VLC 3.0 Update Adds Cross-Platform 4K and 8K Hardware Decoding, HDR10, Chromecast Support, and More - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

VLC 3.0 Update Adds Cross-Platform 4K and 8K Hardware Decoding, HDR10, Chromecast Support, and More

by

VideoLAN on Friday released VLC 3.0 "Vetinari", a major update to the popular media player that is rolling out across all platforms, including macOS, iOS, and tvOS.

Version 3 includes a huge number of new features and improvements to the app, including automatic hardware decoding for 4K and 8K playback, support for 10-bit HDR, 360-degree video and 3D audio, and Chromecast streaming with support for non-native formats.

Screen Shot 32
VLC now works with Blu-Ray Java menus and features network browsing support for local network and NAS drives, including those with SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS filesystems. The iOS app has also been optimized for iPhone X displays, while on Mac, Chromecast streaming to supported devices can be found in the menu bar under Playback -> Renderer.

Among many other changes and improvements in VLC Vetinari, further standout features include: a redesigned and resizable fullscreen controller; a new status bar icon which displays metadata and play controls; support for keyboard blacklight dimming during fullscreen video playback; significant performance improvements in playlist handling; and a simplified preferences window. Check the online changelog for the complete list of updates.

VLC 3.0 is a free downloaded for Mac from the VideoLan website. (Note that version 3.0.0 of VLC removes support for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and requires Mac systems to run OS X 10.7 Lion or later.) VLC 3.0.0 is already available on the tvOS App Store, but the iPhone and iPad update still appears to be rolling out as of writing.

Tag: VLC

Top Rated Comments

HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
114 months ago
Wow! Way to go VLC team! A big pile of video upgrades for a whopping cost of free, and no ongoing subscription required either. Amazing.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
berrymetal Avatar
114 months ago
I switched to IINA and never looked back...
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kabeyun Avatar
114 months ago
First I’m hearing about 8K. Wow. That’s a lot of K. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. At a certain point consumers really won’t need any more K, but there’ll always be a push for more K. At 4K, I already get treated to the skin pores of the actors I’m watching. With 8K I’ll be able to enjoy actors’ pimples and pores on a screen the size of a bus. I think the K people might be in cahoots with the TV people. I guess that’s O-K.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Secondempire Avatar
114 months ago
I like the new Yosemite style icon. Call it OCD if you want, but the old Leopard style icon was really annoying after macOS went flat.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nathansz Avatar
114 months ago
surprised to read so much vlc hate.

must be near 20 years and over many different os from mac to win to bsd and back again and countless machines from the shiniest new box to the alley salvage find. vlc is always one of the first few softwares i put on a machine

it’s never failed me and always does what i need it to do

for me, it always has and still does play any video file, in any format, from any source (networked or locally) at the best possible quality given the machine it is running on

and it can do so much more than that

for free software to have that kind of quality and longevity is amazing

to me anyway


if it doesn’t work for you than yr prob doing it wrong
[doublepost=1518337792][/doublepost]
Respect to VLC for making an effort here, but most people stopped using VLC years ago because it's so resource heavy.
what do you mean by “resource heavy” exactly?

i’ve always found vlc to be quite capable on machines with slow old cpu’s and meagre amounts of ram
[doublepost=1518338575][/doublepost]
I tried on my 2017 iMac and VLC doesn't seem to use HW acceleration for 4K HEVC.
IINA does it.
what real world use case does this difference affect
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haddy Avatar
114 months ago
If you are on macOS you should be using IINA. It has the most streamline "mac/quicktime look" out of any player in respect to the power it packs. It's got everything and possibly the most power out of any Mac video player. It's still in development (alpha currently), but runs like it's polished. It is based on the MPV player.

If you are on Windows you should be using MPC-HC with customization guides out there to get the best for your needs. When I need to bitstream Dolby Atmos to my theater set-up, and make sure the projector is also getting the best frames through 'madVR' and filters, MPC-HC covers everything I need.

Respect to VLC for making an effort here, but most people stopped using VLC years ago because it's so resource heavy.
Ok...used IINA for awhile but couldn't get my Mira infrared remote to work with it (had to use my mouse). VLC does. And to be honest VLC seems actually better than IINA.....so i'll wait until IINA comes of age before trying it again.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display family lineup feature

Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo. Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
iPad mini OLED feature 1

Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:47 pm PDT by
While the new iPad mini has an OLED display, the device does not support ProMotion, meaning the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz. ProMotion support would have allowed for the iPad mini's refresh rate to automatically adjust from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, but evidently Apple has kept the feature exclusive to the iPad Pro among iPad...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Opened Pre-Orders for Five New Products This Week

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:49 am PDT by
Apple opened pre-orders for five new products on Wednesday, October 28, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. Pre-orders opened for the following new products: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen Pre-orders for the iPad mini,...
Latest Stories
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
43 minutes ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
1 hour ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
8 hours ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
9 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
10 hours ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
10 hours ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
11 hours ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
12 hours ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
13 hours ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
14 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
15 hours ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
15 hours ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
16 hours ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
17 hours ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
17 hours ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
18 hours ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
18 hours ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
19 hours ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
19 hours ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
19 hours ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
21 hours ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
22 hours ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
1 day ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
1 day ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
1 day ago
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
Apple Lowers App Store Fees in Taiwan Starting October 31
2 days ago
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
2 days ago
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
2 days ago
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
2 days ago
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
2 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors