VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.

VLC Media Player can be run as a Windows service using FireDaemon Pro. This allows you to start and run the application automatically when Windows boots and before login. FireDaemon Pro also allows you to start multiple instances of the server, monitoring them and automatically restarting those instances in the event they crash. FireDaemon Fusion can also be used to manage your VLC Media Player service, plus other Windows services via your web browser.

VLC Media Player Setup Under FireDaemon Pro

Please follow the steps below to set up a VLC Media Player as a Windows service with FireDaemon Pro

Step 1: Download and Install VLC Media Player

1. Download the latest Windows version from here
2. Run the installer. By default, the application is installed to "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC"
3. After installation, VLC will run. Configure any settings you need.

Step 2: Set Up VLC Media Player as a FireDaemon Pro Service

Download and install FireDaemon Pro. Double click the FireDaemon Pro icon on your desktop, then click on the New (i.e. +) button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl + N) to create a new service. Enter the information into the fields as you see below. Adjust the path names to suit your installation. Note the required parameters.

Next, click on the FireDaemon Pro Settings tab:

Enter appropriate values in the fields on the Settings tab as follows:

• (Required) Logon Account: Enter the Windows account under which the application is to be run, e.g. the current administrator account. If you don't run the service as the user who configured VLC, then any settings that were changed will be lost.
• Password / Confirm Password:  Enter the logon account's password twice.
• (Optional) Interact with Desktop: If this setting is enabled (default), the application's output messages can be seen in the console window on Windows Session 0. To switch to Session 0, it may be necessary to install FireDaemon Zero and ZeroInput. Alternatively, this setting may be disabled, in which case the application's messages will be hidden.
• (Optional) Priority: To allocate more CPU time to the application, select a higher scheduling priority in this field.
• (Optional) CPU Bindings: To run the application on a specific CPU, specify the appropriate CPU in this field.

Next, click on the Lifecycle tab. Set Shutdown By to Forceful Termination

Lastly, click the Save and Close (ie. the tick) button on the toolbar. If the service's Startup Type is set to Automatic or Automatic (Delayed-Start), it will start immediately.

If the service's Interact with Desktop setting is enabled, the VLC Media Player status can also be verified by switching to Windows Session 0 to view the VLC Media Player's messages.