VLC is a sort of Swiss Army Knife media player for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The open source software is known for being able to handle almost any video format you can throw at it, and for having a ton of customization options. Now it looks like the iPad could get some of that VLC magic… maybe.
Applidium has ported VLC to run on the iPad. Now it’s up to the folks behind the App Store review process to decide whether to approve the app. Bear in mind, while there are plenty of apps that let you play music and movies available for download in the App Store, Apple generally doesn’t approve software that duplicates the functionality of its core apps, like say… the video player. So Applidium is going to have to show that the VLC iPad app does something that Apple’s software doesn’t… like maybe play DivX, MKV, or other media formats?
Of course, Applidium wouldn’t be the first company to try launching a DivX-toting media player for the iPad. What remains to be seen is whether this version will actually work better than CineXPlayer, which was approved by Apple, only to be tested and pretty much panned.
“Applidium is going to have to show that the VLC iPad app does something that Apple’s software doesn’t…”
Flash.
Oh and w00t for the VLC player in general, especially the “lean back” remote control app for Android. I watch movies and live streaming web video on my big TV all the time using the VLC play+remote. ZNF readers should check it out.
Maybe you should write it up for us… ;)
I don’t have an iPad, but I’m curious what the situation is for video playback on it currently. Is CineXPlayer the only app to try and playback DivX or H.264 in MKV? It would be a shame if Apple blocked VLC, since it would likely not be about replicating functionality, but instead about preventing functionality that Apple just doesn’t like for business reasons.
Bruce, the iOS challenge is two fold (or maybe three)… First, you need something that can handle the various codecs/formats/files. Beyond that, you need a place to store the content or a way to access it. iOS devices don’t make the file system easily available as most other platforms do.
Of course, then there’s the obvious Apple gatekeeper to sweat about. Not sure the state of MPEG2 licensing these days, but if that consortium complained, Apple could conceivably nix approved apps after the fact.
Also, at launch many implied CineXPlayer is the first to play back non-H.264 stuff on iOS but that’s not the case… SlingPlayer is doing WMV for example.
Dave, excellent point, I forgot about aspect of the iPad. Very challenging, no doubt, but I am sure the VLC guys can handle it, if they’re giving the freedom to try it.
Hoping this pops out of Apple’s approval process sometime soon. Personally the one I’m waiting for is SkyFire, given the potential for its server-side rendering to allow the playback of flash video on iOS. It was apparently submitted recently and the approval of Opera Mini (which I uninstalled almost immediately after a quick trial) suggests that it likely will get approved. Waiting to see how the whole remote Flash rendering thing works out…