VideoLAN's VLC media player has released VLC 1.0.0, or "Goldeneye” just three months after releasing version 9. VLC runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux and plays most of the codecs that other players will not touch with a barge pole. It is also Open Sauce which means it is free to a good home.

The media player is jolly popular among those who have ever heard of it. It attracts a wide range of developers who have a problem with the more proprietary players from Apple or Microsoft. The new version can manage live recording, instant pausing and frame-by-frame support, and better speed controls. It can play new HD codecs such as AES3, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, Blu-ray Linear PCM, Real Video 3.0 and 4.0 and new formats such as Raw Dirac, and M2TS.

There is a new Dirac encoder and MP3 fixed-point encoder, video scaling in full screen, RTSP Trickplay support, zipped file playback, customisable toolbars and AirTunes streaming. On the whole it is difficult to see why you would use a player that you had to pay for.