The VideoLAN Forums

I just discovered how to use the Media>Open Capture Device to activate my web cam and use it as a security camera or to make a recording. However, I notice that the timer/counter which normally indicates the elapsed playing time of videos has been started and doesn't stop even when I've shut down VLC. The time picks up from the current total elapsed time since I originally started using this feature when I restart VLC. Ie: If I first started it this morning and then turned it off, stopped the recording and exited VLC, when I restarted it the timer shows that it has been going for the past 8 hours or so. Each incident of use doesn't zero out the timer.

I haven't yet shut down my computer in the interim so, I don't know if that will stop and/or reset the timer or not.

Also I can't find any way to customize the default folder for saving the recordings I make.

Leib, did you ever discover how to reset the elapsed time counter? I've got exactly the same problem (at 308 hours and counting, for heaven's sake).

Bump.

I'm curious about this as well. For a project I'm working on, I'm using a webcam to record events, and I need to make annotations based on the time something happens.
If the counter was reset to zero each time a new video starts (which seems to be logical), it would be so much easier to just use it, instead of something else.

Who do we talk to to see if this can be addressed?

In the meantime, ie, since Feb 2013, I wasn't using this feature at all until Aug 2013. I think I've had an update since then, but I've surely hit the "Reset Preferences" button under Tools>Preferences>Interface bottom of the page "Reset Preferences" button. Apparently something caused a reset, 'cause since starting to re-use this feature yesterday, my timer is now up to around 5 hours +. Apparently the timer DOES STOP counting at some point, other wise I'd have a lot more than 5 hours on the clock. I have turned VLC on an off a couple of times in the last hour or so, but the timer seems to have been counting even throughout the down time. I suspect it won't count when the computer is turned off, so I'll try doing that for around 10 minutes or so shortly, when I'm taking a break.

In any case, I've started using my video cam to see over my shoulder to see into my kitchen which is at my back. Often when my wife or daughter come in the house and I'm watching a video and don't hear them they can come up behind me without me knowing they're in the house and pat me on the head or shoulder or give me a kiss and startled, I jump right out of my skin LOL. Now with the camera, VLC and the motion sensor going this almost never happens anymore. Being almost 60 I'm starting to get concerned for my heart and don't need so much excitement / _ \

Ok, I'm back now about 45 minutes later and see the timer apparently reset except that it started at around the 2 minute mark, which is around the time I shut off VLC prior to turning off the computer. Although the 2 minutes could also be accounted for by the amount of time that it took from the time I turned the computer back on until I started up VLC with the camera activated. Take your pick LOL. I'm not really a techy, just posting my observations.

Soooo. all in all it looks like it takes a shut down of the computer to reset the timer.

BTW - Shortly after my original Feb 2013 post I DID discover how to assign where VLC saves my videos recorded in VLC. Go to Tools>Preferences>Input & Codecs>Files>Record directory or filename window