SOFTWARE - VIDEO - 02.02.2015

Extra functions in VLC

Details

VLC ( http://www.videolan.org ) is a free “open source� program which is popular among Windows, Mac and Linux users. It can handle almost all video and audio formats without requiring the installation or configuration of “codecs�. Subtitles (e.g. SRT files) are supported as well. We put some of the less well-known functions to the test.

Download YouTube videos

There are lots of (online) tools which enable you to download YouTube videos, such as YouTubeInMp4 ( http://youtubeinmp4.com ). However, did you know this is possible in VLC too? Choose Media in the menu and then select the Open Network Stream option (or use the shortcut Ctrl-N). In the entry field, paste the URL of the YouTube video you wish to download and then click on the arrow beside the Play button. Select the Convert option at the bottom, choose the desired destination via Browse, give the file a name and specify the desired output format (e.g. myvideo.mp4 ). Click on Start , and the video will be downloaded and saved on your hard disk. Note. Depending on the length of the video, this may take several minutes.

Making screencasts of your desktop

There are several webtools which let you make digital recordings of anything that’s happening on your screen, such as ScreenCastle ( http://www.screencastle.com ) and Screencast-O-Matic ( http://www.screencast-o-matic.com ). VLC also lets you create such screencasts, e.g. to make an instruction video for your customers or colleagues. Here’s how it’s done: in the Media menu, click on Open Capture Device (or Ctrl-C) and choose the Desktop option in Capture Mode . Next, you can set the desired frame rate for the capture. Start with a frame rate of 15 fps - if this appears to have been too slow, try again using, e.g., 30 fps. Now click on the arrow beside the Play button and choose Convert . Use Browse to select the destination location and enter a name and the desired output format. When you now click on Start , the recording will be launched. Anything you do on your desktop will be recorded from then onwards. When you’re done, click on the Stop button in the bottom toolbar, and you can immediately view the recording.

Recording images of your webcam

Interestingly, VLC also enables you to make recordings using your webcam. Again, go to the Media menu and choose the Open Capture Device (Ctrl-C), selecting “DirectShow� as the capture mode. In Device Selection , choose your webcam and microphone. Finally, use the arrow beside the Play button to choose the Convert option. The rest of the process happens as described above.

Convert video files

You can convert video files online via a website such as Zamzar ( http://www.zamzar.com ), but VLC also offers such a function. Click on Media and select Convert/Save (or use the Ctrl-R shortcut). Next, select the file to be converted and click on the Convert/Save button at the bottom. In the next step, you should specify the destination of the converted file, enter a name and choose the desired output format. Click on Start and the video will be converted.