7 Top Secret Features of the Free VLC Media Player

A few months back, VLC Media Player got Chromecast support and 360-degree video views. It’s just another tiny notch on the popularity of the open source player which can handle anything that you throw at it (as long as it’s a media file!).

The Windows version of the player is closing in on 50 million downloads, and that’s discounting all the other platforms it can be installed on. Perhaps the secret to its longevity is the modular design which gives it a rich set of features. Today, let’s focus on the few “secret” features under the hood which you can use every day.

1. Use VLC as a Video Downloader for YouTube

There are several capable free downloaders available for YouTube. But, VLC has this feature built in. Though it’s not a one-click downloader and you will have to take the help of your browser.

1. Click on Media > Open Network stream.
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5. Paste the YouTube URL and click the Play button in the player.
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11. VLC Media Player starts streaming the video.  Now, click Tools > Codec Informationand at the bottom of the window you will see a Location box.
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18. Copy the long URL in the box and paste this into your browser’s address bar. The browser will now start playing the video file. You can download the video file to your desktop by doing a Save video as with a right-click on the video. Or you can choose to record the video.

2. Convert Videos to Any Format

Downloading a video is often the first part. Converting that video so you can play it on a device of your choice is the second part. The VLC Player can do this too.

1. From the toolbar, click on Media > Convert / Save.
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6. In the Open Media dialog box, click on the Add button and choose the media file for conversion. Then, click on the Convert / Save dropdown > Convert.
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11. Open the dropdown menu for Profile and select the file format that you would like to convert your file to. You can also click on the gear icon next to it and edit the chosen profile.
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16. Click on Browse and select a location to save the converted file. Then, click on Start to begin the conversion and monitor its progress in the bar below.
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3. VLC as a Graphic Equalizer for Your Music

You may be using VLC as a video player only, but VLC is a cross-platform standalone media player too and that brings full audio effects with playlist support. VLC not only displays cover art but also has a pretty good graphic equalizer tucked away inside it.

Display it with the shortcut keystrokes Ctrl + E (or go to Tools > Effects and Filters > Audio Effects). Adjust the sound quality with the available presets, or fine-tune it with the Equalizer, Compressor, and Spatializer tabs.

4. Activate Audio Normalization to Protect Your Ears

The general audio settings for the VideoLan Player are located under Preferences. One of the key features called Audio Normalization helps to optimize the volume of any media by a fixed amount and improve the sound quality.

Go to Tools > Preferences > Audio > Enable Normalize volume to. The value you set here will help to adjust the decibel levels of dialog, music, explosions, gunshots etc. in the movies you watch. Restart VLC after enabling the setting.

In fact, configure this immediately after you download and install the VLC player. It will make your audio sound better.

5. Play Internet Radio and Podcasts in VLC

One of VLC’s little used features could definitely be its ability to find and play internet radio. The VLC Player can fill all your audio needs as it can not only stream radio but also play podcasts.

1. Launch VLC and open the Playlist sidebar.
2. Under Internet, you can browse through the two radio servers—Jamendo and Icecast—and choose a station of your choice by clicking on it. Also, make sure the Playlist view mode is set to List (Go to View > Playlist View Mode > List).
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9. If your favorite internet radio station is not on the list, use the station’s URL to stream it via VLC. Go to Media > Open Network Stream… Enter the URL and press Play in order to begin listening.

And to play podcasts in VLC:

1. You can manage your favorite podcasts via the same Playlist interface.
2. Go to Playlist and under the Internet section, select Podcasts.
3. As soon your cursor is over the Podcasts section, click the plus sign.
4. Copy and paste the RSS feed URL of the podcast you wish to listen and click on OK. The podcast will be added to the sidebar and you can pick the episode you want to listen to.

6. Loop a Section of a Video or Audio File

Most media players can loop an entire video or a soundtrack. With VLC, you have the added bonus of looping any specific section of a media file.

1. Open the video or audio file with VLC. Go to View > Advanced Controls.
2. Now, a few more buttons will be displayed above the normal play and stop controls.
   
3. To start the loop from a specific part of the video, move the playhead to the part where you want the loop to start (Point A).
4. Click the loop button once. The “A” mark on the button will turn red. To finish the loop, take the video to the endpoint and click on the same button again. You will see both the A and B points of the button are red.
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6. Now play the video and the section will loop. Click the loop button once again if you want to switch it off.

This is a handy feature when you want to review a how-to video or hear an audio file over and over to get it right. I often use this feature to study Photoshop tutorial videos.

7. Add Features With VLC Add-Ons and Extensions

For everyday use, VLC’s default package of features may be enough. But if you are looking for added functionality then there’s an entire catalog of add-ons you can install alongside. Remember, VLC has a huge open-source community behind it and they have helped create extensions, skins, playlist parsers, and other assorted tools.

These extensions will help you add more “secret” features to the player like tools which will help you search for subtitles from the player itself. Extensions may also work in macOS and Linux, so do doublecheck the instructions on the add-on’s page.

1. Visit the VLC add-ons page and browse through the two views—Top or Latest.
2. Click the Download button on the add-ons page and download the ZIP file. Extract the file. (VLC add-ons have the LUA extension.)
3. On Windows, place the .lua files in this Windows directory:

   C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Roaming\vlc\lua\extensions folder.

4. Restart VLC. You can access all your installed extensions from the View menu.

Some of the better extensions to consider include:

• VLCSub
• Resume Media
• Moments’ Tracker
• Intro and Credits Skipper
• TuneIn Radio
• Info Crawler
• SyncPlay

VLC Is Full of Cool Tricks

If you know about these features, then VLC hides few secrets from you. Now, flex your muscles and explore the more advanced possibilities of this fantastic player that has stood the test of time. Maybe create a streaming media server for your home or cast your media files from a Windows PC to your Android phone.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-top-secret-features-free-vlc-media-player-si/

The 11 Best Tools for Ripping DVDs and Blu-rays to Your Computer

Despite the prevalence of free and paid streaming services, DVDs and Blu-rays persist. Maybe you’ve got shelves of DVDs and Blu-rays from the days before streaming. Possibly the nostalgia factor keeps you hanging onto those discs, or you’re just waiting to digitize your collection.
Regardless, there are many reasons to pull physical media onto your hard drive. In this article, we’ve rounded up the best tools for ripping DVDs and Blu-rays to your computer!

 

1. MakeMKV

In MakeMKV, you’ll find a superb cross-platform Blu-ray and DVD backup utility. It boasts DVD and Blu-ray decrypter functionality. To rip a DVD or Blu-ray to your computer, merely pop in a disc, select the media in MakeMKV. Upon doing so, MakeMKV runs through some initial work loading information. You’ll see the various titles and can expand the sections to view subtitle and audio track information.
From here, select the subtitle and audio tracks you’d like to rip, along with the titles you want to transfer. Generally, the title with the most tracks will be the feature, while smaller titles are bonus features, deleted scenes, or whatever else is on the disc. However, this varies by disc. Deselect everything you don’t need, then click the MakeMKV button.
Now, let MakeMKV do its work. DVDs typically rip quickly, in under 20 minutes. However Blu-rays range from 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the length of the movie, and the extras you want.
MKV files are slightly smaller than original disc images. DVD backups are about 10 percent smaller, with Blu-ray rips roughly 40 percent smaller than their disc counterparts. Ripping a Blu-ray disc provides a much larger file than a DVD, well over 4GB. While a Blu-ray MKV rip provides maximum quality, it takes up more space. Converting your MKV to another format such as an MP4 might produce a smaller file, albeit at the cost of audio and video quality.
Download: MakeMKV for Windows, Mac, and Linux ($60)

 

2. Handbrake

Handbrake is a fantastic open-source DVD ripper. It’s a completely free Blu-ray ripper. Aside from ripping DVDs and Blu-rays, you can convert videos, add subtitles to films, and more using Handbrake. Simply select a profile depending on the target device or quality, decide if you want the subtitles, then hit Start Encode.
5 Clever Things You Can Do with HandBrake 5 Clever Things You Can Do with HandBrake HandBrake is a powerful tool, designed to help you get the most out of your digital media. We have compiled some of HandBrake's most ingenious uses. Check it out! Read More Presets range from device options including iPad and iPod to high quality 1080p options, and more. Plus, you can pick different formats such as MP4, H.265, and H.264. With Handbrake, you can easily rip a DVD to MP4 and MKV files. Since you can tweak tons of settings or merely choose a preset and start encoding, Handbrake is as intuitive or complicated as you make it. Overall, it’s one of the best free DVD rippers you can download.
This BLu-Ray and DVD decrypter is cross-platform, free, and open-source. Moreover, frequent updates ensure that Handbrake offers a cutting edge feature set.
Download: Handbrake for Windows, Mac, and Linux (Free)

 

3. Freemake Video Converter

Freemake remains a top choice for DVD ripping software. What’s neat is Freemake’s arsenal of video editing options. Not only is Freemake one of the top free DVD ripping software options available, it’s packed with editing capabilities.
Using Freemake, you can join files together. You can even join up files to have one big merged file. Videos can also be converted to Flash or HTML5, as well as MP3. Among its many output file formats, you can rip DVDs to MP4, AVI, MKV, 3GP, and more.
One great feature is when you rip it to become a DVD, you can also add a menu with clickable chapter titles. With its ability to rip videos to a variety of formats as well as video modification, Freemake is an excellent free DVD ripper.
Download: Freemake for Windows (Free)

 

4. WinX DVD Ripper

WinX comes in two flavors: there’s a free DVD ripper as well as WinX DVD Ripper Platinum Edition. While WinX’s def ripping software is free, it’s basically a trial version of the Platinum edition. However, once the trial expires, it’s totally usable and merely drops a few premium features.
A while back I snagged a free copy of WinX DVD Platinum Edition with a promotion. Currently, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is my go-to for DVD rips, but its free DVD ripper should suffice for most users.
The free iteration will rip a DVD to MP4, WMV, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG, H.264, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, Android, Samsung, HTC, and PSP. With it, you create an exact 1:1 clone with no quality loss. WinX DVD Ripper boasts a fast backup speed, with taking roughly five minutes to create an MPEG2 copy of a DVD.
The Platinum version adds additional output formats, such as creating ISO files. You’ll see faster ripping speeds as well as video editing features. WinX DVD Ripper is a superb alternative to Handbrake and Freemake.
Download: WinX DVD Ripper for Windows, Mac (Free, paid option available)

 

5. WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro

In addition to WinX, I’ve really enjoyed WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro. It’s simple to use, making DVD ripping easy. Just pop in a DVD, select your preferred output format, and start digitizing your DVDs. WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro lets you quickly backup DVDs in as little as five minutes, and can create 1:1 copies for top-notch quality.
WonderFox Makes Ripping DVDs Easy WonderFox Makes Ripping DVDs Easy Want to rip your DVDs to your computer easily and in full quality? WonderFox makes this happen. Read More Download: WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro for Windows ($30)

 

6. Aurora

Aurora is free Blu-ray ripper that sports cross-platform compatibility. It will burn the Blu-ray disc into an ISO file, and then burn the ISO file onto a blank disc. Alternatively, simply use media server software such as Plex to play your ISO files. This is a powerful Blu-ray decrypter that’s fast and free.
While Aurora includes a robust feature set, it’s limited as Blu-ray ripping software. You may copy a Blu-ray to an ISO file. Unlike options such as Handbrake, WinX DVD Ripper, or MakeMKV, you won’t find additional video file output formats or compression tools.
Still, Blu-ray ripping is indeed speedy and it’s a robust Blu-ray ripper with Mac and Windows installers.
Download: Aurora for Windows, Mac (Free)

 

7. CloneDVD and CloneBD

Image Credit: CloneDVD

Aptly named, CloneDVD clones your DVDs. Simply insert your disc, select which chapters you want copied, choose your language, whether you want subtitles, then rip your DVD.
Once the file, in DVD format, has been copied to your computer, you can burn the ISO to a blank DVD disc, use software like Handbrake to convert your DVD file to an MP4, or mount the ISO file on your computer using a virtual drive.
Aside from its DVD backup utility, there’s Blu-ray ripping software as well. CloneBD can backup entire Blu-ray discs as ISO files, or output to the likes of MKV, AVI, and MP4.
Download: CloneDVD for Windows ($36)
Download: CloneBD for Windows ($92)

 

8. DVD Shrink

DVD Shrink is unique in its ability to backup an entire movie and compress it for burning to a blank DVD. A standard DV-R/RW disc is 4.7GB whereas most common films exceed that size. Therefore, DVD Shrink compresses the data from the original disc, making the file as small as possible.
You can create a compilation from one or more source discs, as well as discard any parts you don’t need. This software provides a solution to rip an entire DVD to your computer or reauthor the video to abandon chunks you don’t need.
Download: DVDShrink for Windows (Free)

 

9. VLC Player

While there are loads of video playback apps, VLC remains one of the most popular and feature-rich media players.
7 Top Secret Features Of The Free VLC Media Player 7 Top Secret Features Of The Free VLC Media Player That VLC pretty much plays everything that you throw at it is old news. It is also a media genie when it comes to other things apart from playing movies. We looked at some of... Read More VLC Player rightfully earned its reputation for being able to play virtually any video format you might want to watch. Although it’s commonly considered the go-to for media playback, you may use VLC to rip a DVD or Blu-ray.
Merely choose what you want converted, select No disc menus if you don’t want menus, point VLC to the disc drive on your computer, then click Convert/Save. Ripping can take quite some time, though. Some users have reported it taking up to two hours. Options like MakeMKV or Freemake can do it in 15-20 minutes.
Download: VLC for Windows, Mac, Linux (Free)

 

10. DVDFab

DVDFab is a bit of DVD ripping software which received a lot of positive praise. As well as being able to rip a DVD to your computer in standard formats, it can also rip only the audio. So if you ‘d like music from a film or show, then DVD Fab can grab it for you.
Batch conversion allows you to rip more than one title at a time. Specify exactly the start point and end point that you want converted in a disc, and you can also automatically crop the screen to show what you want. For a nifty Blu-ray decrypter, check out DVDFab’s Blu-ray ripper.
Download: DVDFab for Windows, Mac ($55)
Download: DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper for Windows, Mac ($65)

 

 

11. DVD Decrypter

As the name suggests, DVD Decrypter is an awesome free DVD ripper. While its official site shut down in 2005, it’s still available via an unofficial mirror. Ridiculously easy to use, DVD Decrypter loads title information making it easy to back up an entire or partial disc. Overall, it’s an excellent DVD ripping software option that’s totally free.
Download: DVD Decrypter for Windows (Free)

The Best Tools for Ripping DVDs and Blu-rays

While these are the 11 best DVD and Blu-ray ripping tools available, there are plenty of options to rip a DVD to your computer. Which option you choose depends on whether you’re ripping Blu-rays or DVDs, what file formats you prefer, ideal quality, and more.
Once you’ve digitized your movie and TV show collection, learn how to watch your media from anywhere using Plex!
Your Guide To Plex - The Awesome Media Center Your Guide To Plex - The Awesome Media Center If you have a lot of locally-saved movies and TV shows, you need to install Plex. And this is the only guide to getting started with Plex you'll ever need to read. Read More

Source:  https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/9-tools-easily-rip-dvds-blu-rays-computer/