Audio stuttering in 1.1.5, but not 1.1.4 and earlier

[Drass]

I'm having severe audio stuttering issues using vlc-1.1.5-win32. The audio stuttering happens on every file I've tried that has audio content. I've tried MKV movies, Xvid movies, MP3 audio files, and M4P audio files. The stuttering occurs persistently on all of them. In every case the files were stored on the notebook's internal hard drive and not streamed via networking. The same files played without stuttering in a 3rd party media player.

I've downloaded fresh copies of VLC 1.1.5, 1.1.4, and 1.1.3, and cleanly extracted them to separate folders. VLC 1.1.3 and 1.1.4 both play files without audio stuttering. Only 1.1.5 exhibits stuttering.

I have tried resetting all preferences, just in case, and I've also tried every Audio Output Module and restarted VLC after every change. They made no difference... well, except for ones like Dummy Audio Output Function which silenced VLC altogether. I also tried using USB headphones rather than the notebook's speakers, to no effect.

Here's a copy of the VLC messages.

Code: Select all

main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41356) main warning: audio drift is too big (-136654), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-56091) main debug: audio output is starving (169313), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41034) main warning: buffer is 40854 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-46282) main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: buffer is 86932 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-46337) main warning: audio drift is too big (-133201), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-64072) main debug: audio output is starving (186944), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-42999) main warning: buffer is 42819 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-40991) main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: buffer is 83742 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41325) main warning: audio drift is too big (-124954), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-47163) main debug: audio output is starving (143997), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41441) main warning: buffer is 41260 in advance, triggering downsampling main debug: audio output is starving (51295), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-43049) main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: buffer is 82971 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-46313) main warning: audio drift is too big (-129170), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-52843) main debug: audio output is starving (150100), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-42192) main warning: buffer is 42011 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-46346) main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: buffer is 88154 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41379) main warning: audio drift is too big (-129397), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-57498) main debug: audio output is starving (173288), playing silence main debug: audio output is starving (50079), playing silence main debug: audio output is starving (51709), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-43437) main warning: buffer is 43256 in advance, triggering downsampling main debug: audio output is starving (51284), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-42979) main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: buffer is 84897 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-46399) main warning: audio drift is too big (-131182), clearing out main warning: timing screwed, stopping resampling main warning: mixer start isn't output start (-50960) main debug: audio output is starving (144762), playing silence main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41873) main warning: buffer is 41692 in advance, triggering downsampling main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (-41366)

Any ideas on where the problem lies?

System specs:
ASUS G73Jh Gamers Republic notebook
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
Intel Core i7 720QM @ 1.60GHz - 2.80GHz
6GB RAM
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 1GB VRAM
ATI HDMI Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

[VLC_help]

Bug in VLC.

[Drass]

It's a known bug? Awesome. That gets me out of having to write a bug report. I'll just go on with using 1.14 until the next patch.

Thanks!

[Trax]

if you're using an Asus mobo, are you also using the EPU-engine or some other tool that is under over overclocking your CPU for power management? If so, try turning it off, i've opened the following ticket:
http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/4331 - vlc 1.1.5 audio output starving, playing silence every 10 sec. using directx audio on Windows with Intel and CPU power saving management

[frankbald]

I have the same problem, but I'm on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. Every 8-10 seconds the sound on a video goes on mute for at least half a second. I tried to turn off the Asus EPU energy manager, but the problem is still here. What can I do?

[Sébastien Escudier]

use 1.1.4 and wait for a bug fix.

[Trax]

according to the ticket there will not be a bugfix since reverting the change that introduced this issue for Intel (which was a fix for AMd Cool & Quiet), will even break more systems..

[jameswhatsit]

not just overclocked systems have the problem, my computer [asus eeepc 1000H, bog standard hardware] is having exsactly the same problem. doesnt seem to be happening with mpeg file types tho

[MacEachaidh]

Same happening on my system, again with every file I've tried (range of codecs and sources). Same files work fine in Win Media Player and Nero Showtime, with no audible stuttering at all.

But I've had 1.1.5 for a while, and not experienced this stuttering before today. It's been working fine, so it's clearly not an issue solely in the 1.1.5 code, is it? Last night, I let the latest batch of Windows updates from MS loose on my system (I just get tired of being nagged by them), and look what the outcome is. I tried taking my system back to before those updates, and VLC works fine. No stutters.

So, is the (short-term) solution to wind back to VLC 1.1.4? I'll do that, then. (And presumably I have to disable the VLC auto-updates?)

Is there any word on when this might be fixed?

[VLC_help]

Is there any word on when this might be fixed?

No.