Streaming-style experience
Familiar UI with Continue Watching, Recently Watched, TV and Movies categorized by decade and genre.
Local Media Library Browser
Everything you need to browse your personal movie and TV collection from the couch.
Launch playback in VLC
Launch titles in your favorite media player with support for many codecs and subtitle formats - VLC ❤️
Search your own files
Find movies and TV shows instantly with search across your entire local library.
Offline-first
No accounts or internet connection required. Your media stays on your drives and is cataloged locally.
Smart categorization
GuessIt extracts metadata from your filenames to help categorize your media.
FFmpeg thumbnails
Thumbnails are generated locally for all your media with FFmpeg.
Installation
Download, install, and start browsing in minutes.
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Download the installer
Get VLCouchSetup from GitHub Releases.
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Run the installer
The setup wizard installs VLCouch and adds a Start menu shortcut. Install VLC and FFmpeg manually or with one click in Settings.
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Add your library
Launch VLCouch, set your movie and TV folders, then scan your library.
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Browse and play
Browse your library, search for titles, and launch them in VLC with support for continue watching, show playlists, and more.
Why VLCouch?
A VLC media player launcher with a streaming-app interface for your own files.
Your files, your drives
Your movies and TV shows stay exactly where they are. VLCouch catalogs and displays them using offline tools.
Full VLC playback
Leverage VLC: excellent codec and subtitle support, advanced settings, and more. VLCouch is the browser; VLC is the player you already trust.
Convenience of a streaming app
Keep track of what you've watched, queue binge playlists, and browse by season and episode.
Built for Windows
Simple installation, app launches in your browser. Library data is stored on your device 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. There is an optional feature for fetching plot summaries from Wikipedia, but this is disabled by default.
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 play media, transcode, or stream over the network. You browse files in VLCouch and play them in VLC.
Is VLCouch free?
Yes. VLCouch is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.