The VideoLAN Forums

One of the most common things to do with media files is to select a number of files and open them in an application.

And this does work in VLC - only, by default, it does it in the least useful way possible: It plays every video you opened simultaneously on my Windows 10 64 OS.

The logical way would be to play them in sequence, unless the user has registered as Neo or Morpheus...?

Is there a way to open a number of files and have them played back in sequence?



Frankly, this issue caused me to stop using VLC and use Microsoft's annoying "Movies and TV" app.
Is there some setting in VLC that I missed?

Or Can someone explain to me, how it would EVER be useful to play back 60 videos simultaneously as a default action? upon opening multiple files?

Tools -> Preferences (Show settings = All) -> Advanced

There are two options:

Allow only one running instance
One instance when started from file

Make sure both options are ticked, save the preferences then exit and restart VLC.

Much thanks for the answer to the riddle!

It would still be better, if you could generally have multiple instances of VLC, without it opening multiple files all at once, because that does not make sense under any circumstance, does it...?


EDIT:

upon following your kindly advice, I find the result still clunky and backwards:

with both settings checked as you suggested, it now still opens two windows for two files - one with nothing in it but the video controls, and the other window playing the video has no controls...

(After just downloading the latest version)

How can just playing a stack of video files in ONE standard Window with the standard controls be so difficult to do?


I can't imagine how there would be no interest, because its so useful: Have a party, set VLC to play back a few dozen music or concert videos over the TV and your best speakers

generally, whit those two setting checked, AND HITTING SAVE, it works fine.

you may wish to restart windows, as this could be a windows thing.