VLC is undoubtedly one of the best and most popular media players around. VLC Media Player is a free open source cross-platform multimedia player. It is a great media player that can play almost any media format. It does not require any codecs and can actually decode the videos faster than other media players that do require codecs to be installed in your system. It can also play just about any type of file you throw at it, even if the file itself is damaged, incomplete, or unfinished. Besides the above, did you know that VLC is the Swiss Army Knife of video players with features that are hidden and unknown to the casual user? In this article, we will discuss five such hidden features of VLC Media Player. Top 5 hidden VLC Media Player Features

  1. Record Your Desktop For all that is worth it, VLC Media Player is a superb screen recorder in itself. VLC is able to record a video of your desktop, acting as a screen recorder. To enable desktop recording, go to Media > Convert/Save. Go to the Capture Device tab and on the Capture mode drop-down menu, select Desktop. Select your frame rate under desired frame rate for the capture. If you’re just recording your desktop, 15 fps should be adequate. Increase it to 30 fps for fast-paced movement. Then, click Convert/Save. Finally, select your codec and where you want to save your output and click Start. VLC will silently record in the background. When you are done, return to the app and click Stop.
  2. Convert Video Files Did you know that you can convert your media files into various formats without using any additional software? To start, go to Media > Convert/Save. Click the Add button to select your file and then choose Convert from the drop-down box in the bottom right-hand corner. On the next screen, select the type of file you want to convert and give the file a name and location under Destination. Finally, click Start.
  3. Play and (Safely) Download YouTube Videos VLC doesn’t provide a direct option for you to download YouTube video but you can play workaround. It can help you to directly download link of your desired YouTube video. To watch a YouTube video, navigate to File > Open Network Stream and paste the YouTube URL of the video in question. It will start playing after a couple of seconds of loading. If you want to download a video to your computer, navigate to Tools > Codec Information and copy the text from the Location box at the bottom of the screen. Paste the text into your browser and the video will start playing. Right-click and select Save Video As and save it locally.
  4. Rip A DVD No need to buy those costly DVD ripping software if you have VLC Media Player on your PC/laptop. You can simply create an archive of your DVD’s for backup purposes by using VLC or view them when you do not have access to the physical disc. Go to Media > Convert/Save and click on the Disc tab. Under Disc Selection, click on the radio button of the media disc you are using and check No disc menu. Ensure that the chosen Disc device is correct and click Convert/Save. Select the codec you wish to save in and save it with the extension that is compatible with your codec.
  5. Subscribe to Podcasts VLC is a fully-featured and highly-powerful podcast manager. To access the podcast menu, go to View > Playlist and scroll down until you come to Podcasts (you will find this listed under the Internet subsection). To add a podcast, hover your mouse over Podcast option. Find “+” and click on it. Then, enter URL of the Podcast and click ok. Choose podcast to grab its tracks and play it. Since there are a number of VLC Media Player hidden features, we might have missed some from the list! Let us know your favorite hidden feature or tips and tricks of VLC in the comments mentioned below.