VLC command line interface on Windows

Question

Is there a command-line tool for VLC on Windows XP?

Solution

When I run vlc -h in Windows XP:

Dumped content to vlc-help.txt file.

In that file is:

Usage: vlc [options] [stream] ...
You can specify multiple streams on the commandline. They will be enqueued in the playlist.
The first item specified will be played first.

Options-styles:
  --option  A global option that is set for the duration of the program.
   -option  A single letter version of a global --option.
   :option  An option that only applies to the stream directly before it
            and that overrides previous settings.

Stream MRL syntax:
  [[access][/demux]://]URL[@[title][:chapter][-[title][:chapter]]] [:option=value ...]

  Many of the global --options can also be used as MRL specific :options.
  Multiple :option=value pairs can be specified.

URL syntax:
  [file://]filename              Plain media file
  http://ip:port/file            HTTP URL
  ftp://ip:port/file             FTP URL
  mms://ip:port/file             MMS URL
  screen://                      Screen capture
  [dvd://][device][@raw_device]  DVD device
  [vcd://][device]               VCD device
  [cdda://][device]              Audio CD device
  udp://[[<source address>]@[<bind address>][:<bind port>]]
                                 UDP stream sent by a streaming server
  vlc://pause:<seconds>          Special item to pause the playlist for a certain time
  vlc://quit                     Special item to quit VLC

 Audio
      --audio, --no-audio        Enable audio (default enabled)
      --volume=<integer [0 .. 1024]>
                                 Default audio volume
      --spdif, --no-spdif        Use S/PDIF when available (default disabled)
      --force-dolby-surround={0 (Auto), 1 (On), 2 (Off)}
                                 Force detection of Dolby Surround
      --audio-replay-gain-mode={none,track,album}
                                 Replay gain mode
      --audio-replay-gain-preamp=<float>
                                 Replay preamp
      --audio-replay-gain-default=<float>
                                 Default replay gain
      --audio-filter=<string>    Audio filters
      --audio-visual=<string>    Audio visualizations 

 Video
  -f, --fullscreen, --no-fullscreen
                                 Fullscreen video output (default disabled)
      --overlay, --no-overlay    Overlay video output (default enabled)
      --video-on-top, --no-video-on-top
                                 Always on top (default disabled)
      --video-title-show, --no-video-title-show
                                 Show media title on video (default enabled)
      --video-title-timeout=<integer>
                                 Show video title for x miliseconds
      --video-title-position={0 (Center), 1 (Left), 2 (Right), 4 (Top), 8 (Bottom), 5 (Top-Left), 6 (Top-Right), 9 (Bottom-Left), 10 (Bottom-Right)}
                                 Position of video title
      --mouse-hide-timeout=<integer>
                                 Hide cursor and fullscreen controller after x
                                 miliseconds
   Snapshot:
      --snapshot-path=<string>   Video snapshot directory (or filename)
      --snapshot-prefix=<string> Video snapshot file prefix
      --snapshot-format={png,jpg}
                                 Video snapshot format
      --snapshot-preview, --no-snapshot-preview
                                 Display video snapshot preview (default
                                 enabled)
      --snapshot-sequential, --no-snapshot-sequential
                                 Use sequential numbers instead of timestamps
                                 (default disabled)
   Window properties:
      --crop=<string>            Video cropping
      --custom-crop-ratios=<string>
                                 Custom crop ratios list
      --aspect-ratio=<string>    Source aspect ratio
      --custom-aspect-ratios=<string>
                                 Custom aspect ratios list
      --video-filter=<string>    Video filter module
      --vout-filter=<string>     Video output filter module

 Subpictures
   On Screen Display:
      --osd, --no-osd            On Screen Display (default enabled)
   Subtitles:
      --sub-file=<string>        Use subtitle file
      --sub-autodetect-file, --no-sub-autodetect-file
                                 Autodetect subtitle files (default enabled)
   Overlays:
      --sub-filter=<string>      Subpictures filter module
   Track settings:
      --audio-language=<string>  Audio language
      --sub-language=<string>    Subtitle language
   Playback control:
      --input-repeat=<integer>   Input repetitions
   Default devices:
      --dvd=<string>             DVD device
      --vcd=<string>             VCD device
      --cd-audio=<string>        Audio CD device
   Network settings:
      --server-port=<integer>    UDP port
  -6, --ipv6, --no-ipv6          Force IPv6 (default disabled)
  -4, --ipv4, --no-ipv4          Force IPv4 (default disabled)

 Input
   Advanced:
      --access-filter=<string>   Access filter module
      --prefer-system-codecs, --no-prefer-system-codecs
                                 Prefer system plugins over VLC (default
                                 disabled)
   Performance options:
      --high-priority, --no-high-priority
                                 Increase the priority of the process (default
                                 disabled)

 Playlist
  -Z, --random, --no-random      Play files randomly forever (default disabled)
  -L, --loop, --no-loop          Repeat all (default disabled)
  -R, --repeat, --no-repeat      Repeat current item (default disabled)
      --play-and-exit, --no-play-and-exit
                                 Play and exit (default disabled)
      --play-and-stop, --no-play-and-stop
                                 Play and stop (default disabled)
      --media-library, --no-media-library
                                 Use media library (default enabled)
      --playlist-tree, --no-playlist-tree
                                 Display playlist tree (default disabled)
      --open=<string>            Default stream
      --auto-preparse, --no-auto-preparse
                                 Automatically preparse files (default enabled)
      --album-art={0 (Manual download only), 1 (When track starts playing), 2 (As soon as track is added)}
                                 Album art policy
  -S, --services-discovery=<string>
                                 Services discovery modules
  -v, --verbose=<integer>        Verbosity (0,1,2)
      --language={auto,en,ar,pt_BR,en_GB,bg,ca,zh_TW,cs,da,nl,fi,fr,gl,ka,de,he,hu,it,ja,ko,ms,oc,fa,pl,pt_PT,pa,ro,ru,zh_CN,sr,sk,sl,es,sv,tr,uk}
                                 Language
      --advanced, --no-advanced  Show advanced options (default disabled)
      --interact, --no-interact  Interface interaction (default enabled)
      --show-intf, --no-show-intf
                                 Show interface with mouse (default disabled)
  -I, --intf=<string>            Interface module
      --extraintf=<string>       Extra interface modules
      --control=<string>         Control interfaces

 Hot keys
      --key-toggle-fullscreen=<integer>
                                 Fullscreen
      --key-leave-fullscreen=<integer>
                                 Leave fullscreen
      --key-play-pause=<integer> Play/Pause
      --key-faster=<integer>     Faster
      --key-slower=<integer>     Slower
      --key-next=<integer>       Next
      --key-prev=<integer>       Previous
      --key-stop=<integer>       Stop
      --key-jump-extrashort=<integer>
                                 Very short backwards jump
      --key-jump+extrashort=<integer>
                                 Very short forward jump
      --key-jump-short=<integer> Short backwards jump
      --key-jump+short=<integer> Short forward jump
      --key-jump-medium=<integer>
                                 Medium backwards jump
      --key-jump+medium=<integer>
                                 Medium forward jump
      --key-jump-long=<integer>  Long backwards jump
      --key-jump+long=<integer>  Long forward jump
      --key-quit=<integer>       Quit
      --key-vol-up=<integer>     Volume up
      --key-vol-down=<integer>   Volume down
      --key-vol-mute=<integer>   Mute
      --key-audio-track=<integer>
                                 Cycle audio track
      --key-audiodevice-cycle=<integer>
                                 Cycle through audio devices
      --key-subtitle-track=<integer>
                                 Cycle subtitle track
      --key-aspect-ratio=<integer>
                                 Cycle source aspect ratio
      --key-crop=<integer>       Cycle video crop
      --key-deinterlace=<integer>
                                 Cycle deinterlace modes
      --key-wallpaper=<integer>  Toggle wallpaper mode in video output
      --key-random=<integer>     Random
      --key-loop=<integer>       Normal/Repeat/Loop
   Zoom:
      --key-zoom-quarter=<integer>
                                 1:4 Quarter
      --key-zoom-half=<integer>  1:2 Half
      --key-zoom-original=<integer>
                                 1:1 Original
      --key-zoom-double=<integer>
                                 2:1 Double
   Jump sizes:
      --extrashort-jump-size=<integer>
                                 Very short jump length
      --short-jump-size=<integer>
                                 Short jump length
      --medium-jump-size=<integer>
                                 Medium jump length
      --long-jump-size=<integer> Long jump length
      --bookmark1=<string>       Playlist bookmark 1
      --bookmark2=<string>       Playlist bookmark 2
      --bookmark3=<string>       Playlist bookmark 3
      --bookmark4=<string>       Playlist bookmark 4
      --bookmark5=<string>       Playlist bookmark 5
      --bookmark6=<string>       Playlist bookmark 6
      --bookmark7=<string>       Playlist bookmark 7
      --bookmark8=<string>       Playlist bookmark 8
      --bookmark9=<string>       Playlist bookmark 9
      --bookmark10=<string>      Playlist bookmark 10
  -h, --help, --no-help          print help for VLC (can be combined with
                                 --advanced and --help-verbose) (default
                                 enabled)
  -H, --full-help, --no-full-help
                                 Exhaustive help for VLC and its modules
                                 (default disabled)
      --longhelp, --no-longhelp  print help for VLC and all its modules (can
                                 be combined with --advanced and
                                 --help-verbose) (default disabled)
      --help-verbose, --no-help-verbose
                                 ask for extra verbosity when displaying help
                                 (default disabled)
  -l, --list, --no-list          print a list of available modules (default
                                 disabled)
  -l, --list-verbose, --no-list-verbose
                                 print a list of available modules with extra
                                 detail (default disabled)
  -p, --module=<string>          print help on a specific module (can be
                                 combined with --advanced and --help-verbose)
      --ignore-config, --no-ignore-config
                                 no configuration option will be loaded nor
                                 saved to config file (default disabled)
      --save-config, --no-save-config
                                 save the current command line options in the
                                 config (default disabled)
      --reset-config, --no-reset-config
                                 reset the current config to the default
                                 values (default disabled)
      --reset-plugins-cache, --no-reset-plugins-cache
                                 resets the current plugins cache (default
                                 disabled)
      --version, --no-version    print version information (default disabled)
      --config=<string>          use alternate config file
      --version, --no-version    print version information (default disabled)

 Note: add --advanced to your command line to see advanced options.

To get exhaustive help, use '-H'.

[Addendum by @gman] A few notable things:

1. To get an even longer list use -H (instead of -h). It's the last thing in the short help.

2. To get a list of modules

   vlc --list
   

3. To get options for a specific module

   vlc --advanced -p <modulename>
   

4. Some options require you to turn on filters or turn off other features.

   For example:

   • To turn the video over

     vlc --video-filter transform --transform-type 180 filename
     

   • To crop video

     vlc --video-filter croppadd --croppadd-cropleft=215 --croppadd-cropright=215 --croppadd-croptop 100 --croppadd-cropbottom 100 filename
     

   • To zoom video

     vlc --no-autoscale --zoom 8  filename