The VideoLAN Forums

Hi,

So I've always put VLC on pause which stops my computer from going to lock & turning on the screensaver .

This way I don't have to log in every time I am away from the computer.

Well I just installed the new version of VLC & now even though it's on pause it's still locking me out. I'm not happy about that.

What can I do to fix this?

Thanks

VLC is a media player, not a power management tool. If you don't want savings and auto-lock, configure your OS accordingly, but that sounds like a very bad idea from security and energy point of view.

I also have same problem as original user, I would like version 3.x.x of VLC to stop screen from blanking even when on pause, like version 2.2.8 did

If I may, Mr Rémi, I totally agree with you that VLC is not a Power Management tool, 100%.

But to make a long story short, I use a specific computer as a Media player on a large screen tv. When not in use I want the Laptop screen to stay off (turn off after 1 minutes), when plugged to TV (with HDMI) and watching Youtube, iTunes movies or other media, I want screen to stay ON all of the time, even if I pause a video to do something else, because TV (sometimes) does Not like losing connection and causes HDMI bugs . Thus I was using VLC to launch a small video and pause it to do just that. This saved me the actual 14 (fourteen) clicks to Turn Off/On screen timer, and it could be done in 3 clicks with VLC, Start video, Pause, then Close. Turns out to be a time saver.

But I do think the fact that VLC no longer prevents Screensaver ( or screen blanker), maybe should be considered something to investigate?

For now I have uninstalled version 3.0.3 and reverted to 2.2.8 (with Updates turned off), but I would like to be informed (here) if a solution could be implemented.

I thank you for your time and generosity for the creation and maintenance of such a valued program.

sorry I should have offered these details

I am using a Windows 10 64 bit (1709) system. I do not believe I was ever offered updates 3.0.0, 3.0.1, 3.0.2 but all of a sudden yesterday (June 04) I was offered and installed 3.0.3. I do not actually believe I ever had any version 3's before yesterday (I could be partially mistaken, but I doubt it). I do not remember any update since last year.

Also, I did try many clean installs of all version 3's in 64 and 32 bit and only an install of last version 2.2.8 solved the problem

Windows has a feature to disable the screensaver. You should use that rather than an outdated version of VLC.

robUx4, as I said to Rémi, I absolutely agree with you both, I am using VLC in a way it is not intended, as a Screensaver blocker. But my second point was, although I am using it wrong, wouldn't there be a value to the VLC community to investigate why the function no longer works in version 3? Maybe it is an indication of a bigger underlying problem?

PS I know I can turn off from Windows, but I use that system every day to catch up on my Podcast, thus it is just a pain to go through (as petty as it sounds) the seven click to turn off, then the seven steps to turn back on. That's not counting the days I forget one or the other. When I forget the Turn on again, then laptop stays awake for the next 10+ hours while I'm gone.

Again, I am just hoping this information could help team find why this is happening, if it is a bug (?) and if a solution is possible.

I will keep looking here for info.

Thank you both very much

VLC is supposed to inhibit the screensaver when playing video. It is by design not inhibiting it when playing audio only, paused or stopped.

Rémi, thank you very much for the additional information.

Since versions, up to 2.2.8, prevented ScreenSaver or screen from turning off even during Paused Video, is this something that was changed when version(s) 3 started? Will it always stay that way?

Again, thank you for your time on this matter. Very much appreciated.

Yes, that was a regression that has been fixed.

Rémi, I am super super sorry. I don't think I understand your reply,

1- Yes that was a regression (an error that 2.2.8 (and all before) that kept screensaver OFF and it wasn't supposed to do that ), and has been fixed, and will NO longer keep screen on when Paused in version 3
or
2- Yes that was a regression (an error when we made in new version 3 that removed the "prevent screen from turning off when paused") and has been fixed and version 3.0.4 will keep screen ON when paused.

???
Sorry for being a pest.

That was a bug in 2.2 and earlier.

Hello VLC team,

Only reason I preferred VLC over other media players, because it prevent Screen lock and & turning on the screensaver .
It is really-really disappointing that basic feature of VLC is removed in latest update of VLC now if i pause my video and wait for some work or even a phone call my screen gets locked.

@@Remi what you are saying as bug is major feature which always attracted users to use VLC.

For your information I can see in my corporate environment almost everyone uses it.
As you may not be aware that normal users do not have admin privileges to change window settings
So best way to avoid screen locks was VLC. Also easily you can resume video without typing password again and again.

Can you share me link of any older version of VLC in which this crap fix is not there??


Thanks
Adhar
Microsoft SQL DBA!

There are lots of other program to do block energy saving. But, yes, when you pause, you want power-saving to kick in, because it uses less battery.

It is really-really disappointing that basic feature of VLC is removed in latest update of VLC now if i pause my video and wait for some work or even a phone call my screen gets locked.

It is not a basic feature. It is a bug.

The basic feature of VLC is to play media, not to inhibit power management, and especially not to wreck corporate IT policies.

Remi what you are saying as bug is major feature which always attracted users to use VLC.

And what exactly do those users get me or, rather, the project? Literally nobody ever claimed to make a donation to the project on the basis of inhibiting the screen saver.

So far, all I got was whining from those attracted users, and that is not something I actually like.

For your information I can see in my corporate environment almost everyone uses it.
As you may not be aware that normal users do not have admin privileges to change window settings

So ask your IT management to fix the settings. This forum is not the place to fix your internal corporate problems.

So best way to avoid screen locks was VLC. Also easily you can resume video without typing password again and again.

Can you share me link of any older version of VLC in which this crap fix is not there??

Oh really? Somebody who takes pride in their Microsoft certification wants to install an old buggy insecure version of software. You are supposed to be setting an example, you know.

aadvar is right, this "bug" was one of the features I prefer in VLC. Please wrap your fix into a checkbox option. I will now fallback to earlier release, to mitigate this fix.

You can fix your screen saver and lock settings. And if you cannot, then that is a problem between you and your IT service, not the VLC fora.

It would be wrong for VLC to inhibit the screen saver while paused, especially given that there are no time limits on the pause. There are no reasons why VLC should have an option to effectively override the system screensaver, and especially system auto-lock, settings.

My problem with this new “fix” is now it interrupts my music and audiobooks even when it is playing and the album art is on screen to prevent it from doing so.

I preferred to use VLC over media players like iTunes, not only for videos but also music, audiobooks & even podcasts. But what is the point of a MEDIA player that stops your ACTIVE audio media just because there is no moving picture?
Even the basic, and MORE buggy Windows Media Player didn’t sacrifice audio only use to allow screensaver/sleep mode. Why? Because it had the option at least AVAILABLE for its users to inhibit screensavers when in play mode, even just for audio.
VLC 3 and later no longer prevents this...which is why I would rather use the older, so-called buggy versions...because I found that “bug” to be useful when playing my audio only media. Preventing the screensaver/sleep mode should at least be functional while PLAYING audio only media.
Will at least THAT issue be addressed?

I have that same problem. I like to watch a video on my monitor or over HDMI without that the screensaver is turned on. These interruptions are impacting my enjoyment of the video and so it fails the basic goal of a software meant to playback videos.

The fact of the matter is that VLC does not stop audio playback when the screensaver starts, and never did.

@Weaver
There are two separate and distinct issues with the screen saver. The one predominate in this thread seems to be that the screensaver kicks in if the player has been paused.

The other issue that you may be talking about is, during playback, the screensaver kicks in. That will occur if you don't have the video embedded within the player, and instead, have the controls on the computer, and the video on the television set. The workaround is, the player will only perform satisfactorily if the video is embedded in the player, requiring the user to drag the player/video over to the television set. That is a regression.

https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/20319

@Weaver
There are two separate and distinct issues with the screen saver. The one predominate in this thread seems to be that the screensaver kicks in if the player has been paused.

The other issue that you may be talking about is, during playback, the screensaver kicks in. That will occur if you don't have the video embedded within the player, and instead, have the controls on the computer, and the video on the television set. The workaround is, the player will only perform satisfactorily if the video is embedded in the player, requiring the user to drag the player/video over to the television set. That is a regression.

https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/20319

No, there is no screensaver kicking in & no, I don't use my TV for watching.

This whole thread seems off.
I do not care if it allows SS/video off during pause.
I also do not care what it does to video during audio playback as long as audio playback continues.
What I see as a very big problem is during video playback while watching a movie it allows win to sleep!
And what is even more disconcerting is this was done on purpose?
So VLC thinks ANYONE wants to watch a movie have the screen go to sleep, get up move mouse, rewind and continue watching? Repeatedly?
Or disable SS every time we watch a movie? REALLY?
Am I missing something?

This whole thread seems off.

Yes. Because you are hijacking it.

This thread is debating the fact that VLC does not inhibit the screensaver while paused. And you are obviously writing about a different issue.

Really? It seems like the same issue to me.
While a movie is paused it SHOULD turn the screen off and does! (I thought?)
Someone above mentioned:
VLC made a change as to how it hooks into windows to prevent ss/sleep.
And it happening during audio playback.
So you feel that this change in the way VLC prevents ss/screen off happens during video playback is a completely separate issue?
And the fact that apparently in order for me to avoid this created bug I am required to downgrade to a version BEFORE this fix/bug creation?
So I should delete my comments, start a new thread and reference this thread?

edit:
So you are saying this change prevents SS/sleep from happening during pause while allowing it during video playback. But the issues are completely unrelated?

Just an argument for why in certain cases it would make sense to forbid screensaver/lock when in pause:
When used to play video on a TV, one often has a way to remote control play and pause, but not to log back in (keyword or, worst, fingerprint needed) while on the sofa.

Deactivating auto-lock completely on the computer would not be safe, so the functionality of forbidding sleep while in pause in full screen in VLC is a special case with a clear interest for, probably, a lot of people. No other solution (power management tool) is satisfying, since I want my auto-lock to become active as soon as I quit full screen in VLC.

I understand that it is not active by default, but it seems to me a reasonable option for "power users".