How to Play YouTube videos in VLC.

Before you try watching a YouTube video in VLC, make sure that you have the latest version. This can be accomplished by clicking on the Help menu and then selecting "Check for updates." Evidently some of the small changes on YouTube's end can break this feature of VLC, so don't be surprised if you need an update in the future for this to work.

Step 1: Locate your favorite YouTube video URL. Just include the domain and video ID, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcdefgh

 

Step 2: Click the Media menu in VLC, then choose Open Network Stream.

Step 3: Paste the URL into the text box and click Play at the bottom!
That's it! Now you can enjoy your favorite videos without an extra Web browser tab.