VLC (initially VideoLAN Client) is a multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.

Features:

• Free, Open Source and cross-platform
• Independant of systems codecs to support most video types
• Live recording
• Instant pausing and Frame-by-Frame support
• Finer speed controls
• New HD codecs (AES3, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, Blu-Ray Linear PCM, Real Video 3.0 and 4.0, ...)
• New formats (Raw Dirac, M2TS, ...) and major improvements in many formats...
• New Dirac encoder and MP3 fixed-point encoder
• Video scaling in fullscreen
• RTSP Trickplay support
• Zipped file playback
• Customizable toolbars
• Easier encoding GUI in Qt interface
• Better integration in Gtk environments
• MTP devices on linux
• AirTunes streaming
• New skin for the skins2 interface

Input formats:

• MPEG (ES,PS,TS,PVA,MP3)
• ID3 tags
• AVI
• ASF / WMV / WMA
• MP4 / MOV / 3GP
• OGG / OGM / Annodex
• Matroska (MKV)
• WAV (incuding DTS)
• Raw Audio: DTS, AAC, AC3/A52
• Raw DV
• FLAC
• FLV (Flash)

Input media:

• UDP/RTP Unicast
• UDP/RTP Multicast
• HTTP / FTP
• MMS
• File
• DVD 1
• VCD
• SVCD 2
• Audio CD (without DTS)
• MPEG encoder 3
• Video acquisition

Video:

Decoders:

• MPEG-1/2
• DIVX (1/2/3)
• MPEG-4, DivX 5, XviD, 3ivX D4
• H.264
• Sorenson 1/3 (Quicktime)
• DV
• Cinepak
• Theora (alpha 3)
• H.263 / H.263i
• MJPEG (A/B)
• WMV 1/2
• WMV 3 / WMV-9 / VC-1 4, 5
• Indeo Video v3 (IV32)

Subtitles:

• DVD 6
• SVCD / CVD
• DVB
• OGM
• Matroska
• Text files (MicroDVD, SubRIP, SubViewer, SSA1-5, SAMI, VPlayer)
• Vobsub

Filters:

• Deinterlace
• Cropping
• Image wall
• Image adjust
• Rotate/Mirror
• Logo overlay
• Magnification
• Image distortion
• Bluescreen
• RSS/Atom feeds

Outputs:

• Native DirectX, GDI
• SDL
• ASCII Art

Audio:

Decoders:

• MPEG Layer 1/2
• MP3
• AC3 - A/52
• DTS
• LPCM
• AAC
• Vorbis
• WMA 1/2
• WMA 3 7
• ADPCM
• DV Audio
• FLAC
• QDM2/QDMC (QuickTime)
• MACE
• Real Audio 8
• Speex

Filters:

• Visualization effects
• Equalizer

Outputs:

• Native DirectX WaveOut
• S/PDIF DirectX WaveOut
• Multi-channel DirectX WaveOut
• SDL

Streaming:

Interfaces and control:

• Default WxWidgets
• Qt 4
• Skins
• Web
• Telnet
• Command line

Miscellaneous:

• SAP/SDP announces
• Bonjour protocol
• Mozilla/Firefox plugin
• ActiveX plugin
• SVCD Menus
• Localization
• CD-Text 10
• CDDB CD info 11
• IPv6
• IGMPv3 Win XP
• CPU acceleration 13

Additional skins are available at the developer's website.