Reviews of VLC (VideoLAN) for Windows

1. 
   DudeBoyz

   Reviewing 2.0.1 (May 5, 2012)

   Installed this over top of an earlier 1.x version and am a little uptight because 1, my old skin doesn't work (no biggie) but 2, because it took every file association related to media from every other app on my system.
   
   I need to look into what happened, but if I can't find a way to prevent that, I will not be able to give it more than 2 stars.
   
   If it works properly and installs properly, then it is probably a 4 star app. But if in their arrogance they decided that during install the want to take over everything in the hopes you won't mind, that's not good.
   
   Maybe someone will have an answer. If I find one, I'll update the review.
2. 
   Landsnes

   Reviewing 2.0.1 (Apr 27, 2012)

   (Reviewing on Win7 64bit)
   
   Brilliant media player!
   
   This version fixed all issues I experienced with v.2.0.0. Significant improvements in image, sound and subtitle quality. Many useful features and playback customisation options (e.g. GPU acceleration & advanced rendering). Excellent work!
3. 
   SteveJohnSteele

   Reviewing 2.0.1 (Mar 19, 2012)

   I use VLC player because I can tweak the playback speed (I watch everything at 110%) previously this worked without any problems, however today 2.0.1 was messing up (not correctly updating areas of the screen). I hope this is just a gremlin and will vanish (perhaps after a restart). Playback at normal speed is fine.
4. 
   Hilbert

   Reviewing 2.0.0 (Mar 2, 2012)

   This is a review of Win VLC/VideoLAN 2.0.0 but essentially it's just an addition to my earlier reviews, the last one being for ver 1.2.0 Pre 3 (Jan 5, 2012).
   
   I've only done a brief check of VLC version 2.0.0 as it completely killed the streaming audio from my radio station feeds thus was completely uninstalled after a few tests. In the immediate short term WMP was then reassigned the common formats/extensions and all was well again. (Incidentally, VLC 1.2.0 Pre 3 was on the machine prior to the installation of v2 and had been assigned streaming (and it worked), v2 broke that function.)
   
   During the brief review time I did ascertain essentially that VLC 2.0.0 still retains all the same problematic issues I encountered and outlined in the earlier 1.2.0 Pre 3 review but now with the addition of the streaming fault. (As my review of 1.2.0 Pre 3 wasn't extensive, the caveat is that I've likely missed much.)
   
   The more I see of VLC the more I reckon it's like the kernel of a student project (or is managed as such). Each semester a new batch of students comes along and each student is assigned a part of the project to work on. Some issues are improved, some fixed whilst still others are broken. With the next semester, development starts all over again with a new group, thus we've reasons why there's an overall lack of focus in VLC's development.
   
   Pity really, for with reasonable management and clear objectives, VLC has the potential to be a good player; however, as it stands now with version 2.0.0, it's still very rough and ready. By my standards it's not yet prime-time material.
   
   @carlvui
   ------------
   
   Thanks for your comments, much appreciated. Glad you liked the SciAm article. The facts are that thoroughly evaluating software is difficult, time-consuming and demanding. Yet even after rigorous testing major show-stopping faults are still often found. I know from experience having done the job for years (often with mission-critical software too). Many reviewers, including numbers of those who write for IT magazines, only do superficial software reviews. Usually they stick to the main features or bits the reviewer specifically uses--and if they work OK then the review is a glowing one. Usually, ordinary users are more easily satisfied when they find their small sub-set of features works OK for them. It's the boring, tedious bits--compatibility, long-term driver stability, inappropriate interaction with the O/S and other software, and the testing of the lesser features etc. which require all the rigor.
5. 
   VelvetElvis

   Reviewing 2.0.0 (Feb 26, 2012)

   Finally fixed the pixellation problem when manually advancing, that's plagued it for eons.

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