Video Image Control vs Video Controls Plus | Comparison

Video Image Control is a visual-tweaks extension — brightness, contrast, saturation, gamma adjustments, rotation, flip, plus PiP and basic speed. Users install it for the colour and image controls; it is a small focused tool for visual correction (dim videos, washed-out colours, mirror flip). Video Controls Plus covers most of the same image filters and pairs them with the rest of the toolkit. There are two real reasons to keep Video Image Control: first, it exposes finer per-channel gamma sliders that Video Controls Plus does not currently surface; second, it has legacy Flash compatibility paths Video Controls Plus deliberately ignores (Flash is end-of-life everywhere).

Use cases

When Video Controls Plus is the better fit

You want image filters AND speed/loop/PiP/audio in one install; you want filter presets remembered per site; or you want screenshots and downloads alongside the visual controls.

When Video Image Control is the better fit

You need very fine per-channel gamma adjustment that the brightness/contrast/saturation defaults do not deliver; you specifically need legacy Flash compatibility (rare, modern browsers no longer ship Flash); or you want the image-control tool with zero other features.

Side-by-side trial week

Install Video Controls Plus alongside Video Image Control and use the per-site disable list to assign each extension to a different domain — for example, YouTube on Video Controls Plus, niche site on Video Image Control. After seven days, audit which extension you reached for in your real workflow and uninstall the loser.

Migrating saved presets and shortcuts

Browser policy isolates extension storage, so saved speeds, filter presets, and bindings do not move automatically. The migration steps below cover the typical path; expect five to ten minutes of one-time setup, then identical day-to-day use.

How it works

  1. Step 1. Install Video Controls Plus.
  2. Step 2. Enable Visual Filters in options.
  3. Step 3. Save filter presets matching your most-used Video Image Control configurations (e.g. low-light: brightness +20%, contrast +10%).
  4. Step 4. Bind keyboard shortcuts for cycling presets.
  5. Step 5. Test on a representative dim or washed-out video and compare to Video Image Control’s output.

Examples

  • A current Video Image Control user trying Video Controls Plus. Install in under a minute, reapply 3-5 settings, run both extensions for a week. Most users either commit to Video Controls Plus by day three or confirm Video Image Control is the right fit for their narrower workflow.
  • A new user choosing between Video Image Control and Video Controls Plus. Read this comparison, install whichever wins on the features that matter to you, and skip the trial week. Both extensions handle their core jobs reliably; the choice is about scope, not quality.

Frequently asked questions

Are the same filters available?

Brightness, contrast, saturation, hue rotation, blur, grayscale, sepia, invert. Per-channel gamma is on the roadmap but not yet exposed.

Can I rotate or flip video?

Yes — rotate and flip controls are available in the floating widget.

Will filter presets save per site?

Yes. You can save a preset and assign it to specific sites so it loads automatically.

Does it support old Flash video?

No — Flash has been removed from all major browsers since 2021. Both extensions are limited to HTML5 video.

Will filters affect screen recording or downloaded copies?

Filters apply at render time only; downloads and recordings get the original unmodified stream.

Tips

  • Run both Video Image Control and Video Controls Plus side-by-side for one week before uninstalling either — overlap is the easiest way to spot which features you actually use.
  • Use each extension's per-site disable list to avoid double-handled keyboard shortcuts during the trial period.
  • Re-bind keyboard shortcuts in Video Controls Plus to match your Video Image Control muscle memory; every key in VCP is rebindable from the options page.
  • If you stay on Video Image Control after the trial, file the missing-feature request you found via /feature-requests so a future Video Controls Plus release can close the gap.

Limitations

  • Video Controls Plus is a larger extension than Video Image Control when Video Image Control is single-purpose. The trade-off is footprint vs. feature breadth — pick the side that matches your machine and habits.
  • Browser-extension storage is sandboxed per extension, so settings do not transfer automatically between Video Image Control and Video Controls Plus. Reapply preferences once after install.
  • Video Image Control may handle a specific edge case (a particular preset, a UI affordance you have built muscle memory around) that Video Controls Plus does not replicate exactly. The decision guide above lists the real reasons to stay with Video Image Control.

Last updated 2026-05-06 by Ahsan Mahmood, maintainer.