VLC, the most popular media player in the world, is about to change. Version 4.0, still in preparation, should provide access to streaming television channels and benefit from a serious facelift.

VLC, the most popular media player in the world, is about to change. Version 4.0, still in preparation, should provide access to streaming television channels and benefit from a serious facelift.

VideoLan Client, simply called VLC, is a real institution in the world of microcomputing. This completely free multimedia player, born from a student project in 1996 and then transformed into an open source project in 2001, is one of the rare software programs to have survived more than two decades while maintaining such strong popularity. See instead: the tool reached 5 billion downloads in March 2024. Many publishers would like to present such figures.

And VLC hasn’t finished evolving. The small multiplatform software (it is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS) which can read almost all existing audio and video formats is on the verge of experiencing great development according to the words of Jean-Baptiste Kempf, the president of the VideoLan organization in the columns of the newsletter LowPass. Sticking to version 3.0.20 since last November, VLC should make its little revolution with version 4.0 currently in preparation.

VLC 4.0: a big step towards free streaming

Until now, VLC allows you to play multimedia contents stored on devices, access them through the network and even through web addresses. However, you better be a little geeky to take advantage of this last function. VLC is certainly very complete, very rich but it also offers an interface that is a bit dry and not necessarily very clear for the uninitiated. According to the president of the VideoLan organization, version 4.0 of VLC should improve the concept by offering streaming access to free television channels. This involves relying on the channels of FAST TV (Free Advertising Supported Streaming TV), free linear television channels financed by advertising and available on the Web (see our article). This is for example the case of MyTF1, 6Play (M6), Pluto TV, Rakuten TV and Molotov TV to name just a few. Incidentally, VLC should undergo an overhaul of its interface to make this content easily accessible. The president, however, wants to reassure his users: these functions will be optional and VLC will retain its soul and all its other functions for those who do not wish to enjoy this streaming content.

Another project: porting VLC to the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The app would already be ready and functional but the president of VideoLan first wants to evaluate the commercial success of the Apple device before deploying it on the online store. There is still one unknown: the release date of VLC 4.0. Jean-Baptiste Kempf has for the moment remained silent on the subject.