The VideoLAN Forums

Basically, I'm trying to watch a video file that was encoded using x265/10bit, and it will play when I open it. The problem is I am unable to track or do anything with the file. If I try to skip ahead, it doesn't let me. I can't even check how much time is remaining, since it doesn't let me see. I am using the latest version of VLC too. Occaionally, during fast movement scenes, the screen will also get super pixelated and blurry so maybe the computer just can't handle the encoding? I don't really know what is the problem.

You gave absolutely no information about your OS and your hardware.

Assuming you are using Vista or higher and a DXVA 2.0 compatible graphics card, try to enable hardware acceleration:
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=79953

And if you are using a 64bit OS you should try the latest VLC 3.0.0 x64 nightly build:
http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win64/?C=M;O=D

Thanks for your suggestions, Lotesdelere.

I'm observing behaviour the OP's description seems to fit on Windows 7 x64 in VLC 2.2.4, with an nVidia GeForce GT 740 2 GB and the latest vendor display drivers. I use only the standard driver, without all the games-related utilities installed.

Changing the hardware acceleration setting doesn't appear to make any difference. The videos I have problems still have problems like the OP described in VLC, but play fine in PowerDVD 16. I assumed it may be to do with the application they were first encoded in, since I'm not assuming all x265 implementations are the same at this early stage.

Only very recent graphics cards support hardware acceleration for H.265/HEVC.
Check your card with this tool:
http://bluesky23.yukishigure.com/en/DXVAChecker.html

Otherwise decoding is done in software mode which requires a LOT of CPU power.

Yes I understand, Lotesdelere. But as I said, they play (and FF/step forward) in PowerDVD, which itself gobbles up considerably more resources than VLC does.