VLC 0.9.2: Problems when playing multiple video files

[mik]

Hi,

I use VLC to play three video files in sequence in full screen mode (under Windows XP). In version 0.8.6i (default settings), they are shown seamlessly. In 0.9.2 (default settings), VLC briefly interrupts full screen mode between the files and I see my desktop for a few tenth of a second. Does anybody have an idea how to avoid that behaviour (or is it a kind of a bug)?

Furthermore, I have problems in picking the files in the correct order in the open file dialogue of QT4. I use Ctrl + right mouse click to select several files. However, the sequence in which they are listed (and then played) is somehow unpredictable (not in the sequence in which I click, not in alphabetical order). Any hint how I can get them in the sequence that I want. (Under 0.8.6i, it was also not straight forwards but I somehow managed by clicking in reverse order).

Thanks!

[Heinz Muller]

Hi Mik,

Looks like we have the same problem.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=50249

Can somebody help us???

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Well, VLC destroys the Vout between videos...

[EdwinHoegen]

I have the same problem as well. Hopefully there is a solution on a short term, because I loved the seamless playback. J-B is there a solution or can it be fixed?

[VLC_help]

AFAIK no.

[EdwinHoegen]

AFAIK ??

[Heinz Muller]

AFAIK = As Far As I Know

Why is it that the 0.9.2 version has this problem and the 0.8.6 doesn't have it?

[VLC_help]

There have been both GUI and architectural changes which might have caused this.

[Heinz Muller]

Isn't this a standard feature in VLC which just should work properly?
I think everybody who is watching a movie consisting out of more than one file will have this ignoring problem.

Imagine,...
A Saturday night and you'll invite some friends over to watch the latest Bond movie.
You just downloaded this latest Bond movie which consists of two files, drag them into VLC, grab a couple of beers and bag of crisps, and just when the excitement is the highest you'll see a split second your desktop wallpaper of your grandma watering the flowers,... What do i have to tell my friends,... Sorry, guys this is just because of this new GUI in VLC???

Sorry for being so angry and understand me well this is nothing personal, but I've been using VLC now for years and always said it's the best mediaplayer around. But due to this small thing, I think i've to say goodbye to VLC and start my search again for a new mediaplayer.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Seriously, use an old version, if You don't like the new one... Or use VLC in complete mode.

[mik]

Salut j-b,

Please explain, what is "complete mode".

BTW: I already switched back to 0.8.6i. I guess there is no way to install both versions in parallel???

Best regards,
Mik

[EdwinHoegen]

Going back to version 0.8.6 is no option, because in that version (and every previous version) my video's don't run smooth. After a while they start to jerk. So changing the architectural and GUI have resulted in a much betere viewer, but I agree with Heinz that seamless playback is actualy a must for the player and I think it also adds extra value to your package. Because I was one of the big features of VLC that (almost) no other player had. I would really appreciate it if you could look into it. Most important is that it doesn't switch back for a slip of a second to my desktop background, but seamless playback would be really nice.

[Erwan100]

Hello,

I experienced this kind of problem (not-so-nice transition between files) when playing out a movie made up of several .VOB files inserted into a single playlist.

The following command (on Linux with vlc0.9.2) seemed to solve the problem :
=> vlc /path/file1.vob --input-list "/path/file2.vob,/path/file3.vob,/path/file4.vob"

This command gives a seamless transition between files, and in addition, the total length of the movie is computed and displayed by the GUI.

Maybe this "input-list" option may also be of aid in your case.

Regards
Erwan

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Erwan is right.

[Heinz Muller]

Thanks for the suggestion Erwan!

Now it looks like I have to dig up my programming from high school again and give it a shot.
I'll work under Windows, should this change anything to the situation?

[EdwinHoegen]

Erwan, thanks for your input. I think that this is something that need to be programmed in a small software tool right and is not something that I just can type in the DOS command line? By the way I'm using Windows and AVI files no Linux and VOB files. Does this change the principal, or will it still run in the same way J-B?

[Erwan100]

Hello,

I tested the following bat script on Windows XP using VLC 0.9.2. It works fine for VOB files.

PATH=%PATH%;"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC"
D:
cd \MyVideo\Movie1
vlc VTS_14_1.VOB :input-list="VTS_14_2.VOB,VTS_14_3.VOB,VTS_14_4.VOB,VTS_14_5.VOB" :meta-title=Movie1

As for AVI files, I have not been successful so far.
I guess it works on VOB files because VOB files can be concatenated and the resulting file is still a MPEG2 PS stream readable by vlc. Concatenating AVI files is not as straightforward as concatenating VOB files. But this is only a guess !

Erwan

[deathgod]

My problem is different. When I open the playlist window and drag a file it plays automatically, how do I add multiple files and have them play only when I click on them like in the previous version?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

My problem is different. When I open the playlist window and drag a file it plays automatically, how do I add multiple files and have them play only when I click on them like in the previous version?

Your problem is different, make a new thread.

To fix your problem, just use 0.9.3 nightly builds. Release in a few days.

[EdwinHoegen]

Erwan, I changed the script to:

PATH=%PATH%;"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC"
D:
cd \Video
vlc leader.avi :input-list="AW-promo.avi,test.avi" :meta-title=Video

After playing the first AVI file, the Debugger of VLC tells me it can't find the file: AW-promo.avi,test.avi. So it doesn't see the files as seperate movies, but as one file with the name "AW-promo.avi,test.avi". Than I changed the last line into:

vlc leader.avi :input-list="AW-promo.avi" :input-list="test.avi" :meta-title=Video.

Now al three avi files are loaded into the playlist, but still they don't run seamless. Further the meta-title is not used. So perhaps that J-B can take a closer look to it. It's strange that it works with VOB files and doesn't work via AVI files.

[Erwan100]

Hello,

Actually, I also would find it nice to have seamless transitions from one item to the other within a playlist.
I suppose this means restructuring the vlc code a lot (reusing the same video_output thread ????). Maybe a thing to ask as an enhancement in a future version.

Regarding --input-list or :input-list, from what I can see inside the code, only one of them is taken into account, and the list of files is separated by a comma (",").

As I said previously, I didn't manage to make it work with AVI files, and I doubt it will work anyway, as there is no easy means to merge them. The only way I have in mind is through tools like virtualdub or ffmpeg.

Are you sure that was ok with vlc 0.8.x ? From what I recall, the same problem existed ?

Regards
Erwan

[EdwinHoegen]

Erwan, that's not very nice! Ik really need the seamless playback, so hopefully they will put in a update of the VLC version 0.9. The "," doesn't seperate the AVI files, VLC thinks it's a part of the filename. The seamless playback was there with version 0.8.6, but the playback was horrible! After a while (let's say after about 4 to 5 video files of 30 seconds) the video starts to jerk and scipped frames. This is luckaly fixed with the new version, but unfortunately the seamless playback is gone.
Virtualdub and FFMPEG aren't videoplayers right? Or can it just play AVI and MPEG files seamless? I thought the were converters.

[VLC_help]

There hasn't been seamless playback earlier. VLC has always killed old output and started new one when you play separate files. But it might have been faster earlier or maybe video output module change has cause some slowdowns be gone and now you see desktop briefly. With input-list you can play same spec VOB files together, but it isn't for general playback.

[EdwinHoegen]

Well the playback of AVI files was alway seamless. Not even a split of a second buffering off the files, it just run from video 1 tot video 2 without any black between and most important without dropping of my Matrox DVDMax/Pure Video. Looks quite like seamless to me. But now it really loads the video's behind each other with a black hole and even a blink of the desktop between every movie. And because it goes back to the desktop my the DVDMax/Pure Video drops which results in a flash on my TV. It really looks horrible. The input-list doesn't work with same spec AVI files. So I really would like a solution to play more AVI files out of a playlist without seeing the desktop and the dropping of my DVDMax/Pure Video.
Or option 2: a way that I can play several AVI files with VLC 0.8.6. for a longer time without getting jerking and tearing movies

[mik]

Hi,

@VLC_help: So input-list is the not the solution to my problem. It seems to me that 0.9.2 as no solution.
(BTW: I tried:
vlc 1.mp4 --input-list="2.mp4,3.mp4"
and I got either only 1.mp4 paying or VLC process occupying whole CPU without any outcome).

@VLC_help: Don't know what you call seamless, but try:
vlc 1.mp4 2.mp4 3.mp4 --fullscreen
with 0.8.6i and with 0.9.2. And you WILL see the difference.

Mik