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Nicole Cozma/CNET
VLC’s latest release marks the popular video-playing software’s global return to Apple’s App Store. It’s the first time that VideoLAN, the player’s non-profit developer, has released a version that spans Android, iOS, desktop, WinRT and Windows Phone.
The iOS VLC app had originally been pulled from the App Store due to licensing issues, though an older version was released quietly in Apple’s New Zealand store earlier this month, but in no other country.
The app’s Android version has emerged from beta and will also support Android TV, while the Windows Phone app will be the first time it is being released as an open beta (previous versions were closed betas, limited to select users).
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Version 2.2.0 of the desktop version, codenamed Weatherwax, is out now. It plays almost every video format and comes packing new features such as the ability to automatically rotate vertical videos, support for resume playback on desktop, as well as improved support for Ultra HD codecs.
Subtitles can also be downloaded via an extension, though support for Google’s popular Chromecast smart stick is still missing — it’s slated for the upcoming 3.0 release that’s slated for later this year.
“I’m very happy about those releases. Moving VLC to the mobile world was difficult, but the difficult is done,” Jean-Baptiste Kempf, VideoLAN’s president and lead developer, said in a statement. “VLC runs everywhere, plays everything. We’re working on many new features for VLC 3.0.0 to finish what we’ve started here.”
You can download the app for iOS and Android from those links. Desktop users can head straight to VideoLAN’s website for the download, while the Windows Phone app will be launched at a later date.
