VLC returns to iOS and launches on Windows Phone, Windows RT, and Android TV

VLC is having a big day. The app, which is essentially the Swiss Army knife of video players, is returning to the iPhone and iPad following a long absence after the release of iOS 8. It’s also launching on a ton of other platforms: it’s coming to Windows Phone, Windows RT (though its download isn’t working at press time), and Android TV as a public beta for the first time today. The first non-beta version of VLC is also arriving on Android today, and there are even some updates for Windows and OS X. Basically, everyone can now share in the fun of playing back unusual, nerdy, and arcane video formats.

All of those releases come with a number of new features, too. They’re now able to detect videos that are shot in portrait and properly rotate them. The Android app is getting a visual update to better match Google’s Material Design guidelines, and the OS X app is now supposed to conform better with Yosemite’s new style. Resuming playback where you left off is coming from mobile to the desktop, and VLC says that it’s improving support for playback of UltraHD formats like H.265.

“I’m very happy about those releases,” Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of VLC dev VideoLAN, says in a statement. “Moving VLC to the mobile world was difficult, but the difficult[y] is done. VLC runs everywhere, plays everything.” It’s not clear if VideoLAN intends to continue synchronizing VLC’s updates, but it says that doing so for this release led to an “unprecedented level” of stability and innovation. It also says that there’ll be additional work coming from this later in the year. That’ll include the release of VLC 3.0, which will bring support for the Chromecast.