VLCouch

Browse your local movies and TV shows like a streaming app, play them in VLC.

Continue where you left off, browse by season and episode, search across the library, and enjoy a smooth and offline-first experience driven by VLC and ffmpeg.

Download for Windows View on GitHub
VLCouch app icon — VLC cone on a couch

Local Media Library Browser Features

Everything you need to browse your personal movie and TV collection from the couch.

Streaming-style home screen

Hero banner for up next or watch again, recently watched rows, TV by folder theme, movies by decade, and top genres.

Launch playback in VLC

Hit Play and VLC opens your file with full codec support and automatic subtitle detection. Missing VLC or FFmpeg? Install them from Settings with one click.

Offline, local-first library

No accounts, no cloud sync, no API keys. Your media stays on external drives, NAS mounts, or local folders.

TV seasons and watch progress

Browse seasons and episodes, track what you have watched, queue binge playlists, and pick up where you left off.

Search your own files

Find movies and TV shows instantly from the header search bar across your entire local library.

FFmpeg poster thumbnails

Thumbnails are extracted locally from your video files and cached on disk — no internet downloads required.

How to Install

Download, install, and start browsing in minutes.

  1. Download the installer

    Get VLCouchSetup from GitHub Releases.

  2. Run the installer

    The setup wizard installs VLCouch and adds a Start menu shortcut. Python and the app are bundled — no separate dev tools required.

  3. Add your library

    Launch VLCouch from the Start menu, choose your movie and TV folders, then click Rescan Library.

  4. Browse and play

    Pick a title from the home screen or search bar and VLC opens it. Need VLC or FFmpeg? Open Settings — the app shows their status and offers one-click install via winget.

Why VLCouch?

A VLC media player launcher with a streaming-app interface for your own files.

Your files, your drives

Movies and TV on external HDDs or NAS mounts stay exactly where they are. VLCouch catalogs them without moving or uploading anything.

No subscription or cloud

No transcoding servers, no TMDB dependency, no monthly fees. Fully offline unless you optionally enable Wikipedia plot summaries.

Full VLC playback

Leverage VLC for every codec and subtitle format. VLCouch is the browser; VLC is the player you already trust.

Built for WindowsWindows-first

A proper Windows installer, Start menu shortcut, and native folder picker. Library data is stored in your profile and preserved across upgrades.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the offline movie library browser.

What is VLCouch?

VLCouch is an offline-first local media browser for Windows. It scans folders on your PC, catalogs movies and TV shows with poster thumbnails, and launches playback in VLC when you hit Play.

Do I need an account or internet connection?

No. VLCouch works entirely offline by default. Your files stay on your drives, thumbnails are generated locally with FFmpeg, and no cloud library or account is required.

What do I need installed to run VLCouch?

Download and run VLCouchSetup from GitHub Releases — the installer bundles Python and the app. You also need VLC for playback and FFmpeg for thumbnails. If either is missing, open Settings in VLCouch to install them with one click via winget or use the download link shown there.

Is VLCouch affiliated with VideoLAN or VLC?

No. VLCouch is independent open source software and is not affiliated with VideoLAN or the VLC project.

Is VLCouch a media server?

No. VLCouch is a local media library browser and VLC launcher. It does not transcode, stream over the network, or require a subscription. You browse files on your own drives and play them in VLC.

Is VLCouch free?

Yes. VLCouch is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.