If your iPad is jailbroken, you can still get VLC on it. You can download the VLC app here:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ios.html
Extract the zip file and drag VLC.app into iTunes. To install it then on your iPad sync your apps with iTunes.
Alternatively, get the .ipa file that iTunes created by right-clicking on the VLC app in the Apps section of iTunes and choosing "Show in Finder/Explorer". That IPA file can then be installed using iExplorer and Installous. A video tutorial on that can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eonkdtq9NCg It's the same process under Windows and OS X.