VLC Removal and FFmpeg Transition in LaunchBox 13.24

Written By AstroBob

Last updated 4 months ago

In LaunchBox version 13.24, we officially removed VLC as a supported video playback engine Box and replaced it with FFmpeg. This was not a decision we made lightly, and we understand that it has had real impacts—particularly for theme developers relying on complex video setups.

Why We Moved Away From VLC

For many years, VLC provided powerful media playback capabilities that allowed complex and highly customized themes to shine. However, it came with a growing number of critical issues:

  • Freezing Issues (13.19–13.22): Many users experienced random freezing that required force-closing Big Box. This instability was widely reported.

  • Outdated .NET Wrapper: The wrapper that allowed VLC to function within Big Box hadn’t been updated in over 8 years. Once it started breaking with .NET 9 and newer versions of Windows, we had no way to patch or maintain it.

  • No Long-Term Viability: Continuing to rely on an unmaintained wrapper introduced too much risk for future platform stability.

This led to the decision to remove VLC entirely in version 13.24.

Why We Chose FFmpeg

We introduced FFmpeg as the new default media engine starting in 13.23 because:

  • It’s actively maintained and modern

  • It’s flexible and cross-platform

  • It allows us to iterate and improve over time

That said, FFmpeg has not yet reached parity with VLC in every scenario. Especially in custom themes using TransitionPresenter, IsContentVideo, complex grid layouts, or high-bitrate MP4s, some users have experienced regressions.

We acknowledge these issues, and we’re working to close the gap.

Windows Media Player Still Supported ✅

If FFmpeg isn’t working well for your setup, Windows Media Player (WMP) is still a supported alternative. In many cases, WMP provides smoother playback for common scenarios and is less resource-intensive than VLC ever was.

You can switch to WMP from Big Box’s options menu under:

Options > Video Playback > Video Engine

If you’re encountering issues with FFmpeg, we strongly encourage giving WMP a try.

👉 For a full list of pros and cons comparing FFmpeg and WMP, see here: Video Playback Guide

What This Means for Theme Developers

We know this change has been especially difficult for creators of highly customized Big Box themes. Projects that rely on precise bindings, layered video elements, and curated media packs may not behave the same way under FFmpeg.

We’re actively collecting examples of these themes to test against and improve FFmpeg’s handling. If you’re open to sharing a copy of your theme for testing purposes, please reach out via the forums or our feedback portal so we can investigate further.

Why We’re Not Bringing VLC Back

While VLC worked well for some users on earlier versions, its removal was not a decision we took lightly. Reintroducing it would mean:

  • Restoring a known point of instability

  • Reopening users to hard crashes we cannot fix

  • Relying again on unmaintained, outdated libraries

Ultimately, our goal is long-term sustainability. FFmpeg gives us a future we can build on — and we’ll keep working until it matches the performance you expect.