Does VLC browser plugin replace other plugins or not?

[Cog_in_the_machine]

At work they want me to reduce the number of media plugins we have to keep up-to-date.
According to Wikipedia, VLC can do it and has been doing it for years .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLC_media_ ... er_plugins

On Windows, Linux, Mac, and some other Unix-like platforms, VLC provides a NPAPI plugin,[20] which enables users to view QuickTime, Windows Media, MP3 and Ogg files embedded in websites without using additional products.

Starting with version 0.8.2, VLC also provides an ActiveX plugin, which lets people view QuickTime (MOV), Windows Media, MP3 and Ogg files embedded in websites when using Internet Explorer.

During install of VLC 1.1.8, I made sure the check box for Internet Explorer plugin was checked but anything embedded will not load or play. Confirming a successful Install of the plugin is impossible to do in IE via the Tools menu -> Manage Add-on -> Enable or Disable Add-ons... (see forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=66742)

I stopped trying after finding this :
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=58177&p=193943

After digging it seems the VLC plugin is for something totally different http://wiki.videolan.org/Windows#VLC_Pl ... t_Explorer :

... the VLC ActiveX plugin to be used to view streaming audio and video from a VLC server.

Please add to your FAQ http://www.videolan.org/support/faq.html that the VLC Plugin is not the holy grail of plugins as portrayed in Wikipedia.

Maybe then, Wikipedians will cite your FAQ and update their misguided article on your otherwise amazing software.

[VLC_help]

It should play video content in browser also without any additional things, but the state of ActiveX plugin is horrible because nobody takes care of it. So it might not work correctly, it might have some nasty bugs etc.

[Cog_in_the_machine]

So you are saying that with the VLC plugin installed in IE, you *should* be able to play anything *embedded* such as http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/ but that the current state of ActiveX prevents this.

ActiveX issues or not:
-There is no documented way to determine if the IE plugin in installed post-install
-There is no sample page to test even the "streaming audio and video from a VLC server" functionality.

Is VLC support any better for Firefox?

FYI: We are using IE 7 on XP SP3 but we are upgrading to IE9 on Windows 7 SP1

[VLC_help]

So you are saying that with the VLC plugin installed in IE, you *should* be able to play anything *embedded* such as http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/ but that the current state of ActiveX prevents this.

VLC browser doesn't replace embed quicktime player. So VLC won't show up in apple trailers page.

But if page has embed content that is not hooked to certain component, it should play with VLC.

Is VLC support any better for Firefox?

AFAIK no.