FLAC Playback Issue

[Tea]

Hello again! Long time since I've posted last. OK, here we go...

OS: Vista

All drivers current

I have a huge library of FLAC files, and I use VLC exclusively for every audio/video format. All the files play, but on some of them, VLC stops and then starts at the beginning of the song. There seems to be no pattern what so ever between the files, the "error" occurs at random places, but it is always the same place for the same file. The files are not corrupt because they play fine in foobar2000. I just tried the latest nightly, and the same error. When it happens the message log gets very angry and spits out all this at once:

"main warning: resampling stopped after 11808013 usec (drift: 40734)
main warning: buffer is 40552 in advance, triggering downsampling
flacdec warning: the decoder was aborted by the read callback.
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: closing input
main debug: removing module "flacdec"
main debug: removing module "flac"
main debug: removing module "access_file"
main debug: removing module "flacdec"
main debug: thread times: real 0m21.734937s, kernel 0m0.031250s, user 0m0.406250s
main debug: thread 4168 joined (input/decoder.c:191)
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `flac', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "s16tofloat32"
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
aout_directx debug: closing audio device
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread exiting
main debug: thread times: real 0m21.607015s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4344 joined (directx.c:598)
main debug: removing module "aout_directx"
main debug: removing module "float32_mixer"
main debug: thread times: real 0m21.780832s, kernel 0m0.031250s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: thread 4052 joined (input/input.c:412)
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: waiting for thread completion
main debug: thread 4052 (input) created at priority 1 (input/input.c:265)
main debug: drive letter C: found in source
main debug: `C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac' gives access `' demux `' path `C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac'
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac'
main debug: looking for access_demux module: 1 candidate
main debug: creating access '' path='C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac'
main debug: looking for access2 module: 5 candidates
vcd debug: trying .cue file: C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.cue
vcd debug: could not find .cue file
access_file debug: opening file `C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac'
main debug: using access2 module "access_file"
main debug: pre-buffering...
main debug: received first data for our buffer
main debug: pre-buffering done 1408981 bytes in 0s - 525174 kbytes/s
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac'
main debug: looking for demux2 module: 45 candidates
main debug: looking for packetizer module: 17 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "flacdec"
main debug: selecting program id=0
main debug: looking for id3 module: 1 candidate
id3tag debug: checking for ID3 tag
main debug: using id3 module "id3tag"
main debug: removing module "id3tag"
main debug: using demux2 module "flac"
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\
main debug: looking for decoder module: 28 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "flacdec"
main debug: thread 4372 (decoder) created at priority 2 (input/decoder.c:159)
main debug: `C:\KindVLCHelpPeople\ThisFileDoesNotPlayRight.flac' successfully opened
flacdec debug: decode STREAMINFO
flacdec debug: channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitspersamples:16
flacdec debug: STREAMINFO decoded
flacdec debug: decode STREAMINFO
flacdec debug: channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitspersamples:16
flacdec debug: STREAMINFO decoded
main debug: looking for audio output module: 3 candidates
aout_directx debug: OpenAudio
aout_directx debug: found device: Primary Sound Driver
aout_directx debug: found device: Speakers (Creative SB X-Fi)
aout_directx debug: found device: SPDIF Out (Creative SB X-Fi)
aout_directx debug: device supports 2 channels
aout_directx debug: device supports 1 channel
aout_directx debug: creating DirectSoundThread
main debug: thread 4164 (DirectSound Notification Thread) created at priority 15 (directx.c:372)
main debug: using audio output module "aout_directx"
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread ready
main debug: output 'fl32' 44100 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/8 bytes
main debug: mixer 'fl32' 44100 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/8 bytes
main debug: no need for any filter
main debug: looking for audio mixer module: 3 candidates
main debug: using audio mixer module "float32_mixer"
main debug: input 's16l' 44100 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/4 bytes
main debug: filter(s) 's16l'->'fl32' 44100 Hz->44100 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "s16tofloat32"
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main debug: filter(s) 'fl32'->'fl32' 48510 Hz->44100 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "bandlimited_resampler"
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main warning: buffer is 97390 in advance, triggering downsampling
main warning: the mixer got a packet in the past (42902)
main warning: mixer start isn't output start (15135)
main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (44836)
main warning: mixer start isn't output start (8)"

Perhaps some kind VLC person can help me out If you need any more information, just ask. Thanks!

[CloudStalker]

I have this problem too with VLC and some FLAC files. I've done some testing and found that when using a higher compression (-8) for FLAC the problem within VLC is more likely to occur. You could try using the FLAC frontend to decode the "bad" FLAC file and re-encode it with a lower compression ratio (-6 or -4). In most cases, for me, this seems to resolve the problem.

Maybe I'll make a ticket regarding this.

[Tea]

Very good call, that works. Is there any way we can get this fixed?

[CloudStalker]

I'm going to write a ticket now.

By the way always use the latest FLAC version available when encoding. I've noticed that version FLAC 1.1.4 and later seem to work better on VLC then any of the previous versions. You may notice that when decoding older FLAC files and re-encoding them to the latest there's no longer that popping/clicking noise at the beginning or when seeking through a song.

[Tea]

Is there anything I can do to help?

[CloudStalker]

Don't know. Do you no how to make a patch that'll fix this? Other then that I've already written a ticket (pay no attention to the typo ).

[Tea]

Make a patch? Thats beyond me, but if you need someone to test stuff out, drop me a PM

[kotao_78]

Why i could not find this issue (flac playback stopping) on mplayer linux and foobar windows?

[kotao_78]

HI ALL ,

After review the codec code of VLC FLAC , I think maybe it caused by a invalid blocksize returned by SyncInfo function(../modules/codec/flac.c)
It seems has problem of computing blocksize , and it could cause VLC run into a drop buffer then goto EOF , then the playback is stopping

Ke Tao

[kotao_78]

HI ALL ,

After review the codec code of VLC FLAC , I think maybe it caused by a invalid blocksize returned by SyncInfo function(../modules/codec/flac.c)
It seems has problem of computing blocksize , and it could cause VLC run into a drop buffer then goto EOF , then the playback is stopping

Ke Tao

Actually I did not see the issue on foobar 2000 or mplayer when playback same media , please be informed.

[bugmenot]

Same error here, VLC just stops the playback on some flac files. The flacs aren't corrupted as they play on other players, but I'd really like to see a fix for this as I'm using VLC for all my media and don't want to use another player just for playing flac.
Windows XP, happened on 0.8.6d, incl. latest nightly

flac warning: the decoder was aborted by the read callback.
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: finished input
main debug: dying input
main debug: removing module "flac"
main debug: removing module "flacsys"
main debug: removing module "access_file"
main debug: removing module "flac"
main debug: thread 1880 joined (input/decoder.c:243)
main debug: thread times: real 1m2,312500s, kernel 0m0,031250s, user 0m0,234375s
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `flac', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "converter_float"
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
aout_directx debug: closing audio device
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread exiting
main debug: thread 120 joined (directx.c:596)
main debug: thread times: real 1m2,171875s, kernel 0m0,000000s, user 0m0,000000s
main debug: removing module "aout_directx"
main debug: removing module "converter_float"
main debug: removing module "float32_mixer"
main debug: dead input
main debug: thread 948 joined (input/input.c:478)
main debug: thread times: real 1m2,359375s, kernel 0m0,046875s, user 0m0,093750s
main debug: starting new item
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play

Any chance for a patch or other tips on how this can be fixed? (but I don't want to re-encode my complete library with lower compression just because of this)
thx

[DJ]

Have you tried another audio output module (Win32 wavOut extension output)?

[bugmenot]

Have you tried another audio output module (Win32 wavOut extension output)?

I just went through every audio output module and the same happened with each of them. This is what I got when using the Win32 wavOut extension output (different flac than last post):

main debug: EOF reached
main debug: finished input
main debug: dying input
main debug: dying input
main debug: removing module "flac"
main debug: removing module "flacsys"
main debug: removing module "access_file"
main debug: removing module "flac"
main debug: dying input
main debug: thread 2412 joined (input/decoder.c:243)
main debug: thread times: real 0m19,453125s, kernel 0m0,015625s, user 0m0,125000s
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `flac', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "converter_float"
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
main debug: thread 3768 joined (waveout.c:497)
main debug: thread times: real 0m19,343750s, kernel 0m0,000000s, user 0m0,000000s
main debug: removing module "waveout"
main debug: removing module "float32_mixer"
main debug: dead input
main debug: thread 132 joined (input/input.c:478)
main debug: thread times: real 0m19,453125s, kernel 0m0,046875s, user 0m0,125000s
main debug: starting new item
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play

[DJ]

I only suggested 1 as this forces the old method of addressing the audio card.

If you go back to DirectX you could also try shutting off the "Use float32 output" in Audio, Output modules, DirectX. Some audio cards do not like this function.

[bugmenot]

hmm okay, I tried it with and without the "Use float32 output" option ticked both in DirectX and WaveOut.. but the problem is still there, the playback still stops at some point in the file

[`dan]

*bump*

i'm having a very similar issue, but with not quite the spew of debug output
it stutters for a second, then the progress slider goes back to 0:00... but the song keeps playing from the point where it stutters.

Code: Select all

flac warning: the decoder was aborted by the read callback. main warning: computed PTS is out of range (93713), clearing out main warning: PTS is out of range (833), dropping buffer main warning: output PTS is out of range (117000), clearing out main debug: audio output is starving (129527), playing silence

this still happens even in the latest nightly build... any news on this bug?

[`dan]

correction, it only keeps playing on the latest nightly build, on 0.8.6i it just stops no matter what you do. it is possible to seek past that point and hear the rest of the song though O_o

[VLC_help]

By the way always use the latest FLAC version available when encoding. I've noticed that version FLAC 1.1.4 and later seem to work better on VLC then any of the previous versions. You may notice that when decoding older FLAC files and re-encoding them to the latest there's no longer that popping/clicking noise at the beginning or when seeking through a song.

did you try that?

[`dan]

i re-encoded it with the latest version off their website, but it exhibits the same behavior. changing the compression level down to 3 or lower makes it play through, with the caveat of increasing the file size >_< this is pretty clearly a vlc bug.

[VLC_help]

I encoded some test samples with level 8 and I don't get any issues. Is there some sample you could provide?

[`dan]

alright... this is level 5

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0D2Q2BF8

[VLC_help]

Yep. I also get

Code: Select all

flac warning: the decoder was aborted by the read callback. main warning: computed PTS is out of range (92950), clearing out main warning: PTS is out of range (-167), dropping buffer main warning: output PTS is out of range (110726), clearing out main debug: audio output is starving (123892), playing silence

I will investigate more later.

[VLC_help]

You get that error between 36-37 second?

[`dan]

yeah.

[VLC_help]

http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/1847
I made a trac ticket, hopefully someone will figure out the issue and fix it.