Jerky video on NTSC 23.976 fps DVD:s since 1.1.0

[roger jonsson]

Hi,

For some time (since VLC 1.1.0) the video on some DVD:s has been terrible jerky (2-3 times short pauses per second). Today (I think) I narrowed it down to NTSC DVD:s. -NTSC DVD:s that runs perfectly smooth in VLC 1.0.5 jerks like crazy 2-3 times per seconds 1.1.0 to 1.1.5. Converting the video to another format, say H264, the same movie runs smooth in all versions. (MacMini C2D 2.53)

VLC 1.0.5 says that the stream is 29.97fps, but for some reason VLC 1.1.0-1.1.5 says it's 59,94 fps (after converting to H264 all VLC says 29.97 fps). PAL DVD:s are reported as 50fps since 1.1.0, but still plays rather OK.

Hope this info is useful and that we can get rid of the video hickups soon. I can supply a short video clip by email if needed, just ask.

[roger jonsson]

Hm!!!!

The DVDs that are so Jerky are all 23.976fps. VLC media info/codek details reports the frequency as being 59.94, which isn't much of a problem for an interlaced DVD running at 29.97, but ofcourse is not compatible with 23.976!
-Can it be that VLC miss the fact that the dvd content is non interlaced (23.976 fps) and that it runs for about 3 frames at 29.97 and pauses (with a jerk...) until time has catched up before it continues. -Sure looks like it! (24fps displayed at 30fps)

I now also tested this on my win7 PC. Exactly the same thing!
Quicktime and mplayer correctly plays it and reports it as being 23.976.

This is an important bug to flatten out and it does not only concern OSX.
Shall I start a new general thread or can someone move this one for me?

Jan 13: I now filed a Ticket: #4412

[-james-]

I can confirm that I'm having the same problem. I'm playing DVD backups created with DVD Shrink and AnyDVD. Frame rate is reported as 23.976 in VLC 1.0.5, 59.94 in 1.1.0.

[roger jonsson]

Sigh.
-JERKY RESULTS ON some PAL DVD as well...
Today I encoded some interlaced videos from PAL VHS to PAL DVD, using FFmpegX (mpeg2enc). The resulting mpeg2 files jerks badly too 2 times per second in VLC 1.16. So it is not just an NTSC problem... (1.0.5 plays it perfectly smooth.)

Sadly. VLC is not a good DVD player at the moment.

[roger jonsson]

I am sad to find that VLC (1.1.8 ) still can't play many DVD:s without jerky motion.
I am bumping this thread in hope of some focus on this bug (Ticket: #4412).
As an example VLC (after 1.1.0) can not even play non-encrypted interlaced PAL DVD:s without jerking the image about twice per second.

[IronMan1]

I would like to see this fixed too

[ajmas]

Although I doubt it would change anything, could you try deleting your VLC preferences and then restarted VLC.

Another thing worth looking at is trying to mount the DVD via Fairmount (open source) and then trying to open the DVD that way.

Does it make any difference if you try copying the DVD to the HD and playing it from there?

[IronMan1]

Any help?
.

[roger jonsson]

Does it make any difference if you try copying the DVD to the HD and playing it from there?

No difference. I also tried extracting a short clip. Still no difference.
Trashing the prefs. -Problem remains.

[ajmas]

I just took another look at the first post and VLC appears to calculating that the video has exactly twice the frame rate as the video has, which may be causing sync issues. If you have access to Linux or Windows could you see if you get the same issue there - I want to try to establish whether the issue is Mac specific or in the common cross-platform code.

If you play an individual VOB from one of the DVDs do you get the issue?

[roger jonsson]

In my second post of this thread: "I now also tested this on my win7 PC. Exactly the same thing!"
And as I wrote above, I also tried extracting a short clip. I didn't see the point of trying playing through Fairmount, but now I also tried play a VOB through Fairmount. Same thing. I also tried a VOB compressed with ffmpegX (Mpeg2enc PAL 720x576 interlaced). Same thing.

[ajmas]

Sorry, I just failed reading 101. Knowing that the issue is impacting other platforms is useful. If you have a smallish VOB that demonstrates the problem, could you please share it with us for testing purposes. I will open a ticket for this.

[roger jonsson]

From my second post in this thread: "Jan 13: I now filed a Ticket: #4412"

There is now a link to a testfile...

[ajmas]

I am not seeing any issues with the test file on my computer (MacBook Pro 15" late 2008, MacOS X 10.6.7, VLC 1.1.. Frame rate is indicated as 50.

[roger jonsson]

I am not seeing any issues with the test file on my computer (MacBook Pro 15" late 2008, MacOS X 10.6.7, VLC 1.1.8 ). Frame rate is indicated as 50.

I tested it again. Movement (the car on the street...) gets hickups periodically two times per second with VLC 1.1.9 on both my Mac minis 2.53GHz/10.6.7 and 1.83GHz/10.5.8. My HP win7 Laptop (fresh installed 1.1.5 and now also 1.1.9 ) is all the same. All screens on 60Hz. With VLC pre 1.0.5, no jerks at all.

The Win7 PC didn't have VLC installed until I tested for this issue the first time. I also tried removing settings files on my mac, with no effect on this issue.

Is it possible that you have some old setting left over from the past and that is the reason why it works on your Mac? Are you sure about 1.1.8 ?

[IronMan1]

Still not working

[roger jonsson]

Sigh.
Installed 1.20 and still jerk,jerk,jerk on (not all) DVDs and mpeg2 files (both Pal and NTSC).

There is link to a test file in the Trac, ticket: #4412, If someone could please have a look at this.

None of my other video players has a problem with these files/DVDs (XBMC, mplayer ext, Mplayer OSX, Quicktime 7, Quicktime 10 etc. MacBlurayPlayer seems to behave as VLC,though.). It would be great if VLC could again play all DVDs, as it did prior to VLC 1.1.0.

[LideoCanVlient]

Ok. I just installed the new 2.0.1 version of VLC with high hopes. To my astonishment, the "jerky, choppy, stuttering" that occurs when playing back a DVD, either using a physical DVD in the drive, or an .ISO, is STILL happening. Wow, what is the deal with this? I've seen it mentioned on several other threads and forums, yet not as widespread as I would think it should be.

Jerky playback of DVDs for a video application is a pretty serious flaw. I will say, it is not extremely jerky however - only on scenes when the camera is panning, or something is moving across the screen is it really noticed. Maybe that's why more people aren't complaining about it - they just aren't as sensitive to it I guess. But for me, once I see it, I can't ignore it.

So, as the original poster roger jonsson suggested, I installed the 1.0.5 version, and sure enough, it works perfectly. HOW has this not been addressed in the latest version by now? It's baffling to me. I was really looking forward to a new and improved VLC, and I really do like the tweaks and changes in the interface. But OMG do I really still have to use a several years old version to do something as basic as watch DVDs?!?!

[xprmtl]

Just searching about the same question, encountering the same issue.
Though the request is rudely formulated (is the client is king attitude relevant for a freeware ?) it is happening to me too, and is of course frustrating...

[roger jonsson]

Just wanted to say that this issue is unfortunately still not fixed in 2.0.2.
(ticket 4412)

[Kris4143]

I have to concur with several of the recent posters... That a program as wonderful and usefully featured as VLC should continue to ignore such a basic and fundamental flaw is utterly beyond me... Last night I tried to watch The Immortals (loaded with vast, panoramic panning) and the jerking was horrendous... In desperation, I watched on the dismal Win Media player, despite ITS latest flaw; the fact that the scroll bar doesn't work half the time... This is almost as annoying as the fact that VLC still doesn't remember where in the movie you were if you stop watching, even when the DVD is not ejected... Grump...

[fkuehne]

I fear that one of the major reasons why this wasn't fixed so far, is that noone in the team lives in the US, so all we watch are PAL DVDs, which doesn't seem to trigger this issue.

For the "continue playback where you left of" feature: yes, this is something on our list, but hard to do correctly. It's supported on some mobile ports though, so eventually it should find its way into mainline VLC.

[kdean]

The test video in ticket 4412 is PAL and I can see the little stutters. One thing I noticed when analyzing the test video with VideoSpec, while it says the Scan type is Progressive, it also says the Scan order is Top Field First. Progressive videos shouldn't have a field dominance order since they'e not interlaced. Is it possible that VLC is detecting that as a sign of interlaced video when it's not?

[kdean]

Another PAL dvd I have has a Scan type of Interlaced and order of Top Field First and it appears to play smoothly. Another PAL video that's Progressive but specifies a Pulldown seems to play smoothly. A NTSC video that's Progressive 23.976 with an order 2:3 pulldown seems smooth as well, but this one's harder to tell since it's the Macross DVD release and animation from that era doesn't use all the frames so it's much harder to see jerkiness because it's inherently jerkier.

[kdean]

So, if I remux the video to another mpg where the Scan Order of Top Field First is maintained, the video still jerks, but if I remux to an ogg and scan order is removed the video plays smooth. I would try other compatible formats, but they're inactive.

So, my non-developer guess is that it's a misinterpretation of the Scan Order on a Progressive video when the Scan order declares an interlaced method. Maybe Felix can take a look from a developer's standpoint.