VLC media player is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It’s among the most popular media players; a player that plays almost all media formats. VLC is more than a media player. In this article am going to show you some other features of VLC.
Screen Recording
Most screen recording software packages are incredibly expensive, but your free VLC media player has a built-in screen recorder, it isn’t powerful enough to say, however, for showing someone a problem you’re having on a computer or providing quick instructions on how to perform a task, or maybe to record a running movie, it’s more than enough. Here is how you can do it with VLC:
1. Under Media, click “Open Capture Device.”
2. Click the “Capture Mode” drop-down and select “Desktop.”
3. Modify the frame rate. 15 f/s will probably be good enough for screen recording, though 30 may be required for more fast-paced movement.
4. Click the drop-down arrow next to “Play” and select “Convert.”
5. In the “Profile” drop-down, choose MP4.
At this step, you could click the edit selected profile to modify the resolution or bitrate of the video. However, you can use the default settings for now if you don’t understand what these settings are.
6. In the “Destination file” box, choose a location to save the finished file.
7. Click Start.
Once you click Start, VLC will start to record your screen into itself behind the scenes. Let it run while you record your workspace. When you’re done, click the Stop button in the player controls to end recording.
Convert Video Files
Your VLC media player also has a video converter built-in. If you have a video file that you want to convert to a different format, whether for uploading online or for your mobile device or converting a video to audio. You may not need to download a video converting application. Here’s how to convert between one file to another:
1. Under Media, click “Convert/Save.”
2. Add the video file you want to convert in the File Selection section.
3. Click “Convert/Save.”
4. In the Settings section, choose the type of file you want to convert the file into under Profile.
5. Give the file a name and location under Destination.
6. Click Start.
The converted video file will be saved in the target location. VLC certainly isn’t a replacement for a more robust application like Any Video Converter or Handbrake. However, for simple jobs, it’s probably the only video converter most people have on their computers without knowing.
Stream and Download YouTube Videos
Although, there are different ways of downloading YouTube videos, however, you have one option already installed on your computer. VLC media player lets you stream and download YouTube videos right from the player. Here’s how:
1. Find the video you want to download from YouTube, like this one and copy the URL from the address bar.
2. In VLC, click Media > Open Network Stream.
3. Paste the YouTube link in the box and click Play.
When you click play it will take a few moments to display and stream the YouTube video on your VLC media player, this actually depends on your internet connection.
4. Under Tools, click Codec Information.
5. In the box that says Location, right-click the block of text and click Select All. Copy the link text.
6. Go back to your browser and paste the link in the address bar. This will open the source file directly on YouTube’s servers.
7. Right-click the video as it plays and select Save Video As.
Although, it seems a long process just know that your VLC media player can download videos for you whenever you need it. Click here to find an easier way of downloading YouTube videos.
Ousman Faal [Digital Vigilante] is a Tech Entrepreneur & Digital Skills Trainer who teaches both in the classroom and online. He has experience in various technologies and likes sharing it with others. Ousman has published 149 articles on this blog. He is the CEO of Faalen Technologies and Skills.gm.
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