VLC's Jean-Baptiste Kempf Receives the European SFS Award 2025
22 comments
·November 7, 2025cocoto
The award is well deserved, VLC was a godsend a few years ago but I’m not sure what VLC brings to the table nowadays. All other players play videos just fine on Linux now. I guess VLC is only a thing on Windows because the default software is crap. On Linux almost everyone now use whatever is the default player or MPV for the nerds.
gyomu
I used VLC until I looked for a backward frame step functionality. I then found this thread on the VLC forums where the maintainers explain (with bad attitude) why this functionality is technically impossible. Everyone points out that mpv supports it, but the maintainers double down and say they’re Doing It Wrong and it shouldn’t be possible.
So anyways, I switched to mpv.
1313ed01
I use it on my Android phone. Is there a better FOSS media player (or better any media player?).
VLC also still (or at least recently?) provides APKs you can download to install on very old Android versions. I have it installed on a few old Android tablets (and by old I mean something like Android version 4).
MPV everywhere else though.
spookie
MPV is on android too. But VLC is alright
K3UL
I might be wrong but I think the guys at VLC are still very important contributors to ffmpeg, which is still a big deal. They also (kinda recently) developed some really low latency tech for streaming called Kyber So bottomline the player might not be used that much (although on mobile the app is very popular still) but the tech they develop for it, is
ho_schi
Yep.
VLC was not important on Linux. Because we have ffmpeg as foundation, used by mplayer and nowadays mpv. The later is my recommendation. Whether on the tty (awesome!) or on Wayland. If you prefer a native Gtk an interface is available, named Celluloid. In all these cases mpv is mighty, reliable, fits into the environment with a frugal interface.
We’ve also players based on gstreamer but ffmpeg is more reliable.
But the need for a reliable player on Windows, Android, macOS, iOS and tvOS is big. Because their default players suck. VLC comes with an awkward UI and the weird built-in stuff for SMB. But from a 2001 point-of-view it makes sense, LAN-parties are nice and back then they were everywhere. And Windows doesn’t support WebDAV well.
My favorite is mpv. But I’m still tankful that I’ve one usable player in my iPhone.
PS: VLC also uses ffmpeg?
rnewme
> I’m not sure what VLC brings to the table nowadays Lack of backdoors?
DANmode
So, the same value-add as always!
antirez
So many hours of fun watching videos over the years, without the constant fear that some odd codec would make the experience impossible. Thanks, VLC!
DANmode
“If you insert a slice of bologna into the disc tray, VLC will play it.”
entrepy123
Public service announcement: VLC is on iPhone in the App Store, too. (Some people don't know this.)
fcksilvalment
One of the few honorable techies who didn't sell out
wara23arish
I remember using VLC and figuring out how to download subtitles and use them within it.
I suddenly became the computer person of my family at 11 because of that
lucketone
VLC is definitely one of the best projects. Congrats!
alex_duf
well deserved
I've heard he was working on an extremely low latency gaming system: Kyber
Anyone has any recent news on that subject?
jauntywundrkind
Still really hoping his game/app streaming system Kyber eventually materializes! https://kyber.media/ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39929602 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RvosCplkCc
Incredibly accomplished already. What gravy this would be though.
jonplackett
I’m old enough to remember crappiness before VLC. Such a useful piece of software. Well deserved. What a dude.
ttoinou
K Lite Codec Pack + Media Player Classic was great
cornhole
[flagged]
jetru
Thats funny, I met him during GSoC too over a decade ago, and he's been on top of the open source game.
tequila_shot
oook, but why?
If you wondered SFS comes from the SFSCon, which is the South Tyrol Free Software Conference, SFSCON
past winners: https://www.sfscon.it/awards/