part of the VideoLAN project, is due to several reasons. Firstly, the mentioned product is extremely popular among free software supporters (the number of downloads exceeds 485 million!) and is available for all kinds of operating systems, including mobile ones. Secondly, not so long ago there was a major release of a new build of the program, which has matured to version 2.0.x and received a lot of interesting features. Finally, thirdly, for many users, VLC is still associated exclusively with a tool for watching video and listening to audio, powerful filling which allows you to solve problems that are much more interesting in practical terms. Their summary and this is what today’s publication is dedicated to, equipped with an abundance of screenshots for greater clarity.

Converting files

With the widespread proliferation of portable computing devices with different technical characteristics The problem of converting multimedia data from one format to another has become more relevant than ever, which can be dealt with in a moment or two using VLC. You just need to open the program, press Ctrl+R, on the “File” tab, select one or more objects that require processing and click on the “Convert/Save” button.

Next, you will need to enter the name of the resulting file, select an output format with a suitable profile for data compression and start the processing process by clicking the “Start” button. If you wish, you can go to the profile settings and play with codec parameters, picture resolution, bitrate and other audio/video characteristics, even including subtitles in the converted video. Adjusting codecs may require certain knowledge from the user, which can always be obtained on the pages of the VideoLAN Wiki reference and information site.

Using videos as a background for your work environment

One of interesting features VLC player is able to output video directly to the desktop operating system. To activate multimedia wallpaper, the role of which can be played by your favorite movie, you should go to the advanced settings of the program and in the “Video” field, check the box next to the “Video on the desktop” item. After this, all that remains is to select a similar menu item in the main application window and make sure that the operations performed were beneficial to the cause.

Watching YouTube videos

It is well known that in order to view the content presented on the YouTube server, you need a browser with installed plugin Adobe Flash or HTML5 support. If you don’t have an appropriate web browser at hand, the notorious VLC player can resolve the deadlock. The method is simple: press Ctrl+N, copy it into the input form URL address online video you like and click on the “Play” button. If you have a mediocre Internet channel, it would be a good idea to open a tab with additional parameters and adjust the amount of cache memory used when playing YouTube content. This kind of foresight will help you avoid annoying pauses during video playback.

Transcription of audio recordings

The question of transformation voice recordings V text format often baffles even experienced computer users: the corresponding software tools that simplify the solution of the problem are a big deal, and often they are of no use at all and about the same number of tenths. In such cases, it is much more effective to use VLC with the “Step back”, “Step forward” and “Cycle A → B” keys placed on the toolbar through the interface settings. Using the mentioned controls, you can instantly rewind the recording ten seconds forward and backward and activate cyclic scrolling of selected sections of the audio file, which is useful when transcribing lectures, interviews, dictations of translators and other audio data.

Users with good memory can, instead of customizing the program interface, resort to practical use system of player hot keys that allow various actions, up to rewinding the content played on the computer. It should be noted that almost all VLC controls are duplicated by corresponding keyboard shortcuts, configurable depending on the user’s preferences.

Organization of streaming audio/video broadcasting

And this task can be handled using VLC. In order to use the player as a server for streaming multimedia content, you need to make a number of program settings, guided by this (on English language) or this (in Russian) instructions. In particular, you will need to decide on the broadcast source, select network protocol, which will be used for online broadcasting, set the settings for transcoding data into a suitable format and activate the transmission of the media stream to client machines. Since multimedia broadcasts impose very strict requirements on the bandwidth of communication channels, before deploying a video server, it would be correct to make sure that the Internet connection you are using is capable of withstanding a powerful flow of outgoing traffic.

Saving streaming content to a file

Since we are talking about organizing online broadcasting using VLC, it would be logical to mention the player’s ability not only to distribute content over the network, but also to save what someone is broadcasting streaming content to disk, automatically converting it to your most preferred format. This operation is carried out by analogy with the method described above for viewing YouTube videos, with the only exception that after entering the URL you need to click not “Play”, but “Convert”. A window will open with settings for saving the input stream and parameters of the codecs that will be used to convert the data. After cleaning them up, you can, keeping in mind copyrights and copyrights, begin to “rob” the audio/video stream.

Taking screenshots from a video stream

Unlike a number of alternative media players, VLC includes special tools for creating snapshots of movies being played. Fiddle with Print key Screen, operating system clipboard and graphic editors no need - just press Shift+S and the program will automatically write the selected frame to the computer disk in the specified directory. By default, images are saved in PNG format, which can be changed to JPG if desired.

Remote player control

Another documented but rarely used feature of VLC is the ability to remotely manipulate the program via a web interface. Its beauty is that in quality remote control Any computing device connected to a local network with an Internet browser on board, be it a smartphone or tablet, can act as control. Those interested can experience the flexibility for themselves. of this instrument by activating the interface in the player settings remote control and connecting to it through a browser. “Over the air” you can control almost all the main functions of the application: adjust the volume, control file playback and playlist, manipulate equalizer settings and other VLC parameters.

Assembling video puzzles

For those who like to while away free time VLC can also serve well when solving various kinds of puzzles and logic puzzles. No tricks or shamanic dances with a tambourine - just open a window with graphic effects, check the box next to the “Puzzle” item and get from the playing video a mosaic broken into many fragments, which must be assembled into a single whole. The difficulty of the game can be adjusted by increasing the rows and columns that make up the puzzle. Control is carried out by deftly moving elements with the mouse.

View photos

While designed for working with multimedia data, VLC copes well with other tasks. With built-in graphics support JPG formats, PNG, XCF, GIF, TIFF, LBM, PCX and Targa (TGA), the player can be used as a simple image viewer that perfectly complements the program's capabilities listed above.

It is worth hoping that the note we published will serve as good food for thought for all VLC users and, perhaps, will force someone to radically reconsider their attitude towards opensource solutions, which are often head and shoulders above commercial products. Both in terms of the quality of implementation, and in terms of the functionality carefully laid out by the developers.