With its ability to play most video formats, VLC is regarded as the one video player for all platforms. VLC is also capable of network streaming and format conversion in addition to those other things. Over a local network, this program can stream music and videos.
In this post, we’ll talk about using VLC to stream videos and music over a local network. So you may listen to music and watch some movies wherever you want on a bigger screen, or share your videos with friends and family.
There are two ways to add a network stream to VLC, and those include streaming from your PC to other devices and streaming from an Android device to a PC. You are free to select the one that is best for you.
Also Read: 5 Best HEVC Players for Android
Method 1: Stream from Computer to Other Devices
For this method, Make sure that the WiFi networks of all involved devices are the same. Create a mobile hotspot on your phone and connect to it if you don’t have WiFi.
Configure VLC on Host Computer
● By selecting Stream from the Media menu in VLC, you can start broadcasting the network stream from your computer.
● The Open Media window will show up. By selecting the Add option, you may add the media file you want to stream over the network. Select the file, then select the Stream button.
● The Destination Setup screen will appear next. To enable other devices to connect to your PC and see the stream using the HTTP protocol, choose HTTP. To play the broadcast on the host PC, turn on the Display Locally setting.
● The route is blank by default, and the port is 8080. Nothing needs to be altered. Select Next.
● Select Video – H264 + MP3 after clicking Activate Transcoding on the following screen (MP4). Then, just click the Stream button to begin streaming.
● The IP address of the computer must then be known to supply the URL for the client devices. Open the command prompt to find the IP. On the command line, type “ipconfig” and press Enter. Keep a record of the IP on the IPv4 address.
Start Streaming on Client Devices
- Let’s now head over to the client device that will display the stream. Open the VLC Media player on the client’s computer to connect to the stream from that device. “Open Network Stream” can be found by clicking on the Media menu.
- Enter the host computer’s IP address in the following format on the Open Media Screen: http://IPAddress:8080. The stream should begin playing after you click the Play button.
- Open the VLC app on your smartphone, then choose the More option in the bottom right corner of the screen to watch the stream. Then select New Stream from the menu. Tap the Play button after entering the network address.
- Thankfully, VLC saves previously entered addresses, which will be useful for the next streams. Please be aware that the client device’s Play controls are constrained, making it impossible for users to independently go to particular parts of the video or music. Rewinding and fast-forwarding operations must be performed on the host computer.
Also Check: 11 Best Free Online Video Converters
Method 2: Stream from Android to PC with VLC
We were able to broadcast media content from the PC to other devices using the prior technique. This time, we’ll be streaming to your PC from a mobile device.
Configure VLC on the Client’s Computer
- On your client’s PC, launch VLC. Preferences can then be found under Tools.
- Select Show All Settings from the menu in the lower-left corner. Navigate to Interface by scrolling down the Side Menu that displays. Select Lua from the Main Interfaces menu. Put “vlcdirect” as your password in the Lua HTTP area, then hit Save.
- Utilize the provided link to download the VLCDIRECT.BAT file. It includes a tiny script that will instantly configure the necessary VLC settings. For the script to run, double-click.
- Then access VLC’s View menu. Choose the Add Interface option. Then choose Web.
- If the software firewall on your machine is turned on, a Windows Security Alert can display. The Public and Private Network checkboxes should be selected. Then select the Allow Access box to provide VLC access.
Configure VLC on Host Android Device
- Install the V-Direct app on your Android phone. You can use this software to manage desktop VLC from your phone. After installation, there will be several requests. Give the program permission to connect to your Mac’s or PC’s VLC player. You will also be prompted to launch the previously downloaded VLCDirect file. Choose the ‘I have VLC for Windows’ radio button on the Initial Setup window for our needs. Then select Done.
- Once connected, just browse through your media folders on your phone and touch on the music or video file to start it playing on your PC. Next, V-Direct will search for the web interface running on the Desktop VLC.
Users who have videos on their phones and wish to play them on a larger screen can utilize this method on PCs with very little storage space. From now on, do so each time you want to stream content from your Android device to your PC. On your PC, you must activate the VLC Web interface. To connect the Android device and the PC, select the Automatic Connection Wizard option on your mobile device’s V-Direct screen. Tap Start when you see the Automatic VLC Finder popup.
Conclusion
You now understand how to use VLC to stream videos and music over a local network. Video and other media files can now be streamed via a local network from a PC to a mobile device or another device, as well as from an Android device to a PC. We sincerely hope that this brief instruction was helpful.
You might also get interested in the 10 Best Android Apps to Remove Audio from a Video
