Category: VLC

VLC

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Streaming or downloading video files from a home network server to an iPad using VLC

A friend suggested that I write a blog post about about streaming video files from a home network to an iPad using VLC. There are 2 ways of consuming video on the iPad using VLC: by streaming files from a network share, or by using its built-in web server to receive files sent over a network.

If you are on the same local network as the network share, just stream the files. If you would like the file uploaded to the VLC data area of the iPad’s storage, use its built-in web server to receive the files sent over a network.

Let’s start with a sample video file, stored on a network share:

Streaming files from a network share

 

Using VLC’s built-in web server to receive files sent over a network

A good checklist item before you take a long trip by plane, train, or bus: load up your iPad with video files so you can entertain yourself offline.

 

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Followup: using VLC on the Apple TV to play media files stored on a local server

Now that VLC allows Apple TV to play stored media files, Apple TV is now a “twofer” that can replace either a Roku for streaming or Kodi for the playback of media files. As a bonus, Apple TV permits Apple-specific things like Airplay and access to iTunes purchases.

Apple TV remote control

The VLC developers did a good job of adapting the VLC interface and options to the “ten foot interface” paradigm with a remote control. Before we go any further, let’s talk about the Apple TV 4th generation’s remote control: it relies on a touchpad area at the top of the remote control that allows for gestures and swiping with your fingers, and its touchpad surface is clickable like a mouse. This is useful for “scrubbing” which is a technical term for moving the slidey thing to different parts of the media file.

File listing limitations

There is only one style available for the presentation of media files, as a set of rectangles, some with cover art, showing file names such as “show 1080p S01E11…mkv” with the title shortened to fit. Depending on how a file is named, this can cut off important information, such as the episode number.

Subtitles shown by default

If subtitles exist within a media file or externally as a subtitles file in the same directory, VLC will always show the subtitles by default. This can be annoying. In order to play a file with subtitles disabled, tap lightly on the touchpad to show the progress bar, then swipe down to show the subtitle menu while video keeps playing.

Subtitle download feature [Update: 20180816 subtitle download fixed at some point since this post]

The VLC “Track Selection” menu has an option to download subtitles for video files from an Internet service.

A pause bug has been fixed.

[Update: 2018/04/07 VLC on Apple TV has been updated and a bug in the pause/resume feature has now been fixed.] I am now able to recommend VLC on Apple TV as a replacement for Kodi as a media player for video and audio files stored on a local network file server.

Update 2018/03/27: You may find the following post of interest: “Streaming or downloading video files from a home network server to an iPad using VLC“

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Using VLC to play media files stored on a local file server

VLC is free software that is able to play most audio or video files, and can access those files from a local file server on a network.

I’ve used VLC for a long time, first on Windows and Linux laptops, then on my iPad, on my Android phone, and most recently, as an app on the Apple TV media player.

When I use VLC on my iPad, I either copy the file to VLC’s data area using its own built-in web server, or I access the content by connecting to a share on a local file server.  The server does not technically have to be local: I was able to mount a drive over a vpn connection from a hotel room while on vacation, but in practical terms, the server should be local, that is, on the same local Ethernet or wifi network as the device running VLC to play back its content.

I was able to run VLC on a laptop, and browse and play video files stored on a local file server, while using my Android phone as a remote control using a vlc remote control app.

I have just received an advance birthday present – a new Apple TV 4th generation media player (1080p 32GB). The Apple TV media player has the ability to load apps from the App Store, including VLC. (The Apple TV device will probably get its own blog post soon.)

I was pleasantly surprised that the VLC app on the Apple TV allowed me to browse and stream video and audio files stored on a Samba share (Windows-style network drive) on my home Linux server.

Update 2018/03/27: You may be interested in this post: “Followup: using VLC on the Apple TV to play media files stored on a local server,”

and this post: “Streaming or downloading video files from a home network server to an iPad using VLC“