X264 .MKV file on VLC... cannot play, help MAC NOOB!!

[donniedarko]

I've been following on this thread for a while, I also own a Macbook pro, last generation 2.4 ghz 17 inch with Geforce 8600M 256mb

This problem mostly with x264/mkvs, especially the HD 1080p is just how apple's stuff was poorly implimented... let me explain

Perian no doubt is a great tool, but because of the limitations with the Quicktime Player itself, it results in issues with parsing video (the developer explained about it on his homepage), but what is actually worse and its probably the Achilles heel for perian with x264 is that quicktime supports absolutely no hardware acceleration with h264, thus it all relies on CPU power, and as much as perian tries (Dunno about apple's native drivers how they work with their own h264), it chugs especially on scenes that requires more bandwidth. Part of that problem is all on OSX and how quicktime uses resources for h264.
On a side note I think perian 1.0 runs x264 better than the latest version, and it also doesn't penalize Apple Quicktime Movie trailers 1080p/Apple TV

I guess on how Videolan and the other players work, they rely on CPU power as well, though Videolan is the best program I can try out to play the videos remotely sastifactory....
One option i set up so i can get the video to play back smoothly is to go to VLC's preferences, click on input/codecs, go down to other codecs, then to FFMPEG, click on advanced tab (located at the bottom left) to open more options, go to skip the loop filter for h264, i set it to nonkey, and so far its working fine, you can play with it around, just note that on all the quality turns to crap

Strange consider how stuff like WMVHD 1080p even runs fine with OSXplayer and quicktime using their drivers.

Some examples, most 720p plays fine with quicktime or videolan, 1080ps usually have the problem cause they chug alot on scenes that takes up high bandwidth.

The only solution i can find with my macbook pro, unfortunately is to install windows using their klite pack, because this has the geforce 8600 use graphics acceleration, and thus i get no drops at all even with 1080p and faster seeking with WMP, sucks I know, but all i could think of.

But another problem I got with windows WMP with klite is how there's screen tearing and vsync issues when outputing from DVI port to my TV set :/ oh well i guess there is no end to sastifying someone who wants to view these formats.... conversion anybody? I never done the MKV to mp4 but I'm this close to try it out due to fustrations :>

Thank you sir... much better! still stuttery but better.

dd

[heffeque]

Let me get this straight. almost all files with which we have seen this issue have been made with OLD mkvmerge versions. We can play them if we ignore the SeekHead, but that's not really right (you loose chapters, attachments and all that sort of stuff). I have had 0 problems with mkv files created with mkvmerge versions post-April 2008.

Here's an example:

Formato : Matroska
Tamaño del archivo : 4,37GiB
Duración : 1h 47min.
Bitrate total : 5 819Kbps
Fecha de codificación : UTC 2008-08-30 17:56:59
Codificando : mkvmerge v2.2.0 ('Turn It On Again') built on Mar 4 2008 12:58:26
Codificando librería : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

Another one:

Formato : Matroska
Tamaño del archivo : 4.68 GiB
Duración : 1h. 44min.
Bitrate : 6427 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2008-05-15 15:27:22
aplicación : mkvmerge v2.0.2 ('You're My Flame') built on Jul 3 2007 05:59:18
Software : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

And seeing that the two latest ones I've downloaded are pre-April 2008, I guess that the problem is that most things I download are coded in older versions of mkvmerge. Isn't there any way to detect the version and act like 0.8.6b with older versions and as 0.9.3 with newer ones?
It's kind of problematic that VLC 0.9.3 only works ok with very recent media coded with a very recent version of mkvmerge :-/

[The DJ]

No, the old behaviour was dangerous and a potential security issue.

[ilyasdesign]

Yes i have same problem on Mac OS X Tiger before and now on Leopard

with Mkv files which are HD or blu-ray films

i can't fast forward or skip it crashes



plus the new version VLC player it's even worse now the film does not finish

i have no problems with avi files those




what can I do?

[ilyasdesign]

I now have the same problem as well. Before upgrading to 0.9.2 I was able to play 720p MKV files without any issues. Since upgrading I can get almost completely through a movie but then it just stops with about 20-30 minutes left (before the exact same movie would play fine). No error messages, no crash, no nothing...just the video dies. It's getting very frustrating.

i had no problem with last VLC player but the new version has given me alot issues



where can i download the last version before this version?

[heffeque]

what can I do?

You can read my post, for a start.

[heffeque]

Just downloaded 0.9.4 and... much better than 0.9.3 handling the mkv files from pre-April mkvmerge. Still not perfect, but much better. I'll keep the 0.8.6b installed too at the same time though, just in case, specially for long videos like movies and so on.
Interesting that it does a better job with those mkv taking into consideration that the changelog doesn't mention mkv changes nowhere :-)

[heffeque]

Let me get this straight. almost all files with which we have seen this issue have been made with OLD mkvmerge versions. We can play them if we ignore the SeekHead, but that's not really right (you loose chapters, attachments and all that sort of stuff). I have had 0 problems with mkv files created with mkvmerge versions post-April 2008.

Ok... just tried 0.9.4 Intel Mac OS X 10.5.5 with a file with mkvmerge 2.4.0 from October 11 2008 and...

Also, I hate to rock the boat, but just using 0.9.3 and 0.8.6b on the same machine, has anyone noticed that seeking through a file is much, much slower on 0.9.3. My dual-core cpu spikes to 90-110% for about 30 seconds when seeking at any point in a .mkv whereas 0.8.6b handles it instantly - no spike at all. Weird.

This is statement is still true. So no, it's not a problem with the mkvmerge, the problem is elsewhere.

Here's the info:

Formato : Matroska
Tamaño del archivo : 4.60GIB
Duración : 1h 30min.
Bitrate total : 7291Kbps
Fecha de codificación : UTC 2008-10-14 20:03:48
Codificando : mkvmerge v2.4.0 ('Fumbling Towards Ecstasy') built on Oct 11 2008 20:13:15
Codificando librería : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

Just have to add: with 0.8.6d (d over b for the remote control support) it works flawlessly.

Edit: more info about that video:

Code: Select all

Video Formato : AVC Formato/Info : Advanced Video Codec Formato del perfil : High@L4.1 Ajustes del formato, CABAC : Si Ajustes del formato, RefFrames : 3 frames ID Códec : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC Duración : 1h 30min. Bitrate : 5070Kbps Bitrate nominal : 5395Kbps Ancho : 1280pixeles Alto : 692pixeles Relación de aspecto : 1.850 Velocidad de cuadro : 23.976fps Colorimetry : 4:2:0 Tipo de exploración : Progresivo Bits/(Pixel*cuadros) : 0.254 Codificando librería : x264 core 65 r998M 6768543 Opciones de codificación : cabac=1 / ref=1 / deblock=1:-3:-3 / analyse=0x3:0x112 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy_rd=1.0:0.0 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40(pre) / rc=2pass / bitrate=5395 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / pb_ratio=1.30 / aq=0 Audio #1 Formato : DTS Formato/Info : Digital Theater Systems ID Códec : A_DTS Duración : 1h 30min. Bitrate : 1536Kbps Canales(es) : 6canales Posiciones del canal : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE Velocidad de la muestra : 48.0KHz Resolución : 24bits Idioma : inglés Audio #2 Formato : AC-3 Formato/Info : Audio Coding 3 ID Códec : A_AC3 Duración : 1h 30min. Tipo de Bitrate : Constant Bitrate : 384Kbps Canales(es) : 6canales Posiciones del canal : Front: L C R, Rear: L R, LFE Velocidad de la muestra : 48.0KHz Idioma : español Texto #1 Formato : UTF-8 ID Códec : S_TEXT/UTF8 ID Códec/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text Idioma : inglés Texto #2 Formato : UTF-8 ID Códec : S_TEXT/UTF8 ID Códec/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text Idioma : español

[heffeque]

I tried to play the video I talked about in the previous post and... it wouldn't play correctly in 0.9.4 and surprisingly it wouldn't play correctly in 0.8.6d version either. It played ok on other videoplayers. Why? I'm confused.

[smashingly]

Hi everyone,

I've been following this discussion with a lot of interest. I've also had that problem - I had some source material which was in DVD format (VIDEO_TS etc), and had used Handbrake to encode it. Using 0.86 it would seek but would take ages for the video to 'catch up' with the audio - the time would keep moving during this though. I didn't realise VLC had gone thru a major version change, so I upgraded, and now those MKVs won't seek at all. From what "DJ" says, it was some security bug which they've closed. Sorry if this is a bit of a n00b question but... this talk of mkvmerge - is it something which Handbrake would use to create MKV files?

Second newbie question - how do you guys get that output which you've pasted into your posts, containing all the codec, res, fps etc information? I used to use Gspot under Windows but haven't found a really good equivalent for the Mac. Any tips?

Is there any fix for these MKV files of mine, now that I've nuked the VIDEO_TS folders off my hard disk? Can I re-encode them or clean them somehow so they're seekable under VLC?

thanks in advance,

Ash

[RRYYY]

For those here (sandeepg) having VLC just stop playback of *every* 4GB+ mkv file some 1-2h into the movie, its a problem with filesize. See viewtopic.php?f=12&t=51276 for a solution. The fix works for 0.9.4 on Ubuntu.

[Alberello]

I have tried with 0.8.6b but still unable to view video track 1080p blue ray rip ....
Someone have foud a solution?
With Perian and QuickTime video opens but are almost impossible to see because of video stutter
Thanks.

[strugatzki]

it is not a hardware problem.

1) until about a year ago, 720p h264 packed into an mkv container would have played flawlessly in vlc on my machine running os x (mb pro core duo)
2) it still plays flawlessly on my machine in vlc, but only when running windows
3) there is no discernible setting or combinations thereof in vlc that make the problem go away *entirely* without foregoing most of the quality
4) while in vlc, just the picture would freeze/hang/stutter and show many compression artefacts, while the sound runs through.
5) in quicktime/perian, the same mkv file would neiter freeze nor show compression artefacts, but will have a variable framerate when playing, a 23.95 fps mkv file will have anyhting between 12 and 23.95 fps, but wildly and erratically altering.

i therefore conclude it is not a problem of processor power, but something else. my two cents: a problem that can be interpreted as a "variable framerate" ought to be solved by increasing some sort of buffer/seek ahead etc, even it is in realtiy a different problem. obviously, vlc in os x stumbles over some wrong predictions or seeking access (seeking within a running mkv will crash vlc after beteween 5 and 10 seeks....)

lg
d

ps. interestingly, the same file - it played with no errors whatsoever under vlc on win xp - cannot be read/understood by mkvinfo in darwin...

[sandeepg]

My original problems of .mkv files not playing through to the end and seeking problems seemed to have been solved in 0.9.6. I haven't used 0.9.8 but I'm guessing the problem shouldn't recur. Those of you still having problems - have you updated VLC yet?

[heffeque]

My problems were resolved with 0.9.6 too.

[NuMystic]

As with many others I'm finding that with each successive release playback quality is getting worse rather than better.

HD MKV files would play fine with some preferences tweaking under 0.86i but are absolutely unwatchable with 0.9.8 no matter what settings I try.

Likewise seeking through simple low quality (700mb film rips) under 0.86i is instant and seamless, but with 0.9.8 there are 3-4 second screen freezes while audio plays through and heavy blockiness as the video catches up.

Two posts over at the videohelp.com forum seem to sum it up pretty clearly...

IMO VLC for OS X has deteriorated sharply with the last few releases, especially the PPC build, and I don't see that improving.

I have to agree. VLC has gotten fatter and fatter (and buggier), taxing CPUs more than ever before. Your computer is just not fast enough to do everything it is being asked to do. That is why rolling back to a simpler version of VLC helped.

I'm not cutting and pasting to bash VLC, but just to help clarify what seems to be a problem that is growing with each release for users with somewhat slower systems. The application itself is the culprit, as it seems these later releases are much more system intensive and less optimized than the earlier releases, which IMO is a terrible shame.

One of the main selling points for VLC's popularity has always been how lightweight an app it was.

It's quite simple though. x264 encoded video is simply CPU intensive to decode. If you cannot, don't whine, but buy a faster computer or don't play the videos (/seek alternative versions).

Videolan - VLC media player
Derk-Jan Hartman
Developer

I sincerely hope the entire dev team doesn't share your attitude. If so, then the earlier quoted posts may be right, and VLC may indeed be on the decline after a great run.

Obviously implementing new features is always at odds with keeping an application lean and bug free, but when THIS many people start complaining about system performance, it's pretty clear that the application is fast reaching a point where it is becoming too unwieldily for a significant portion of it's core user base.

It's not "whining" when users are able to get better performance on the exact same system with other players. Then it is clearly a problem with VLC's development itself, and the developers would do well to start taking slower system configurations into consideration in the performance of their new releases.

Now for users that can't get decent performance from most competing players as well, then (and only then) is it whining, their own problem, and time to upgrade.

[tabsaid]

gotta add my 2 sense in this one. I don't know if Mr. Derk-Jan Hartman was having a bad day or what but the statement quoted above me is 100% false. My machine plays back 1080p flawlessly with PLEX on OSX, and MPC under Windows. The issue IS NOT PEOPLES HARDWARE. It's your applications single threaded x264 decoder. VLC can only access 25% of my machines CPU power, and your response is really that people need to go buy beefier systems? You can't seriously be a dev right? Thats a joke? Get with the picture guys, seems like instead of updating your aging decoders you would rather try to confuse people into thinking a quad 2.6 Xeon can't decode 1080P. I'm no dev and I appreciate your work but I can't fathom how you can make a statement full of such total BS. I really like VLC and it's sad to see it going the direction it is.

[anand.srivastav]

Hi Gents,
I also had the same problem.I was not able to play mkv files with VLC 0.8.0.
I tried installing VLC 1.0.2 and it plays mkv files perfectly fine. Give it a try, if this works for you!!!!!

[Boux]

have the same problem with the new 1.0.2 for mac intel, downloaded the older version the 0.9.something for 10.4 and everything works fine -.-

[EvoIce]

Hello I recently stumble upon this Thread while having trouble with Playing 1080p mkv video on VLC version 1.0.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.6 ghz 4 gb ram 8600M GT 512mb.

While looking around I found that you can change how VLC opens MKV files, in the pref>input/codecs>Demuxers>Matroska. one of the issues were with long load times on big mkv files. Their (VLC forums') solution was to untick the preload Directory box, which didn't solve the problem, so I started playing with the preferences. I found if I unchecked all the boxes except for "seek based on percent not time" the video plays flawlessly, perhaps not flawlessly but it doesn't crash!

Please tell me if this has worked for you, or what prefs did you change so that it works, Thanks

[megas88]

Hello I recently stumble upon this Thread while having trouble with Playing 1080p mkv video on VLC version 1.0.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.6 ghz 4 gb ram 8600M GT 512mb.

While looking around I found that you can change how VLC opens MKV files, in the pref>input/codecs>Demuxers>Matroska. one of the issues were with long load times on big mkv files. Their (VLC forums') solution was to untick the preload Directory box, which didn't solve the problem, so I started playing with the preferences. I found if I unchecked all the boxes except for "seek based on percent not time" the video plays flawlessly, perhaps not flawlessly but it doesn't crash!

Please tell me if this has worked for you, or what prefs did you change so that it works, Thanks

THANK YOU!!!!!! I've been looking everywhere for a fix. Please make this post a sticky for everyone. Mkv's actually work like they're supposed to now. Thank you so much dude.

[yoshinatsu]

Hello I recently stumble upon this Thread while having trouble with Playing 1080p mkv video on VLC version 1.0.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.6 ghz 4 gb ram 8600M GT 512mb.

While looking around I found that you can change how VLC opens MKV files, in the pref>input/codecs>Demuxers>Matroska. one of the issues were with long load times on big mkv files. Their (VLC forums') solution was to untick the preload Directory box, which didn't solve the problem, so I started playing with the preferences. I found if I unchecked all the boxes except for "seek based on percent not time" the video plays flawlessly, perhaps not flawlessly but it doesn't crash!

Please tell me if this has worked for you, or what prefs did you change so that it works, Thanks

Unfortunately, that didn't happen to solve my problem

[idexo@mac.com]

Hello I recently stumble upon this Thread while having trouble with Playing 1080p mkv video on VLC version 1.0.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.6 ghz 4 gb ram 8600M GT 512mb.

While looking around I found that you can change how VLC opens MKV files, in the pref>input/codecs>Demuxers>Matroska. one of the issues were with long load times on big mkv files. Their (VLC forums') solution was to untick the preload Directory box, which didn't solve the problem, so I started playing with the preferences. I found if I unchecked all the boxes except for "seek based on percent not time" the video plays flawlessly, perhaps not flawlessly but it doesn't crash!

Please tell me if this has worked for you, or what prefs did you change so that it works, Thanks

THANK YOU!!!!!! I've been looking everywhere for a fix. Please make this post a sticky for everyone. Mkv's actually work like they're supposed to now. Thank you so much dude.

not working for me

[rezzo]

Hello I recently stumble upon this Thread while having trouble with Playing 1080p mkv video on VLC version 1.0.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.6 ghz 4 gb ram 8600M GT 512mb.

While looking around I found that you can change how VLC opens MKV files, in the pref>input/codecs>Demuxers>Matroska. one of the issues were with long load times on big mkv files. Their (VLC forums') solution was to untick the preload Directory box, which didn't solve the problem, so I started playing with the preferences. I found if I unchecked all the boxes except for "seek based on percent not time" the video plays flawlessly, perhaps not flawlessly but it doesn't crash!

Please tell me if this has worked for you, or what prefs did you change so that it works, Thanks

THANK YOU!!!!!! I've been looking everywhere for a fix. Please make this post a sticky for everyone. Mkv's actually work like they're supposed to now. Thank you so much dude.

Not working here too.

[drake]

Messing with the Matroska demuxer settings didn't work for me either. But this did:

goto Tools->Preferences->Input/Codecs->Other Codecs->FFmpeg

Check the 'allow speed tricks' box and select 'all' for 'skip the loop filter for h.264 decoding'

I think my problem was not with the matroska wrapper but with the h.264 compression.