It appears that the much-anticipated open-source media player VLC is just about ready to hit Android devices, with a January launch date expected.
Lead VLC developer Jean-Baptiste Kempf tells GigaOM the app should be available within "a matter of weeks," and available in the Android Market for free.
VLC just made its way to iOS devices in September, and Kempf says an Android version has been in the works for "months."
Because Android’s multimedia output libraries are in Java, the project was stalled but since Google's latest Android NDK made it simpler to use native code, the project has really picked up steam.
While most of the "VLC libraries have already been ported to Android," Kempf warns that some specific devices may prove troublesome.
Streaming and rental giant Netflix has said the same thing about their lack of Android apps, as fragmentation of the operating system makes it hard to release an application that will work across all devices.
VLC just made its way to iOS devices in September, and Kempf says an Android version has been in the works for "months."
Because Android’s multimedia output libraries are in Java, the project was stalled but since Google's latest Android NDK made it simpler to use native code, the project has really picked up steam.
While most of the "VLC libraries have already been ported to Android," Kempf warns that some specific devices may prove troublesome.
Streaming and rental giant Netflix has said the same thing about their lack of Android apps, as fragmentation of the operating system makes it hard to release an application that will work across all devices.
