VLC Media Player gets a facelift for Mac OS X

Non-profit organization VideoLAN has released a minor update to its open-source and acclaimed cross-platform media player, VLC Media Player 1.1.8. This release is notable largely for the fact the Mac OS X version sports a subtly redesigned interface, but also includes various codec, demuxer and language updates, some new encoder packages and various fixes that apply to all platforms.

VLC Media Player is renowned for being able to handle most video formats without requiring the installation of additional codec packs. All major formats -- including Windows Media Video, QuickTime, Real and Flash -- are supported by VLC, which is also capable of capturing, playing and even streaming video from external sources. These include online streams, DVD, DVB and supported MPEG encoding devices, making it a popular one-stop solution for video playback.

Version 1.1.8 is notable for sporting a redesigned user interface on Mac OS X, which has been designed by Damien Erambert. It's a subtle change, but helps the program look more at home in the Mac environment.

Other changes affect all versions. There are two new encoders: Dirac and VP8/Webm, plus numerous fixes and upgrades to existing codecs, demuxers (including .MP4 and .OGG). There's one security update resolving an issue between video width and some demuxers, plus various miscellaneous fixes, the most notable of which involve improving Windows integration (particularly regarding the volume keys) and auto-detection of .txt file subtitles. There are also major updates to many language translations.

VLC Media Player 1.1.8 is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux.