After a false start late last month, VLC for Mobile has now arrived on the new Apple TV. VideoLAN officially announced the new Apple TV version of the VLC media player app, which it calls “a full port of VLC media player combined with platform specific features.” VLC enables unsupported media formats to be played on Apple products including the new Apple TV for the first time.
VideoLAN notes that the first version of VLC for Apple TV is notably missing connections to cloud services like Dropbox and OneDrive, but these features are being tested and will be added in the future. The shipping version currently relies on server-based content for media playback on the 4th-gen Apple TV:
VLC for Apple TV also supports remote playback and controlling media playback from a web browser as well. The app let you change playback speed, view album art, and much more. The app is especially notable because apps like it were not sanctioned before on older Apple TVs and only now possible because of the more open tvOS app platform which allows developers to create channels on the new device.
During playback, you’ll be able to add subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org. Login credentials can be securely stored on your Apple TV and will be synchronized to your iPad or iPhone (and the other way around) to ease access.
VLC for Mobile is a universal app so downloading version 2.7.2 on your iPhone or iPad should place the Apple TV app in the purchased section of the tvOS App Store. Otherwise simply search for VLC on the Apple TV App Store as the update is rolling out now.
