Cannot view video files on LAN - used to work

[glnz]

On my iPad Air 2, my VLC (version 3.2.0) no longer finds my shared folders on my home network that have video files. This worked before. The rest of my home network is PCs.
For example, on my Win 7 Pro 64-bit PC, I have a folder called "Vids" and it is fully Shared to Everyone.
Before, on VLC on my iPad, I could access it.
Now, I cannot.
What happened?
Is there anyway to install an earlier version of VLC on my iPad?

[glnz]

Any thoughts?

[glnz]

FYI - There is an app for iOS called "Documents" that does what VideoLan used to do - access shared folders on my home network (which is PCs) and play video files on its own viewer. I started using it last night. Its SMB connection works where VideoLan's doesn't.

[glnz]

Just updated to 3.2.1 AND tried.
Prompts me for User Name and Password (which I skipped before) and then connects only very slowly - needs minutes.
I don't have a password on either side of my dual-booting Win 7 + Win 10 machine. In VLC now, I type in the User Name, leave the Password blank, and it' gives me a spinning circle for a long time. Also, the prompt does not go away - I have to hit Cancel. After a few minutes, it shows the Shared folders on my PC.
Connecting finally, but this is much worse than before. There is no improvement in 3.2 over 3.1 - it's definitely worse, and I would gladly go back to 3.1.
Hey - VLC - you're not done here.

[iChris]

Workaround to play network files on VLC 3.2.x until the bug is fixed:
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=150876#p496133

[glnz]

 
The problem is NOT solved with 3.2.2 (336).

I hit "Network", I am NOT prompted for my User Name or Password and I get the spinning circle - more than three minutes now and no list of folders.

VLC DOES NOT WORK.

[glnz]

 
I just went to the trouble of disabling SMB1 on my Win 7 Pro 64-bit, leaving SMB2 running. VideoLan on iOS (on my iPad) still does not connect. I have to use an iOS app called FileExplorer to reach the videos on my LAN and "stream" them to VideoLan.
The entire 3.2 update (and I'm now on 3.2.2) is garbage.
 

[glnz]

Eight weeks later, still broken. VLC's chief engineer should find another job.

[glnz]

Still broken.
VLC is getting only one-star reviews in the App Store.

[unidan]

Hi,

Eight weeks later, still broken. VLC's chief engineer should find another job.

What job ? it is an open source project with unpaid people.

Still broken.

Is it working with the new version ?

VLC is getting only one-star reviews in the App Store.

It's probably bringing a lots of help to the project right ? No.

[glnz]

unidan - understood about volunteer organization.
But why not do what everyone wants?
Why not re-offer the preceding version, which worked quite well and which half the comments want?
And to answer your middle question above - it is NOT working, and I have not seen any newer version anywhere.

[njragger]

I second this request. Version 3.2.x is obviously not ready and should be shelved until tested and stable. Reading App Store comments clearly demonstrates users dissatisfaction with this series of releases. Unfortunately, Apple makes it nearly impossible to downgrade voluntarily.

Why is VLC so stubborn?

[FluxboxUK]

Just to throw my two cents in, two versions have been released in quick succession, nether have resolved the issue with connection to SMB.

They do seem to have made it quicker at failing though... for example, attempting to connect to my local server now flashes up with a a page showing the server hostname for around 1 second, then crashes back to the network tab within VLC...

[glnz]

Same here - recent "updates" are fake.

[Migitmd]

Same here - recent "updates" are fake.

3.2.6 does NOT fix the SMB issue. I had to re-enable SMB1 on my Windows 7 machine and even then it only worked once. I'm starting to think that VLC is going the way of apple - "we know best for our customers even if we're 100% wrong". I'll likely be downgrading to 3.1.9 on my android tablet to get this to work properly.

[glnz]

 
Still broken. VLC does NOT work with SMB2.
 

[PhantomCH]

Seems someone found the cause but no solution at this moment.
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=149689&p=492196&hilit=smb#p492196

[glnz]

Just got a message on my iPad from VLC "Developer" that SMB2 has been working for "quite some months". No, it doesn't. I just tried again, and VideoLan for iPad will NOT connect to the Win 10 Pro 64-bit PC (version 1909) on my home LAN using SMB2. VideoLan will connect ONLY with SMB1, which is not secure. However, other apps on my iPad connect to my Win 10 PC with SMB2, so this remains VLC's big hot mess.
VLC - stop arguing and FIX THIS.