How to Use Vlc Media Player to Stream Multimedia to Another

This updated guide examines How to Use Vlc Media Player to Stream Multimedia to Another and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Part 1of 3:

Preparing to Stream

1. Install VLC Media Playeron both computers. If you haven't yet done so, you'll need to install VLC Media Player on both the computer that you want to use to stream and the computer on which you want to receive the stream.
   • VLC is available for free on both Windows and Mac computers, as well as on most Linux distributions.
2. Find the IP addressof both computers. to stream a video from your computer to another computer on your network, you'll need to know the IP address of both computers.
3. Make sure that both computers are on the same network. Both your computer and the other computer must be connected to the same Internet network (e.g., your home router) for you to be able to stream video to the other computer.
   • If your router has multiple channels (e.g., a 2.4 GHz channel and a 5.0 GHz channel), make sure that both computers are on the same channel as well.
4. Understand that streaming may not work on your network. If your network has a low upload speed or several items using it at once (e.g., phones, consoles, other computers, etc.), you may be unable to stream across your network. This can be remedied by upgrading your Internet speed through your service provider.
   • If your router and/or modem are more than a few years old, attempting to stream may cause one or both of them to crash.

Part 2of 3:

Streaming on Windows

1. Open VLC Media Player. Its app icon resembles an orange-and-white traffic cone.
2. ClickMedia. This tab is in the top-left corner of the VLC Media Player window. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. ClickStream…. It's near the bottom of the Media drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Stream window.
4. ClickAdd…. You'll see this button on the right side of the window in the "File selection" section. This will prompt a File Explorer window to open.
5. Select a video. Click a video that you want to stream. You may first have to select a folder in the left-hand sidebar or open a folder in the main File Explorer window to find the file that you want.
6. ClickOpen. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will add the video to the stream.
7. ClickStream. You'll find it at the bottom of the window.
8. ClickNext. It's in the bottom-right side of the window. Doing so takes you to the Destination Setup window.
9. Click the "New destination" drop-down box. This drop-down box usually has the word "File" in it. A drop-down menu will appear.
10. ClickHTTP. It's in the drop-down box.
11. ClickAdd. This is to the right of the HTTP box. Doing so opens the HTTP setup page.
12. Note the port listed here. You'll need to know through which port the stream is traveling later.
13. Enter the other computer's IP address. Do this in the "Path" text field. You'll notice a slash (/) in the "Path" field—don't delete the slash when entering your IP address.
14. ClickNext.
15. Uncheck the "Activate Transcoding" box. It's near the top of the window.
16. Click the "Profile" drop-down box. You'll find this on the right side of the window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
17. Select the "TS" format. Click Video - H.264 + MP3 (TS) in the drop-down menu.
18. ClickNext.
19. Check the "Stream all elementary streams" box. It's near the top of the page.
20. ClickStream. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will complete the stream setup and begin streaming your video to the other computer.
21. Open VLC on the other computer.
22. Open the Network Stream window. Click Media , then click Open Network Stream… .
23. Enter the stream's address. Type inhttp://ipaddress:portwhere "ipaddress" is the streaming computer's IP address and "port" is the port number that was listed on the "HTTP" page.
    • For a stream from a computer with an IP address of 123.456.7.8 and a port of 8080, you would typehttp://123.456.7.8:8080here.
24. ClickPlay. After a delay of as many as 30 seconds, you should see the other computer's video begin playing in your media player.

Part 3of 3:

Streaming on Mac

1. Open VLC Media Player. Its app icon resembles an orange-and-white traffic cone.
2. ClickFile. This menu item is in the upper-left side of the Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
3. ClickStreaming/Exporting Wizard…. You'll find this option near the bottom of the drop-down menu.
4. Check the "Stream to network" box. It's near the top of the window.
5. ClickNext. This blue button is in the bottom-right side of the window.
6. ClickChoose…. It's to the right of the "Select a stream" text box. A Finder window will open.
   • The "Select a stream" checkbox should be checked, but if it isn't, check it before clicking Choose... here.
7. Select a video. Click a video that you want to stream. You may first have to click a folder in the left-hand Finder pane or open a folder in the main Finder window to find the video.
8. ClickOpen. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window.
9. ClickNext.
10. Check the "HTTP" box. This option is in the middle of the page. You should see "Port" and a "Source" (or "Path") text fields appear on the page.
11. Note the port listed here. You'll need to know through which port the stream is traveling later.
12. Enter the other computer's IP address. Do this in the "Source" or "Path" text field.
    • If there's a slash (/) in the text field, leave it there and enter the IP address after it.
13. ClickNext.
14. Make sure that both "Transcode" boxes are unchecked. Both of these should be in the middle of the page.
15. ClickNext.
16. Check the "MPEG TS" box. It's in the middle of the page. This may be the only option that you have for the stream.
17. ClickNexttwice. Do this on the current page and on the "Additional streaming options" page.
18. ClickFinish. It's a blue button at the bottom of the window. Doing so completes your stream setup and begins streaming to the other computer.
19. Open VLC on the other computer.
20. Open the Network Stream window. Click File , then click Open Network… .
21. Enter the stream's address. Type inhttp://ipaddress:portwhere "ipaddress" is the streaming computer's IP address and "port" is the port number that was listed on the "HTTP" page.
    • For a stream from a computer with an IP address of 123.456.7.8 and a port of 8080, you would typehttp://123.456.7.8:8080here.
22. ClickPlay. After a delay of as many as 30 seconds, you should see the other computer's video begin playing in your media player.