Size flickering when adjusting brightness on computer

[MrCritterfur]

Whenever I adjust the brightness on my computer, the size of my video screen switches around rapidly a couple times and then stops.

[djrumpy]

What version of VLC are you using? What version of OS X also? Adusting the brightness via your Mac should have no effect on a playing video other than to change the brightness. It wouldn't change the input size in any way of any video. Also, are you sing the brightness slider in the OS X system preferences, or changing it using something else?

[MrCritterfur]

VLC: 3.0.3 Vetinary (Intel 64 Bit)
OSX: 10.3.4

It's been doing it for a few weeks now. Even after I updated to the most current version (at the time I started noticing it at least).

I am using the brightness keys on my keyboard. But it does it when I use the slider in the settings menu as well.

It only seems to do it on my secondary monitor though. When I move the window back to my main monitor, it doesn't do it.

If VLC is windowed and not in full screen, it stretches horizontally.

It never used to do this. Just started a month or two ago.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Since a macOS update?

[MrCritterfur]

Since a macOS update?

It's possible. I can't remember when I updated to High Sierra.

But i updated VLC recently too.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Since a macOS update?

It's possible. I can't remember when I updated to High Sierra.

But i updated VLC recently too.

You adjust with the keyboard, right?

[MrCritterfur]

Since a macOS update?

It's possible. I can't remember when I updated to High Sierra.

But i updated VLC recently too.

You adjust with the keyboard, right?

Typically, keyboard, yes. But it happens when I adjust it in the preferences as well.

[MrCritterfur]

It looks like it's going from the default screen size of the video, and stretching to fill the entire screen.

It happens on non widescreen videos too. Like old TV shows or recordings made for TV. Only instead of stretching vertically, it stretches horizontally.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Very weird.

[klassixx]

I'm also experiencing this same issue. Just updated to 3.0.3 this evening from a bit older version ( 2.2.8 ) on Mac 10.11.6

Full screen video flickering and resizing vertically when adjusting screen brightness. It also flickers on this manner for several seconds when going from window to fullscreen.

[whyOwhy]

Same here on an iMac. I've already posted about it after version 3 came in.
On the newest version, the flickering started happening by itself sometimes. 3-4 times in a 45mn video. Have to leave full screen and go back to it to make it normal again.

No problem on version 2.2.8 though.

[whyOwhy]

So… the developers don't care or what?

[BillyBBone]

I have been seeing this flickering also.

In my case, the image flickers pretty badly for 2-4 seconds at the beginning of playback, and when windowed/fullscreen display is toggled.

I just confirmed now that I'm seeing a similar flicker when I adjust the brightness via the keyboard.

I am running VLC v3.0.3 on Mac OS 10.12.6.

When I run VLC from the command line with increased verbosity, I see the following repeated entries whenever the flickering is happening:

Code: Select all

[00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff77f91f8f0] main video output debug: picture might be displayed late (missing 1 ms) [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: auto hiding mouse cursor [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880 [00007ff781905e40] main vout display debug: VoutDisplayEvent 'resize' 5120x2880

There are roughly 100+ of these messages that get logged at a time, whenever the flicker is ongoing.

[MrCritterfur]

Is there any update for this? Or a work around?

[jollino]

I have the same issue on a 2017 iMac 5K, but only when I have an additional screen connected (using a USB-C to HDMI adapter). Disconnecting the second screen appears to 'fix' the issue for me. I wonder if it's because the external screen is not retina, unlike the built-in one.

On top of that, VLC 3 seems to be able to bring all of macOS to a freeze pretty often, which I have never seen with any other software. I just had to force a reboot via ssh because, after opening a video (following the suggested upgrade to VLC 3), the whole GUI became completely unresponsive and I had no other choice.

[HICASMACHINERY]

If it is not a problem with the graphics card, I think it is overheating.

[MrCritterfur]

I have the same issue on a 2017 iMac 5K, but only when I have an additional screen connected (using a USB-C to HDMI adapter). Disconnecting the second screen appears to 'fix' the issue for me. I wonder if it's because the external screen is not retina, unlike the built-in one.

On top of that, VLC 3 seems to be able to bring all of macOS to a freeze pretty often, which I have never seen with any other software. I just had to force a reboot via ssh because, after opening a video (following the suggested upgrade to VLC 3), the whole GUI became completely unresponsive and I had no other choice.

I have a dual screen too. Cinema Display 23", like the 2003 model IIRC.

I've had it for about two years, and it never did this before. Only with a recent upgrade did it do it.

[jollino]

If it is not a problem with the graphics card, I think it is overheating.

I really doubt that, in my case it's a Radeon Pro 580 with 8 GB of VRAM and it would be quite sad if opening a 640x480 video made it overheat...

I have a dual screen too. Cinema Display 23", like the 2003 model IIRC.
I've had it for about two years, and it never did this before. Only with a recent upgrade did it do it.

Can you test whether it also happens after disconnecting the second screen?

[MrCritterfur]

Well, if I disconnect the second screen, I won't be able to see VLC. I use VLC on the second screen. That's my issue.

But it doesn't happen on my primary screen anyway. So that's not my problem.

[beginswithaJ]

Same thing happens to me.. still not fixed after three minor revisions, incredibly annoying! Especially when auto brightness is enthousiastically managing my brightness on a cloudy day xD

I tried it with and without an external monitor. Fullscreen and windowed VLC player. All permutations flicker when brightness is adjusted. Either manually or via the brightness sensor.

27" iMac OSX 10.14.3
AMD Radeon R9 M395X 4096 MB
VLC v3.0.6

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

It means we receive an update from the GPU driver telling us to redraw. But there is nothing to redraw...

[beginswithaJ]

I... have no idea what you're saying, nor do I know how to prevent this.
Especially since I've used VLC for ages and this problem only popped up since more recent versions.

Looking at your sig, you're developing VLC so if you need anything to help debugging, identifying or whatever: I'll be happy to help in sending you extra data you need.

[ePirat]

Hi, this should have been fixed with 3.0.7.1, does it still happen?

[Justin L. Franks]

Hi, this should have been fixed with 3.0.7.1, does it still happen?

It still happens with 3.0.7.1 on my new 2019 iMac 27" (i9-9900K / Radeon Pro Vega 48), when:

1. In full-screen mode, or a windowed mode where the window size is larger than the video size, AND
2. The display brightness is set to ~75% or higher.

I also did not remember seeing this issue on my old 2012 iMac 27" (i7-3770 / GTX 680MX) on any 3.x release.

[ePirat]

Would it be possible to record a video of the issue happening?