VLC 4.0 Rewrite Brings New Media Engine and Redesigned Interface

VideoLAN has shared a detailed preview of VLC 4.0, a major rewrite of the world's most popular open-source media player that introduces a new media engine, a redesigned interface, and a completely new plugin architecture. The new media engine, called LibVLC 4, has been rewritten to support modern codecs including AV1, VVC, and EVC, with improved hardware decoding support across all platforms. The engine also includes a new audio pipeline with better spatial audio support. The interface has been redesigned from scratch with a focus on simplicity and consistency across platforms. The new design uses a unified layout for desktop and mobile, with a media library that automatically organizes your local files. The plugin architecture has been modernized to make it easier for developers to extend VLC with new features. The existing plugin ecosystem will need to be updated for compatibility with VLC 4. VLC 4.0 is expected to enter public beta in the coming months. VLC remains completely free and open-source under the GPL-2.0 license.