The VideoLAN Forums

Hi, I'm trying to play h.264 files which will not play on my mac via vlc but heres the thing! it will on my VMware fusion windows!
whats going on here? I've downloaded both up to date apps and on both selected H264 Demuxer under input / codecs Demuxer Module
windows = yes
mac = no
i really need it to work with the mac and hopefully my iPhone

any help

Thank you InTheWings, this is the first time I’ve ever wrote on a forum before so any guidance on how to use the site effectively is much appreciated
I’ll do what you say when I’m in the office, first thing in the morning.

sorry for the delay.

here are the results from the message window. i couldn't find Tools and the Verbosity thing
Version 3.0.0 Vetinari (Intel 64bit)
Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
64 GB 1867 MHz DDR3
AMD Radeon R9 M395X 4 GB
High Sierra 10.13

main debug: VLC media player - 3.0.0 Vetinari
main debug: Copyright © 1996-2018 the VideoLAN team
main debug: revision 3.0.0-3-g7821ebf808
main debug: configured with /Users/d-fu/vlc-3.0/extras/package/macosx/../../../configure '--prefix=/Users/d-fu/vlc-3.0/release-3.0.0/vlc_install_dir' '--enable-macosx' '--enable-merge-ffmpeg' '--enable-osx-notifications' '--enable-faad' '--enable-flac' '--enable-theora' '--enable-shout' '--enable-ncurses' '--enable-twolame' '--enable-realrtsp' '--enable-libass' '--enable-macosx-qtkit' '--enable-macosx-avfoundation' '--disable-skins2' '--disable-xcb' '--disable-caca' '--disable-pulse' '--disable-sdl-image' '--disable-vnc' '--build=x86_64-apple-darwin17' '--host=x86_64-apple-darwin17' '--with-macosx-version-min=10.7' '--with-macosx-sdk=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.13.sdk' '--with-breakpad=https://mac.crashes.videolan.org' 'build_alias=x86_64-apple-darwin17' 'host_alias=x86_64-apple-darwin17' 'CC=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang' 'CFLAGS=-g' 'LDFLAGS=' 'CXX=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++' 'CXXFLAGS=-g' 'OBJC=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang' 'OBJCFLAGS=-g'
main debug: processing request item: A180220_000353_000407.264, node: Playlist, skip: 0
main debug: resyncing on A180220_000353_000407.264
main debug: A180220_000353_000407.264 is at 0
main debug: starting playback of new item
main debug: resyncing on A180220_000353_000407.264
main debug: A180220_000353_000407.264 is at 0
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: Creating an input for 'A180220_000353_000407.264'
main debug: requesting art for new input thread
main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB
main debug: using default timeshift path
main debug: looking for meta fetcher module matching "any": 1 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/meta/fetcher
main debug: `file:///Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264' gives access `file' demux `h26x' path `/Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264'
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='h26x' location='/Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264' file='/Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264'
main debug: looking for access_demux module matching "file": 13 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/lua/meta/fetcher
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/fetcher
main debug: no meta fetcher modules matched
main debug: looking for art finder module matching "any": 2 candidates
main debug: no access_demux modules matched
main debug: creating access: file:///Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264
main debug: (path: /Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264)
main debug: looking for access module matching "file": 23 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/meta/art
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/lua/meta/art
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art
main debug: using access module "filesystem"
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "prefetch,cache_read": 26 candidates
cache_read debug: Using stream method for AStream*
cache_read debug: starting pre-buffering
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/00_musicbrainz.luac
cache_read debug: received first data after 0 ms
cache_read debug: pre-buffering done 1024 bytes in 0s - 32258 KiB/s
main debug: using stream_filter module "cache_read"
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 26 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/playlist
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/playlist/radiotime.lua
lua debug: skipping script (unmatched scope) /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/00_musicbrainz.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/01_googleimage.luac
lua debug: skipping script (unmatched scope) /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/01_googleimage.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/02_frenchtv.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/playlist/streamtheworld.lua
lua debug: skipping script (unmatched scope) /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/02_frenchtv.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/03_lastfm.luac
lua debug: skipping script (unmatched scope) /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/art/03_lastfm.luac
main debug: no art finder modules matched
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/lua/playlist
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/anevia_streams.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/anevia_xml.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/appletrailers.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/bbc_co_uk.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/cue.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/dailymotion.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/jamendo.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/koreus.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/liveleak.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/newgrounds.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/rockbox_fm_presets.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/soundcloud.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/twitch.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/vimeo.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/vocaroo.luac
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/playlist/youtube.luac
main debug: no stream_filter modules matched
main debug: looking for stream_directory module matching "any": 1 candidates
main debug: no stream_directory modules matched
main debug: attachment of directory-extractor failed for file:///Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "record": 26 candidates
main debug: using stream_filter module "record"
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='h26x' location='/Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264' file='/Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264'
main debug: looking for demux module matching "h26x": 55 candidates
h26x error: this doesn't look like a hevc ES stream, continuing anyway
main debug: looking for packetizer module matching "any": 24 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "hevc"
main debug: using demux module "h26x"
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in /Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/
main debug: looking for meta reader module matching "any": 2 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Users/rekordbox/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/meta/reader
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/lua/meta/reader
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/reader
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/meta/reader/filename.luac
main debug: no meta reader modules matched
main debug: `file:///Users/rekordbox/Documents/buffer/outside/20180220/record/A180220_000353_000407.264' successfully opened
hevc error: Failed decoding PPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding PPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding PPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding PPS id 0
hevc error: Failed decoding VPS id 0
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: removing module "h26x"
main debug: removing module "hevc"
main debug: removing module "record"
main debug: removing module "cache_read"
main debug: removing module "filesystem"
main debug: dead input
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play
macosx debug: Activated assertion NoIdleSleepAssertion through IOKit (35032)
macosx debug: Playback has been ended
macosx debug: Releasing IOKit system sleep blocker (35032)

Your file is broken. Provide sample

not making much sense, that shouldn't load hevc demux with .264 file extension

For me is the same, files are working on Windows, but on Mac OS not:
File is available here (it is from my camera):
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AlI-AAdUAGXe1ScEQnvtxE9a7Q_X

And messages:


main debug: VLC media player - 3.0.1 Vetinari
main debug: Copyright © 1996-2018 the VideoLAN team
main debug: revision 3.0.1-0-gec0f700fcc
main debug: configured with /Users/d-fu/vlc-3.0/extras/package/macosx/../../../configure '--prefix=/Users/d-fu/vlc-3.0/release-3.0.1/vlc_install_dir' '--enable-macosx' '--enable-merge-ffmpeg' '--enable-osx-notifications' '--enable-faad' '--enable-flac' '--enable-theora' '--enable-shout' '--enable-ncurses' '--enable-twolame' '--enable-realrtsp' '--enable-libass' '--enable-macosx-qtkit' '--enable-macosx-avfoundation' '--disable-skins2' '--disable-xcb' '--disable-caca' '--disable-pulse' '--disable-sdl-image' '--disable-vnc' '--build=x86_64-apple-darwin17' '--host=x86_64-apple-darwin17' '--with-macosx-version-min=10.7' '--with-macosx-sdk=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.13.sdk' '--with-breakpad=https://mac.crashes.videolan.org' 'build_alias=x86_64-apple-darwin17' 'host_alias=x86_64-apple-darwin17' 'CC=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang' 'CFLAGS=-g' 'LDFLAGS=' 'CXX=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++' 'CXXFLAGS=-g' 'OBJC=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang' 'OBJCFLAGS=-g'
videotoolbox warning: vt session error: 'kVTVideoDecoderBadDataErr'
videotoolbox warning: restarting vt session (dec callback failed)
main warning: playback too late (75443): up-sampling
videotoolbox warning: vt session error: 'kVTVideoDecoderBadDataErr'
videotoolbox warning: restarting vt session (dec callback failed)
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 158709 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback way too late (203635): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 8667 zeroes
auhal warning: underrun of 736 bytes
videotoolbox warning: vt session error: 'kVTVideoDecoderBadDataErr'
main warning: playback too early (-104112): down-sampling
videotoolbox warning: restarting vt session (dec callback failed)
main warning: playback way too early (-163607): playing silence
main debug: inserting 1308 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (104852): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (185006): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 8690 zeroes
auhal warning: underrun of 744 bytes
main warning: playback too early (-44687): down-sampling
videotoolbox warning: vt session error: 'kVTVideoDecoderBadDataErr'
videotoolbox warning: restarting vt session (dec callback failed)
main warning: timing screwed (drift: -94155 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too early (-48543): down-sampling
main debug: resampling stopped (drift: -9100 us)
main warning: playback too early (-42331): down-sampling
main debug: resampling stopped (drift: 2845 us)
videotoolbox warning: vt session error: 'kVTVideoDecoderBadDataErr'
videotoolbox warning: restarting vt session (dec callback failed)
main warning: playback too early (-114102): down-sampling
main warning: playback way too early (-143698): playing silence
main debug: inserting 1149 zeroes
main warning: playback too early (-44813): down-sampling
main debug: resampling stopped (drift: -14811 us)
main warning: playback too late (71376): up-sampling
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `h264'
main debug: removing module "videotoolbox"
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mlaw'
main debug: removing module "g711"
main debug: removing module "samplerate"
main debug: removing module "audio_format"
main debug: removing module "scaletempo"
main debug: removing module "trivial"
auhal debug: Stopping the auhal module
main debug: removing module "float_mixer"
main debug: keeping audio output
main debug: removing module "mp4"
mp4 debug: freeing all memory
main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES
main debug: removing module "record"
main debug: removing module "cache_read"
main debug: removing module "filesystem"
main debug: dead input
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play
macosx debug: Playback has been ended
macosx debug: Releasing IOKit system sleep blocker (41821)

main debug: VLC media player - 3.0.1 Vetinari
main debug: Copyright © 1996-2018 the VideoLAN team
main debug: revision 3.0.1-0-gec0f700fcc

Try Nightly Build of VLC

tried:)
didnt work.
I have downloaded 2.2.8 just for try, it worked without any problem.

Hello,

The HW decoder of the macbook can't handle this file. Even quicktime can't play it.
it will now fallback to the SW decoder in that case, but you could then miss few seconds of playback.
This will be available in the next nighly.

With newest nigtly built it works fine now with all movies from my camera.
Thanks!