VLC beta updated to 1.5.0 w/ better Material looks, USB auto-detection, more

VLC pushed a major cross-platform release in February, and at that point the company’s Android app finally left beta for the first time. VLC for Android has definitely been getting a lot of attention since then, though, and version 1.5 — which packs some notable improvements — was released today.

VLC itself notes in the change log that “VLC on Android 1.5.0 is a major release,” and that looks to be true. In this version, the app packs completely-rewritten internals for better stability and speed, a reduced number of permissions required, and more cleaning of the Material-based user interface.

The update also packs some completely new features including USB auto-detection, better audio and video syncing, and better chapter support.

Keep your eyes on the Play Store for the update to eventually roll out to the full version, or head over to APKMirror to grab 1.5.0 now. To become an official beta tester, you have to join the group’s Google+ community.

Here’s the full change log:

WHAT’S NEW

VLC on Android 1.5.0 is a major release of VLC

We rewrote most of the VLC application internals to be faster for our next releases and to support video playlists and audio/video switches.

We’ve reduced the number of permissions needed, especially for KitKat (4.4) and more recent.

We’ve continued to clean the UI, to fit with Material look; but also to add a few new features, including USB auto-detection, better audio/video sync or better chapters support.

The best is yet to come!