VLC 3.0 Expands 4K HDR, 8K, 360-Degree Video Support (Updated)

Updated, 02/12/2018, 7:15am PT: The original post erroneously stated that Chromecast support was closed source. We have amended the copy below.

VideoLAN VLC 3.0 “Vetinari” is now available. The new version of the popular video playback software now supports even more video formats and includes hardware acceleration support for high-end video formats, including 4K video with HDR color and 8K video feeds.

VLC 3.0 also supports up to 8K 360-degree video formats, along with 3D audio to enhance the experience. VideoLAN said that VLC 3.0 also supports customizable HRTF (head related transfer function) to simulate spatial audio from standard 5.1 and 7.1 sources, such as Blu-Rays.

VLC also offers better support for Blu-Ray movies. VLC 3.0 includes full support for BD-j menus so that you can access the disc's features. However, VLC does not support Blu-Ray decryption. That task must be performed outside VLC.

VLC 3.0 is also now network-enabled. You can now access content from NAS devices and local network drives through VLC’s menus. The software also includes support for Google’s Chromecast devices, which enables you to stream any VLC-compatible content to a network-attached Chromecast device. This feature even supports content that Chromecast doesn’t natively support. VLC can convert any video file into a format that the Chromecast device can read.

Google's Chromecast API isn't open source, so VideoLAN didn't use Google's API. The developer created new code which is "100% open source" to support playback from traditinally unsupported source formats and devices.

VLC 3.0 “Vetinari” is available now for Windows (installer and UWP), OS X, Android, iOS, and even Windows Phone. The Linux install isn’t available on the website, but it is available upon request.