The VideoLAN Forums

I'm old fashioned: I still use Win 7 Pro. For a several years I've used VLC to convert MPEG2 TS files from my Satellite box to MP3 files, to use in an mp3 player. Unfortunately my PC died, and has been replaced with a new machine still running Win 7 Pro. Now, using VLC 3.03 when I use the Convert/Save route to change the MPEG2 to Mp3, file being saved in a different folder and with a different name, I get stuck in a 'the output file already exists.If the recording continues, the file will be overridden and its content will be lost' loop. Clicking the overwrite button doesn't work; only about 20 secs of the file being converted are saved of a 30 min programme Any ideas on how I can get back to actually to converting MPEG2 TS to MP3?

Problem solved - I've reverted to version 2.2.5.1!

I was having the same problem. It can be fixed on the main screen of VLC Player at the bottom where 'play' 'stop' 'fast forward' etc buttons are displayed. The second to last button from the right is 'click to toggle between loop all, loop one and no loop' By default it seems to be set to loop all. If you click that button twice it will then be set to no loop and the convert will work perfectly.

Win 10.

I am trying to convert MP4 to MP3.

file be setting in a different folder and with a different name, I getting message in a 'the output file already exists.If the recording continues, the file will be overridden and its content will be lost' loop. Clicking the overwrite button doesn't work; only about 20 secs of the file being converted are saved of a 30 min.

Any ideas on how I can get back to actually to converting MP4 to MP3?

How did you fix it? I can not see any answers to your questions in the forums. and I don't know how I put my questions in the site. Please help me.

The message just means what it says: the output file already exists, typically because more than one record is output to the same file path.

Getting 20 seconds out of 30 minutes has nothing to do with the overwrite dialog. Either the stream output is not configured correctly for what you want to do, or there is a bug.

I am having the same problem so there must be a bug with this last update because it was working great before.

Just uncheck de "loop" button

it doesn't work, none of this works, this whole program is just one big pile of SUCK the devs should off themselves for creating such an unuseable trash fire
all it does now is generate an output file that is the same as the input file
same thing it did before when it was giving the popup loop before i set the loop to off
what pile of grabage

Still a problem in 3.0.16.

One workaround is to kill the program after the file is created, but don't allow it to replace.

I'm a massive user of VLC batch conversion. Never had any issues until this last update.
I'm getting a non stop "the output file already exists.If the recording continues, the file will be overridden and its content will be lost" loop.
Please fix this bug.
I'm using 3.0.16 Vetinari on a Win10 V21H1

Maybe uncheck the playlist loop mode?

well wouldn't it be obvious to change the code so it does not take the loop button into account in that case

this is beyond dumb

Actually, I don't think that it is obvious in terms of actual code. But you're welcome to submit a MR proving me wrong.

When you go to the Media menu, and select Convert/Save, you get an infinite loop where it converts and saves the same file over and over and over again, with no way to stop the process except to manually kill the VLC. And this is the default behavior.

Surely you don't think that's correct or expected behavior, and your statement that this is not an obvious bug "in terms of the code" is an attempt at humor. If so, a smiley would be helpful, because the humor of the situation is extremely subtle.

Maybe uncheck the playlist loop mode?

Wow really!!

Over the years multiple mentions and I thought this is weird it still exists and exists so long... then I saw this answer. Stupid enough I thought lets check that... and what the heck, that worked.

You wouldn't expect it, because I started converting without actually loading the video so it was just my christmas playlist I set on repeat. I almost never use repeat.

Well then again... problem solved... just turn of the loop in the player

<semi-rant>
This is one thing that ticks me off about open-source software: Yes, the fix is easy - turn off Loop playback, so it doesn't try to (I think) play the converted file again, and then re-convert the first file, etc, etc. Yes, this is "I suppose" then "logical behavior" - given how the code is writte. But it surely cannot be the *expected* behavior of a first-time user (I don't even know why the converted file is added to the playlist *all* all.

Yes, I could download the code and make a presumably very small change to make sure the "playlist loop" flag is off when "convert-save" is activated, and the set it back afterward. This would take about 5 minutes, plus 1-2 hours (at least) to dig around in the code to figure out how everything is hooked up (plain C, OO, Qt with "meta-interface" files, etc). The "ordinary user" who has no programming experience is screwed.

Yes, I can just click the "loop playlist" button (Windows apparently) or press Command-L (Mac - there doesn't seem to be a button. But I *shouldn't have to*.

And if I *do* decide to change the code to suit my peculiarity of wanting the interface to be simpler, what about when the code is updated? Can I make a fork where my changes will stay "constant" even as code around it changes? I have no idea. (Comments if this is possible welcome).

So with OSS - we have the "benefit" that "everyone can look under the hood, and tweak the engine" - but in practice that is (as far as I know) impossible - unless you want to lock yourself into a single version and not benefit from any further updates.. Which is the whole *point* of the benefit of OSS.

Any thoughts?

If your assumption is that you can make only an ugly band-aid fix (a.k.a. a "kludge") then you may be correct. Realistically, most users are unqualified to even do that. But on the other hand, some people are able to make a proper fix that can be submitted to code.videolan.org and integrated in future versions for everyone's benefit including your own.

You could switch to proprietary software whence the user support would just take you repeatedly through a troubleshooting walk-through with a step telling you to disable the playlist loop. Do you think that's better?

Great UX or Great functionality - you can only choose one

In this case is neither

Uncheck the "loop" button, brilliant! Worked perfectly. Thank you.

Anyone who's only getting a few seconds on the new file, if I select the display output file, the file autoplays and if I hit stop button it appears to stop the new file recording at whatever time I hit stop. So maybe uncheck the display output file and see if that works for you.

Vlc is huge. So many options are not super intuitive but I still love it. Been using it for over 20 years and have no plan to stop.