The VideoLan software malitere dị ka ihe agụmakwụkwọ oru ngo na 1996. VLC na-anọchi anya "VideoLAN Client" mgbe VLC bụ a ahịa nke VideoLAN oru ngo. Ma ebe ọ bụ na VLC bụ agaghịkwa nanị a ahịa, na initialism agaghịkwa emetụta. Ọ e bu n'obi na-agụnye a ahịa na ihe nkesa na-enuba vidiyo si satellite efere gafee a campus netwọk. Na mbụ mepụtara ụmụ akwụkwọ na École Centrale Paris, ọ na-now na-mepụtara site na-atụnye ụtụ n'ụwa nile na na-ahazi site VideoLAN, a na-abụghị uru nzukọ. Rewritten si ọkọlọtọ na 1998, ọ e wepụtara n'okpuru GNU General Public License on February 1, 2001, na ikike si headmaster nke École Centrale Paris. The arụmọrụ nke ihe nkesa ihe omume, VideoLan Server (VLS), ka ukwuu n'ime e subsumed n'ime VLC na e deprecated. The VLC agbanweela ka a ahịa na satellite efere gafee a campus netwọk.
VLC