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How to Play 360 Video in VLC: Enjoying 360-Degree Videos

360-degree videos, also known as immersive or spherical videos, allow viewers to look around in all directions while the video plays. This creates an immersive experience that places the viewer inside the video. The popular VLC media player supports playback of 360-degree videos, providing an easy way to enjoy this exciting new video format on your desktop computer.

What You Need to Play 360 Videos in VLC

To play 360 videos in VLC, you will need:

  • VLC Media Player version 3.0 or higher – Earlier versions do not support 360 video playback. VLC 3.0 was released in 2018 with 360 video support.
  • A 360 video file – This can be a video you recorded yourself using a 360 camera, or a 360 video you downloaded from a site like YouTube or Facebook. Common 360 video formats like equirectangular are supported.
  • A computer with a mouse – You need a mouse to click and drag to look around the 360 video. A keyboard is also recommended for improved control.

As long as you have VLC 3.0+ and a 360 video file, playing 360 videos is quick and easy.

How to Play 360 Videos in VLC

Follow these simple steps:

  1. Launch VLC Media Player on your computer.
  2. Click Media > Open File or press Ctrl+O.
  3. Browse to your 360 video file and open it.
  4. VLC will automatically detect the 360 video metadata and enable viewing controls.
  5. Click and drag your mouse while the video plays to look around the 360 scene!

VLC makes viewing 360 videos intuitive. As you move your mouse, the viewpoint will shift to match, creating an immersive first-person experience.

Additional Controls for 360 Videos

Beyond clicking and dragging with your mouse, VLC offers additional controls when playing 360 video:

Zoom In/Out – Use the Page Up and Page Down keys. Helpful for examining details more closely.

Tilt Up/Down – The Up and Down arrow let you tilt the viewing angle up and down.

Rotate Left/Right – Left and Right arrows rotate the horizontal viewing angle.

Playback Speed – Use the + and – keys to speed up or slow down playback. Very useful for longer videos.

Reset View – Press R to reset the viewpoint back to the default center.

Feel free to experiment with these controls to find the viewing experience you prefer. VLC makes it easy to get the most out of 360 videos.

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

For those that want to fine-tune settings, VLC offers advanced configuration options specifically for 360 video playback.

To access the settings:

  1. Open VLC and go to Tools > Preferences
  2. Under “Show settings” select “All”
  3. Go to the Video > Projectors > Active Projector page

Here you can modify options like:

  • Yaw/Pitch/Roll offsets
  • Field of View
  • Viewpoint Direction
  • Zoom levels

Adjust them to suit your preferences. Just be careful, as it’s easy to get turned around! Reset View (R key) brings you back to center.

Troubleshooting 360 Playback Issues

If VLC struggles to play your 360 videos smoothly, try these troubleshooting steps:

  • Update your graphics drivers – 360 playback requires strong GPU support. Keep drivers updated.
  • Lower the video resolution – High-res 4K or 8K 360 videos may overwhelm your hardware. Try a lower resolution video.
  • Disable GPU decoding – Go to Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs > Hardware-accelerated decoding and disable it. This allows the CPU to handle decoding and may fix lagging or stuttering.
  • Try a different video player – 5KPlayer and KMPlayer also support 360 playback if VLC struggles.

I hope this guide covered everything you need to start enjoying 360 videos with VLC Media Player! Just remember to upgrade to VLC 3.0 or later, get a 360 video file, and click and drag your mouse to look around. Have fun!

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