VLC is one of the best media players for Windows. The media player celebrated reaching the three billion download mark at CES 2019 in January. The developers gave more details about the upcoming VLC 4.0 version at FOSDEM 2019. There, they confirmed that VLC 4.0 does not support the XP and Vista platforms.
VLC no longer supports old operating system versions
VLC developer Mr. Kempf presented the highlights of the new features of VLC 3.0 and VLC 4.0. At the end of the presentation, he announced that VLC is dropping support for Windows XP and Vista. In addition, he confirmed that VLC supports MacOS 10.7 to 10.10, iOS 7 & 8, and Android platforms prior to 4.2.
The most exciting thing about VLC 4.0, however, is perhaps the revamped UI design. Although a great media player, VLC 3.0's UI is somewhat standard compared to alternative video playback software.
However, VLC 4 will include transparency effects and new button icons that give the software a more modern look and feel.
A media library, where users can browse media files, is another feature that VLC 3.0 and earlier versions lacked. However, Kempf's presentation included a screenshot of a new media library for VLC 4.0.
The following screenshot of the media library was shown in the presentation. For the first time, VLC will allow users to browse and view music and video albums.
VLC 3.0 lacks the virtual reality and 3D support that PowerDVD boasts. However, Kempf confirmed that VLC 4.0 will support virtual reality for the Vive, Oculus, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR headsets. VLC 4 will also support NVIDIA and HDMI 3D video.
Additionally, Mr. Kempf's presentation mentioned a new internal clock for VLC 4.0. The new clock will ensure that VLC 4.0 has better frame accuracy and media synchronization than previous versions.
At CES 2019, Kempf also said that his team was planning to add AirPlay support to VLC 4.0. AirPlay is an Apple protocol that allows users to stream videos, music, and photos from iOS. However, we didn’t see any details about VLC 4.0’s AirPlay support.
VLC users will no doubt welcome the UI changes and the inclusion of a media library. The media library is definitely an overdue addition to the media player. However, XP and Vista users will have to upgrade to newer platforms to run the latest VLC.
