VideoLAN Wiki - User contributions [en]

Documentation:Video

2015-02-08T23:14:49Z

Brbixxx: /* Loading Subtitle Tracks */

{{RightMenu|Documentation TOC}}
You can play video files, video clips and other video media using the VLC media player. You can resize, change aspect ratio, crop videos, load subtitles, deinterlace, save snapshots, and convert videos to DirectX wallpaper.

Video tracks of the ''.asf, .avi, .divx, .dv, .mxf, .ogg, .gm, .ps, .ts, .vob,'' and ''.wmv'' formats are supported.

== Playing a Video Track ==

There are two main ways to open and play a video track:

#Select ''Open File'' from the ''Media'' menu.

[[Image:4.png]]

     2. Select a video track and double-click it or click the ''Open'' button.

[[Image:5fixed.png]]<br>

The selected track will play.

== Loading Subtitle Tracks ==

A subtitle is a textual version of a movie’s dialogue. Subtitles are helpful if you are viewing a movie that contains foreign language(s). You can load subtitles for video tracks. Subtitles of the formats ''.cdg, .idx, .srt, .sub, .utf, .ass, .ssa, .aqt, .jss, .psb, .rt'' and ''smi'' are supported.

VLC can read subtitles for the media formats such as ''DVD'', ''SVCD'', ''OGM'' files, and ''Matroska (MKV)'' files.

To enable the subtitle for a track:

#Select ''Open File'' under the ''Subtitle'' menu item from the ''Video'' menu. The ''Open Subtitles File'' dialog box is displayed.  [[Image:6.png]]
#Locate the file which contains the subtitle and click on ''Open''. The subtitles are displayed.

For more details, see [[Documentation:Subtitles]].

== Full Screen ==

This option is useful if you want to watch the video in the full screen mode.

#Select ''Full Screen'' from the ''Video'' menu. The video will then occupy the entire screen.
#To return to the original mode, press ''Esc'' on the keyboard or right-click the mouse and select the ''Leave Full Screen'' option. The video will then return to its original mode.

''Note:'' When you switch to full screen, the controls may appear for a short period of time. To restore the controls after they disappear, move the mouse or press any key on the keyboard.

[[File:Basic_video_fullscreen_interface.png|1000px]]

== Always on Top ==

This option is useful if you want the VLC media player to remain on the top of the screen always when other applications or files are open.

#To make the VLC media player appear on top of the screen, select ''Always on Top'' from the ''Video'' menu. [[Image:8.png]]
#If you do not want VLC to appear on the top of the screen, select the ''Always on Top'' option from the ''Video'' menu and manually minimise the VLC application.

== DirectX Wallpaper ==

This option is useful if you want to display the video which is being played as your desktop wallpaper.

To view the current video file as wallpaper

#Select ''Advanced File Open'' from the ''Media'' menu. The ''Open Media'' dialog box is displayed. [[Image:7.png]]
#Select a file and click [[Image:VLC - play button.png]] ''Play''.
#Select ''DirectX Wallpaper'' from the ''Video'' menu.

The wallpaper mode will then display the video as the desktop background.

''Note'': that this feature works only if you deactivate the overlay under Windows XP.

== Snapshot ==

This option is useful if you want to capture a portion of the video as an image.

#Select ''Advanced File Open'' from the ''Media'' menu. The Open dialog box is displayed.
#Select a file and click [[Image:VLC - play button.png]] ''Play''.
#To capture an image from the video, select ''Snapshot'' from the ''Video'' menu.

The image is captured in the ''.png'' picture format and is saved in the ''C:\My Pictures'' folder by default (''C:\Users\'''Username'''\Pictures'').

== Zoom ==

You can enlarge videos in different sizes. This option is useful if you want to change the size of a video track which is being played. The supported sizes are ''1:4 Quarter, 1:2 Half, 1:1 Original (default)'' and ''2:1 Double''.

To view a video in a particular dimension, select a dimension from ''Zoom'' in the ''Video'' menu. The track is then resized based on the selected zoom ratio.

== Aspect Ratio ==

Aspect ratio refers to the width of a picture in relation to its height. For example, the ratio 4:3 means four units wide to three units high. VLC provides a list of aspect ratio values which are ''Default, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1'' and ''5:4''.

To select an aspect ratio, select a value from ''Aspect Ratio'' in the ''Video'' menu. The video is then adjusted based on the selected ratio.

== Crop ==

This option is helpful if you want to capture a small portion of a video as an image. This also helps crop the black bars of the top and bottom of a video.

The cropping values that are supported are ''Default, 16:10, 16:9, 1.85:1, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1, 5:3, 4:3, 5:4,'' and ''1:1''.

To crop a video that is played, select a value from ''Crop'' in the ''Video'' menu. The video is then cropped based on the selected value.

== Deinterlace ==

Deinterlace refers to a process where interlaced video signals are converted into non-interlaced signals. VLC provides the ''Discard, Blend, Mean, Bob, Linear, X, Yadif and Yadif (2x)'' deinterlacement modes.

#Select ''Deinterlace'' from the ''Video'' menu and choose the appropriate setting.
#To change the deinterlacement mode select 'Deinterlace mode' is the ''Video Menu''
#Select a mode and observe the change in the video being played.

{{Documentation}}

Documentation:Video

2015-02-08T23:10:11Z

Brbixxx:

{{RightMenu|Documentation TOC}}
You can play video files, video clips and other video media using the VLC media player. You can resize, change aspect ratio, crop videos, load subtitles, deinterlace, save snapshots, and convert videos to DirectX wallpaper.

Video tracks of the ''.asf, .avi, .divx, .dv, .mxf, .ogg, .gm, .ps, .ts, .vob,'' and ''.wmv'' formats are supported.

== Playing a Video Track ==

There are two main ways to open and play a video track:

#Select ''Open File'' from the ''Media'' menu.

[[Image:4.png]]

     2. Select a video track and double-click it or click the ''Open'' button.

[[Image:5fixed.png]]<br>

The selected track will play.

== Loading Subtitle Tracks ==

A subtitle is a textual version of a movie’s dialogue. Subtitles are helpful if you are viewing a movie in a language that is not understandable to you. You can load subtitles for video tracks. Subtitles of the formats ''.cdg, .idx, .srt, .sub, .utf, .ass, .ssa, .aqt, .jss, .psb, .rt'' and ''smi'' are supported.

VLC can read subtitles for the media formats such as ''DVD'', ''SVCD'', ''OGM'' files, and ''Matroska (MKV)'' files.

To enable the subtitle for a track:

#Select ''Open File'' under the ''Subtitle'' menu item from the ''Video'' menu. The ''Open Subtitles File'' dialog box is displayed.  [[Image:6.png]]
#Locate the file which contains the subtitle and click on ''Open''. The subtitles are displayed.

For more details, see [[Documentation:Subtitles]].

== Full Screen ==

This option is useful if you want to watch the video in the full screen mode.

#Select ''Full Screen'' from the ''Video'' menu. The video will then occupy the entire screen.
#To return to the original mode, press ''Esc'' on the keyboard or right-click the mouse and select the ''Leave Full Screen'' option. The video will then return to its original mode.

''Note:'' When you switch to full screen, the controls may appear for a short period of time. To restore the controls after they disappear, move the mouse or press any key on the keyboard.

[[File:Basic_video_fullscreen_interface.png|1000px]]

== Always on Top ==

This option is useful if you want the VLC media player to remain on the top of the screen always when other applications or files are open.

#To make the VLC media player appear on top of the screen, select ''Always on Top'' from the ''Video'' menu. [[Image:8.png]]
#If you do not want VLC to appear on the top of the screen, select the ''Always on Top'' option from the ''Video'' menu and manually minimise the VLC application.

== DirectX Wallpaper ==

This option is useful if you want to display the video which is being played as your desktop wallpaper.

To view the current video file as wallpaper

#Select ''Advanced File Open'' from the ''Media'' menu. The ''Open Media'' dialog box is displayed. [[Image:7.png]]
#Select a file and click [[Image:VLC - play button.png]] ''Play''.
#Select ''DirectX Wallpaper'' from the ''Video'' menu.

The wallpaper mode will then display the video as the desktop background.

''Note'': that this feature works only if you deactivate the overlay under Windows XP.

== Snapshot ==

This option is useful if you want to capture a portion of the video as an image.

#Select ''Advanced File Open'' from the ''Media'' menu. The Open dialog box is displayed.
#Select a file and click [[Image:VLC - play button.png]] ''Play''.
#To capture an image from the video, select ''Snapshot'' from the ''Video'' menu.

The image is captured in the ''.png'' picture format and is saved in the ''C:\My Pictures'' folder by default (''C:\Users\'''Username'''\Pictures'').

== Zoom ==

You can enlarge videos in different sizes. This option is useful if you want to change the size of a video track which is being played. The supported sizes are ''1:4 Quarter, 1:2 Half, 1:1 Original (default)'' and ''2:1 Double''.

To view a video in a particular dimension, select a dimension from ''Zoom'' in the ''Video'' menu. The track is then resized based on the selected zoom ratio.

== Aspect Ratio ==

Aspect ratio refers to the width of a picture in relation to its height. For example, the ratio 4:3 means four units wide to three units high. VLC provides a list of aspect ratio values which are ''Default, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1'' and ''5:4''.

To select an aspect ratio, select a value from ''Aspect Ratio'' in the ''Video'' menu. The video is then adjusted based on the selected ratio.

== Crop ==

This option is helpful if you want to capture a small portion of a video as an image. This also helps crop the black bars of the top and bottom of a video.

The cropping values that are supported are ''Default, 16:10, 16:9, 1.85:1, 2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1, 5:3, 4:3, 5:4,'' and ''1:1''.

To crop a video that is played, select a value from ''Crop'' in the ''Video'' menu. The video is then cropped based on the selected value.

== Deinterlace ==

Deinterlace refers to a process where interlaced video signals are converted into non-interlaced signals. VLC provides the ''Discard, Blend, Mean, Bob, Linear, X, Yadif and Yadif (2x)'' deinterlacement modes.

#Select ''Deinterlace'' from the ''Video'' menu and choose the appropriate setting.
#To change the deinterlacement mode select 'Deinterlace mode' is the ''Video Menu''
#Select a mode and observe the change in the video being played.

{{Documentation}}

Documentation:Open Media

2015-02-08T23:05:01Z

Brbixxx: /* Play a network stream (WebRadio, WebTV, etc.) */

{{RightMenu|Documentation TOC}}

== Play a file ==

To play a file, open the ''Media'' menu, and select the ''Open File'' menu item.

[[File:Open_File.PNG]]

An ''Open File'' dialog box will appear. Select the file you want to open and select ''Open''.

[[File:Open_Dialog_Box.PNG]]

VLC with then start playing the designated file. An alternative is to simply drag 'n' drop your file into the VLC main interface or the playlist window from the file explorer (Finder on Mac OS X).

== Play a CD/DVD/VCD ==

To play a CD, VCD or a DVD, open the ''Media'' menu and select ''Open Disc'' menu item. In the ''Open Disk'' dialog box, select the type of media (DVD, SVCD/VCD or Audio CD).

[[File:Open_DVD.PNG]]

You can either select the drive in which the media is located by selecting the drive letter from the ''Disc Device'' drop-down list, or you can select the ''Browse'' button, which will open a dialog box that you can use to browse for the media you wish to play.

If you want to start the DVD or VCD playback from a given title and chapter instead of from the beginning, you can set it using the ''Title'' and ''Chapter'' selectors. You can also set the ''Audio'' and ''Subtitles'' track using the selectors. There is also an option for ''No DVD menus'', when reading a DVD.

To start playback select the ''Ok'' button.

== Play a network stream (WebRadio, WebTV, etc.) ==

To open a network stream, open the ''Media'' menu and select the ''Open Network Stream'' menu item.

[[File:Open_Network_Strem.PNG]]

A dialog box will then open with three user input boxes. The first one is for the user to select the ''Protocol'' of the stream which they wish to open (HTTP/HTTPS/MMS/FTP/RTSP/RTP/UDP/RDMP). The second box is for the user to input the ''Address'' of the stream and the third one is for the user to select the appropriate port. However in the latest version of VLC (1.1.5), the user only needs to input the ''Address'' (examples are shown in image above).

To begin playback, select the ''Play'' button.

If you get some stuttering during playback, you can try to increase the size of the read buffer. This can be done in the ''Open Network Stream'' dialog box, by firstly checking the ''Show more options'' check box then adjusting the ''Caching'' selector, which allows you to choose the amount of time (in milliseconds) VLC should store data in its buffer before starting playback.

== Play from an acquisition card ==

To play from an acquisition open the ''File'' menu, and select ''Open Capture Device''.

[[File:Open_Acquisition_Card.PNG]]

From here you can choose the ''Capture Mode'' and the ''Video/Audio Device Name''. The user can also adjust the configuration for these devices by clicking ''Configure''. The user is also able to set the size of the video that will be played by the Direct Show plugin and options such as 'Device Properties' and 'Tuner Properties' by clicking ''Advanced Options''.

For Video4Linux devices, you can set the name of the video and audio devices using the "Video device name" and "Audio device name" text inputs. The "Advanced options..." button allows to select some further settings useful in some rare cases, such as the chroma of the input (the way colors are encoded) and the size of the input buffer.

To use a Hauppauge PVR card, select the PVR tab in the "Open" dialog box. Use the "Device" text input to set the device of the card you want to use. You can set the Norm of the tuner (''PAL, SECAM or NTSC'') by using the "Norm" Drop Down. The Frequency selector allows you to set the frequency of the tuner (in kHz), the bitrate selector to set the bitrate of the resulting encoded stream (in bit/s). The "Advanced Options button allows to set some more settings, such as the size of the encoded video (in pixels), its framerate (in frame per second), the interval between 2 key frames, etc.

To start playback from a acquisition card, click ''Play''.
{{Documentation}}

Documentation:Open Media

2015-02-04T16:48:53Z

Brbixxx: /* Play a CD/DVD/VCD */

{{RightMenu|Documentation TOC}}

== Play a file ==

To play a file, open the ''Media'' menu, and select the ''Open File'' menu item.

[[File:Open_File.PNG]]

An ''Open File'' dialog box will appear. Select the file you want to open and select ''Open''.

[[File:Open_Dialog_Box.PNG]]

VLC with then start playing the designated file. An alternative is to simply drag 'n' drop your file into the VLC main interface or the playlist window from the file explorer (Finder on Mac OS X).

== Play a CD/DVD/VCD ==

To play a CD, VCD or a DVD, open the ''Media'' menu and select ''Open Disc'' menu item. In the ''Open Disk'' dialog box, select the type of media (DVD, SVCD/VCD or Audio CD).

[[File:Open_DVD.PNG]]

You can either select the drive in which the media is located by selecting the drive letter from the ''Disc Device'' drop-down list, or you can select the ''Browse'' button, which will open a dialog box that you can use to browse for the media you wish to play.

If you want to start the DVD or VCD playback from a given title and chapter instead of from the beginning, you can set it using the ''Title'' and ''Chapter'' selectors. You can also set the ''Audio'' and ''Subtitles'' track using the selectors. There is also an option for ''No DVD menus'', when reading a DVD.

To start playback select the ''Ok'' button.

== Play a network stream (WebRadio, WebTV, etc.) ==

To open a network stream, open the ''Media'' menu and select the ''Open Network Stream'' menu item.

[[File:Open_Network_Strem.PNG]]

A dialog box will then open with three user input boxes. The first one is for the user to select the ''Protocol'' of the stream which they wish to open (HTTP/HTTPS/MMS/FTP/RTSP/RTP/UDP/RDMP). The second box is for the user to input the ''Address'' of the stream and the third one is for the user to select the appropriate port. However in the latest version of VLC (1.1.5), the user only needs to input the ''Address'' (examples are shown in image above).

To start playback by selecting the ''Play'' button.

If you get some stuttering during playback, you can try to increase the size of the read buffer. This can be done in the ''Open Network Stream'' dialog box, by firstly checking the ''Show more options'' check box then adjusting the ''Caching'' selector, which allows you to choose the amount of time (in milliseconds) VLC should store data in its buffer before starting playback.

== Play from an acquisition card ==

To play from an acquisition open the ''File'' menu, and select ''Open Capture Device''.

[[File:Open_Acquisition_Card.PNG]]

From here you can choose the ''Capture Mode'' and the ''Video/Audio Device Name''. The user can also adjust the configuration for these devices by clicking ''Configure''. The user is also able to set the size of the video that will be played by the Direct Show plugin and options such as 'Device Properties' and 'Tuner Properties' by clicking ''Advanced Options''.

For Video4Linux devices, you can set the name of the video and audio devices using the "Video device name" and "Audio device name" text inputs. The "Advanced options..." button allows to select some further settings useful in some rare cases, such as the chroma of the input (the way colors are encoded) and the size of the input buffer.

To use a Hauppauge PVR card, select the PVR tab in the "Open" dialog box. Use the "Device" text input to set the device of the card you want to use. You can set the Norm of the tuner (''PAL, SECAM or NTSC'') by using the "Norm" Drop Down. The Frequency selector allows you to set the frequency of the tuner (in kHz), the bitrate selector to set the bitrate of the resulting encoded stream (in bit/s). The "Advanced Options button allows to set some more settings, such as the size of the encoded video (in pixels), its framerate (in frame per second), the interval between 2 key frames, etc.

To start playback from a acquisition card, click ''Play''.
{{Documentation}}