VLC is renowned as a leading multiplatform media player, and its creator, VideoLAN, has been diligently working on a significant upgrade. Users can soon take advantage of AI-generated subtitles available in various languages, even when offline.
AI-Generated Subtitles Set to Arrive on VLC
During CES 2025, VideoLAN showcased this innovative technology and shared video demonstrations of its functionality. In essence, VLC will harness AI to automatically produce subtitles for video content. The AI is designed to translate these subtitles into different languages, functioning offline and in real time.
“While we have automated translation operating to convert subtitles into your preferred language,” Kempf mentions, with aspirations to support over 100 languages. “The key feature is that this operates locally on your device, offline, without the need for cloud services. It executes directly within the program.”
VideoLAN demonstrated through several videos on X how open-source AI models are capable of generating real-time subtitles in various languages. The company assures that this feature will be applicable not just for pre-recorded videos, but also for live streams.
As reported by The Verge, VideoLAN had previously been developing a plugin utilizing OpenAI’s Whisper for subtitle generation, but the recent demonstration appears to introduce a native feature directly integrated into the VLC application. There is still uncertainty regarding when this feature will be publicly launched.
In March 2024, VideoLAN revealed its ongoing work on VLC version 4.0, marking a substantial update that will revamp “the entire core” of the application. This forthcoming update, which remains in development, promises a refreshed user interface amongst other new functionalities. Additionally, VideoLAN is also working on a version for the Apple Vision Pro.
Visit the app’s official website to find download links for VLC.
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