Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

What is VLC for? ? use Win Movie Maker to watch movies?

Mar 29, 2012 10:25AM PDT

Hi out there!
I noticed that my laptop came with something called VLC, it looks like is for playing media.
I really don't understand their instructions.
Can I use this to watch my movies in my laptop?
Also, how can I use win movie maker ( Win 7 ) to watch movies in my laptop?

How can I do this with my laptop, wireless router, and HDTV?

Thanks everyone!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
VLC
Mar 29, 2012 9:35PM PDT

VLC is just a replacement media player. Nothing special except it does have it's own codecs that enable it to play media that other media players will not.

Can you use it to watch movies? Yes, normal and HD, but probably not Blu-ray.

Why do you want to use Windows' Movie Maker to watch movies? It edits movies like those movies you record with your digital movie camera.

How to use VLC with your laptop? Just play them.

How to use VLC with a wireless router? If the laptop is connected to the internet via the laptop, then you watch movies via your internet browser.

I don't have an HDTV so I can't answer that one, sorry.

Mark

- Collapse -
Answer
Whatching movies with HDTV.
Mar 29, 2012 9:44PM PDT

Just tune the TV to the broadcaster (like CBS, BBC) that broadcasts the movie you want to see. But your cable provider might offer movie-on-demand using a box also. You don't even need a laptop or wireless router for that.

Kees

- Collapse -
Thanks so much, But.....
Mar 30, 2012 1:36AM PDT

Hi!
Thanks for your answer, BUT, perhaps I should explain my self, more clearly.
What I am wanting to know is, how can I watch my own movies, that I have saved in my laptop, on my HDTV?

In other words, I have a movie saved in my laptop. I do not want to sit huddled around my laptop, watching it on a little screen. I want to comfortably watch it on my HDTV.

How do I do that with a wireless router?

Do I have to buy something to "connect" the laptop to the TV? Or, is there a way of doing this, without having to purchasing something?

Something I DID discover, on my own, last night, was how to burn a movie to disc, using my Win 7 DVD maker!
YAAAY! One point for a determined "Newbie" Grandma! It actually works!
However, I CANNOT figure out how to get it to burn, in "wide zoom", which uses the entire TV screen, rather than "full", which only uses about 2/3's of the screen.

Anyway, I hope you can continue to help me!
Thanks again!

- Collapse -
Re: movies
Mar 30, 2012 5:45AM PDT

The three usual ways:
1. Turn your laptop into a DLNA server (your TV needs to support DLNA via the router, either wired or wireless).
2. Connect the hdmi out of your laptop to the hdmi in of your TV (using a hdmi cable) and play on the laptop.
3. Copy the movies to an external harddisk or USB stick and see if the TV can play them from those devices.
One of them might work good enough for you.

Kees

- Collapse -
WoW! Good Ideas!
Mar 30, 2012 10:40AM PDT

Hi!

Thanks so much! I can't wait, until I have free time in a day or so, to try these ideas!
I'll let you know how they work out!
Thanks for the brainstorming, for me!
You are wonderful!