If you hadn’t had a reason to purchase an iPad up to now, this may be the one, guys. VLC is coming (we hope) to the iPad. Well, I mean, it is, but it isn’t. Or, it might. Assuming it’s approved.

VLC, as you’re well aware, is inarguably the most ballin’ piece of video playback software available to man or beast, and its expansion to a new platform is more than reason to be excited. Considering the iPad is the world’s greatest device for content consumption, it’s only right it gets the best media player. VLC plays anything. VLC plays any codec you can name. VLC plays VIDEO_TS folders. VLC lets you stream Apple-hardware-only events on non-Apple hardware. …Oh wait.

Another problem, of course (besides piracy and other shenanigans) is that VLC would be duplicating the functionality of QuickTime – and doing it approximately 4.46 trillion times better. Apple doesn’t like being shown up when it can help it.

So, depending on how Apple’s new ‘less arbitrary’ application guidelines turn out, we might be seeing the Jean-Claude Van Damme of media players kick us right in the ‘Pads sometime next week.

What? JCVD is cool. You just don’t know what’s what.