I have this same problem when playing DIVX5.2.0/mp4a(8c). Also I'ved noticed throughout this anime series, Get Backers ( http://www.mininova.org/tor/859947 ), that VLC spikes to ~619 MB of VM! Oddly, there are h.264/mp4a(8c) files that playback fine, but still cause the VM of VLC to go upto ~619 MB....