"your input can't be opened" error message

[jbclem]

i just downloaded and installed VLC 3.0.7.1 in a "portable" sub-folder. I've been using VLC 2.2.4 and the playlist/podcast section and have a list of 28 podcasts in the playlist. Since that version is so buggy with playing podcasts, I'm trying the newer version and hoping for some improvements.

But unfortunately right of the bat, although 3.0.7.1 picked up the podcast list, it will not open any of them and for 16 of them gives this error message:

"Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/discovery/rss.xml'. Check the log for details."

No mention of the log location, but I found a "logs" sub-folder under the VLC 2.2.4 folder. There is a file named "test" in there. Yesterday this file empty even after I had the problem mentioned above. But today there is content in this file. It lists 16 instances of "invalid URL", but there are 28 different podcasts in the playlist. And the same URLs are working in VLC 2.2.4. Any suggestions for troubleshooting this problem?

-- logger module started --
main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
main: playlist is empty
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
-- logger module stopped --
-- logger module started --
core: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
-- logger module started --
core: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
xml error: XML parser error (line 727) : Input is not proper UTF-8, indicate encoding !
Bytes: 0xE2 0x80 0x9C 0x6A

xml error: XML parser error (line 7647) : Input is not proper UTF-8, indicate encoding !
Bytes: 0xE2 0x80 0x9C 0x74

xml error: XML parser error (line 12) : Input is not proper UTF-8, indicate encoding !
Bytes: 0xC2 0xA0 0x70 0x6F

xml error: XML parser error (line 130) : Input is not proper UTF-8, indicate encoding !
Bytes: 0xE2 0x80 0x9C 0x63

xml error: XML parser error (line 190) : Input is not proper UTF-8, indicate encoding !
Bytes: 0xE2 0x80 0x99 0x74

equalizer error: No preset selected
core error: cannot add user audio filter "equalizer" (skipped)
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 10.2% failed
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 17.0% failed
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 8.2% failed
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 11.9% failed
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 34.5% failed
core error: INPUT_CONTROL_SET_POSITION(_OFFSET) 75.0% failed
-- logger module stopped --
-- logger module started --
main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
main: playlist is empty
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
http error: invalid URL
-- logger module stopped --

[mederi]

i just downloaded and installed VLC 3.0.7.1 in a "portable" sub-folder.

What does it exactly mean? If it means, that you downloaded 7zip or Zip package of VLC, unpacked it somewhere and manually created the empty "portable" subfolder there, then it is O.K. Just in case that you have misunderstood the instructions for portable VLC.

[jbclem]

I created the "portable" subfolder in the original VLC 2.2.4 folder. Then using WinZip I unzipped the VLC-3.0.7.1-win32.zip into the "portable" subfolder. I can start up the program using vlc.exe from the portable subfolder. But as stated above, I just can't get it to work with podcasts in the playlist. It will play podcasts that I have stored somewhere else.

[mederi]

I created the "portable" subfolder in the original VLC 2.2.4 folder. Then using WinZip I unzipped the VLC-3.0.7.1-win32.zip into the "portable" subfolder.

Wrong! Unzip VLC-3.0.7.1 somewhere else independently from your VLC 2.2.4. Then create empty "portable" subfolder in the unzipped VLC-3.0.7.1!