VLC has Sputtering/Choppy Audio with *.wmv and *.mkv files

[Paideuma]

I just upgraded to VLC 0.8.6e on my Macbook Pro which is running OS X 10.5.2. Then, when I went to play a .wmv file, the audio was choppy and sputtering. Wondering if there was a preferences conflict, I ran the "Delete Preferences" app that came with the download. It was still choppy. I tested it in Quicktime via Flip 4 Mac, and it played fine. I figured it was a fluke and ignored it.

This morning, I went to play an .mkv file that Handbrake had just finished creating. Same choppiness and sputter. Frustrated, I downloaded the Intel package (I had previously downloaded the Universal Binary package) and installed it. Same choppiness and sputter. I deleted preferences one more time for good measure. Same choppiness and sputter.

The nature of the problem seems to be restricted to the audio tracks. The video is smooth and plays without any problems, as far as I can tell.

Can anyone recommend anything? I tried to find 0.8.6d to reinstall it, but I wasn't able to.

[Vctrx]

I have also been having problems with mkv's. For me the audio plays fine but for video there's nothing. After that it may close and I run a power pc mac. The video's I play have subtitles so I'm not sure if that might be it because I read something on it but can someone tell me what's wrong? The picture of the file by the way says "blank" where as for the other ones if it's an ogm it will say ogm, if that helps.

[d2dave]

I had the exact same problem playing .mkv files. I fixed it by increasing the size of the file cache. In VLC, go to Preferences and select the 'Advanced' box in the lower left. Then go to Input/Codecs>Access Modules>File and change the caching value from the default 300ms to something higher -- 5000ms seems to work for me. Hope this works for you too.

[Paideuma]

This seems to have worked! Thanks so much!

The one caveat is now there is a noticeable delay when I skip around a video file as it re-buffers. Still, I'd rather a delay with sound than instantaneous sputtering.

[arpst0rm]

Yeah none of these are working for me.

[arpst0rm]

Emmm must be somethign in the VLC version since I tried 4media trial version and it converted over the files with no sputtering audio. I will try going back a VLC version and see what happens