Normal VLC vs Microsoft Store VLC: Differences and Which is Better

When talking about the reproduction of all kinds of multimedia content from our computers and operating systems, one of the best known programs is VLC . Not to mention the best known and used around the world, both for listening to music, watching movies and series, etc.

And it is that as probably most of you will have already verified first-hand, this is a software full of functions. These, over the years have been made available to everyone to meet the needs of the majority. Thus, at this time we can reproduce practically all types of audio and video content without any problem. This is due to the enormous compatibility of the program, and the codecs that it implements.

Normal VLC vs Microsoft Store VLC: differences and which is better

At the same time, it is worth noting that we can make use of both online content and locally. In addition to all this we add the enormous possibilities of customization and configuration that VLC presents us, some of which we don’t even imagine. But yes, a good part of these advantages that the player presents us, we can take advantage of depending on the version for which we choose.

We tell you this because there are several versions of the same program with very different functionality. For example, in these same lines we are going to focus on those that you can use directly in the Microsoft operating system, we refer to Windows 10. Thus, in this specific case we can opt on the one hand for the Win32 version of VLC that we downloaded from here . But at the same time we have the opportunity to make use of the UWP version that we download from the Microsoft Store.

Developer: VideoLAN


What to use, normal VLC or its UWP version in Windows 10

Although both are from the same developer, VideoLan, their operation and characteristics are very different. In fact, at this point we can say that the native version of Windows 10, the UWP, is much more limited than the Win32. To begin with, we will not be able to play discs in physical format, that is, Blurays or DVDs . That on the one hand, it is also interesting to know that the UWP lacks several codecs that we do find in the version that we download from the developer’s website. Among these we find those corresponding to the reproduction of CDs , DVDs and Blurays that we have discussed.

VLC UWP

For its part, most of the configuration and customization options that we find in VLC Win32, here they have disappeared. Here we actually find the possibility of creating our own playlists, or streaming content via Chromecast. However, the possibilities of customizing the interface disappear, as well as many other functions of VLC Win32. In the main window of the UWP version of Windows we find four main sections, and little else. We are talking about playing video, audio, browsing drives, or playing from an Internet URL.

However, when navigating the many menus of VLC Win32 , we found dozens of customizable options to make the program suit our needs. That is why those who seek the maximum in the multimedia center , the best they can do is opt for the downloadable version of the official website.