4 ms·

Last time I downloaded VLC on Windows, an ad on the download page started download for "VLC Torrent Streamer" or something equally confusing. I never launched t

Last time I downloaded VLC on Windows, an ad on the download page started download for "VLC Torrent Streamer" or something equally confusing. I never launched that EXE but started wondering what kind of crapware I would have gotten if I had. I thought VLC was better than scams like that.

rom1v 7y ago
Did you get it from https://www.videolan.org/ https://www.videolan.org/ ?
- cyphar 7y ago
  I just got the exact same ad by disabling my adblocker and going to the Windows download page. Here's a screenshot[1]. [1]: https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i
  - glenneroo 7y ago
    Got the exact same ad after disabling my ad-blocker and refreshing once.
ahje 7y ago
When I look at the download page now, there are no ads (disclaimer: I use an ad-blocker and I use noscript). Furthermore, VLC is available from the Microsoft Store, so that you don't have to fetch untrusted executables anyway.
- m_t 7y ago
  The windows store version is a bit different than the one you an download from the website though.
- TorKlingberg 7y ago
  Here is what the official Videolan download page looks like on Windows Chrome without adblocker: https://imgur.com/a/ZWZdtk5 https://imgur.com/a/ZWZdtk5 The VLC download is started in the background, but the "Download Now" buttons are highly misleading. This time it's Avast rather than "VLC Torrent Streamer". Videolan should be ashamed using dark patterns to trick people into installing adware.
  - ahje 7y ago
    Jeez, it's easy to forget how unusable the web is without an adblocker nowadays.
- cyphar 7y ago
  I just got the same ad they're talking about[1] -- you need to go to the Windows download page (as in, click download) and have your adblocker disabled. [1]: https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i
dewey 7y ago
That sounds more like you downloaded it from some top google result site like download.com, cnet or some other sketchy site
jbk 7y ago
> I thought VLC was better than scams like that. This is the ads from Google or some other ads providers. We don't control this. The VLC Torrent Streamer, though, should be just the VLC/bittorent plugin, no?
- bo1024 7y ago
  Hi, first of all I love VLC, but I have to say that if an ad is being served on my website, I would absolutely consider myself responsible for it.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - bo1024 7y ago
    (Or maybe I misunderstood, and this is an ad on some other page such as google search results.)
- Endy 7y ago
  If it's displaying on your site, and cheapening your brand, it's your responsibility to fix it. You allowed the ad to display.
  - jbk 7y ago
    You realize that you cannot filter all ads from AdSense, right? We already spend > 2 hours per day to clean them.
  - jonpurdy 7y ago
    I've used VLC since around 2001. I always thought of VLC as a powerful media player that you could throw any format at and it'd just play (including subtitle formats, colouring, etc). Not to mention the powerful filtering and network options. I've also been blocking ads since the same time and I would have never seen this ad. It definitely cheapens the brand and strips away some of the "warm fuzzy" feeling I get when I think "VLC".

rom1v 7y ago

Did you get it from https://www.videolan.org/ https://www.videolan.org/ ?

cyphar 7y ago
I just got the exact same ad by disabling my adblocker and going to the Windows download page. Here's a screenshot[1]. [1]: https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i
- glenneroo 7y ago
  Got the exact same ad after disabling my ad-blocker and refreshing once.

ahje 7y ago

When I look at the download page now, there are no ads (disclaimer: I use an ad-blocker and I use noscript). Furthermore, VLC is available from the Microsoft Store, so that you don't have to fetch untrusted executables anyway.

m_t 7y ago
The windows store version is a bit different than the one you an download from the website though.
TorKlingberg 7y ago
Here is what the official Videolan download page looks like on Windows Chrome without adblocker: https://imgur.com/a/ZWZdtk5 https://imgur.com/a/ZWZdtk5 The VLC download is started in the background, but the "Download Now" buttons are highly misleading. This time it's Avast rather than "VLC Torrent Streamer". Videolan should be ashamed using dark patterns to trick people into installing adware.
- ahje 7y ago
  Jeez, it's easy to forget how unusable the web is without an adblocker nowadays.
cyphar 7y ago
I just got the same ad they're talking about[1] -- you need to go to the Windows download page (as in, click download) and have your adblocker disabled. [1]: https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i https://imgur.com/a/2M2ns6i

dewey 7y ago

That sounds more like you downloaded it from some top google result site like download.com, cnet or some other sketchy site

jbk 7y ago

> I thought VLC was better than scams like that. This is the ads from Google or some other ads providers. We don't control this. The VLC Torrent Streamer, though, should be just the VLC/bittorent plugin, no?

bo1024 7y ago
Hi, first of all I love VLC, but I have to say that if an ad is being served on my website, I would absolutely consider myself responsible for it.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- bo1024 7y ago
  (Or maybe I misunderstood, and this is an ad on some other page such as google search results.)
Endy 7y ago
If it's displaying on your site, and cheapening your brand, it's your responsibility to fix it. You allowed the ad to display.
- jbk 7y ago
  You realize that you cannot filter all ads from AdSense, right? We already spend > 2 hours per day to clean them.
- jonpurdy 7y ago
  I've used VLC since around 2001. I always thought of VLC as a powerful media player that you could throw any format at and it'd just play (including subtitle formats, colouring, etc). Not to mention the powerful filtering and network options. I've also been blocking ads since the same time and I would have never seen this ad. It definitely cheapens the brand and strips away some of the "warm fuzzy" feeling I get when I think "VLC".