Play button on keyboard controls multiple apps at once?

[ramparts]

I think this is a problem that started with Snow Leopard and I'm wondering if there's a solution to it yet.

Right now I have iTunes open playing music, as well as a paused video in VLC. When I press the play/pause button (F8) on my black late 2008 MacBook, it pauses iTunes but then unpauses the VLC video. This is obviously totally unwanted behavior. How do I fix this so that this button only controls one app at a time?

 

[GGJstudios]

Use the space bar to pause/start VLC

 

[ramparts]

Sorry, I should have been more clear - I want to pause and start iTunes. Of course I can also use spacebar for that, but I'd rather not have to switch into the iTunes window - that's the whole point of having the play/pause button on F8.

 

[GGJstudios]

In VLC > Preferences:

​

 

[ramparts]

Brilliant. Thanks so much!

 

[borisiii]

Another trick if you want to use the keys for applications other than iTunes is to open iTunes and go to the home page of the iTunes store. That way the keys have no effect on iTunes. I do it when I am using spotify and want the controls to only control spotify.