My PC enters into a black screen when using VLC

[Julian6000]

Hey guys, I'm Julian9000, a new member here. I have a problem. In this morning I downloaded a video and I played it with VLC. All good. But, after 10 minutes, my screen faded(the brightness became lower), and after some seconds, the screen become black, but the sound was still running in the background. How can I resolve this?

[Zebb]

Me too. After sleep, videos only play sound and a black blank screen on VLC. Win 7 latest version, latest VLC. Using Avast. Started yesterday.
edit mp4 and mkv don't play video. avi and wmv still play video. A restart restores functionality.

[unidan]

Hi, make sure you have «disable screensaver» checked in the video advanced settings

[Zebb]

Hi unidan, thanks for your reply. «disable screensaver» was/is checked, still the same. vlc tries to play video but only flickers for a fraction of a second, then the screen goes black. Also WM Player does the same. Is there something other than full reinstall that will fix it?

btw Can still see mp4 videos if I use 'open with' in Chrome browser.

[unidan]

Hi unidan, thanks for your reply. «disable screensaver» was/is checked, still the same. vlc tries to play video but only flickers for a fraction of a second, then the screen goes black. Also WM Player does the same. Is there something other than full reinstall that will fix it?

You mean it's not the screensaver ? It would be driver issues then, check everything is setup correctly.

[Zebb]

Not the screensaver no. VLC plays the audio, only the window inside VLC is black. After a restart VLC plays videos OK, but after computer sleep the problem occurs. Updated Windows this morning, still the same. Does Chrome use the same video drivers, computer has integrated graphics not a separate card. Thanks for trying to help.

[ShanklyGates]

Have you managed to fix this Zebb? I'm having the exact same problem - videos play fine until the computer enters sleep mode but when resumed VLC plays only audio with a black screen. Restarting the computer temporarily fixes it but the problem persists after every time sleep mode is used. I'm also running Windows 7. .avi files still play properly but .mp4 and .mkv experience the issue described.

This has only started happening recently, I'd been using VLC on this machine without issue for many years before.

[Zebb]

Hi ShanklyGates, unfortunately it still exists. That makes three of us with the same problem. I can remember updating Avast program just before this happened. I have a feeling it's to do with file associations but I'm not really a computer guy. My computer is 10 years old but up to date. I don't know what's the matter with it.

[bubice]

"VLC plays the audio, only the window inside VLC is black. After a restart VLC plays videos OK"
me too the problem is persistent, not to be solved. I think need some VLC update to solve the problem on windows 7.

[Zebb]

It's been a while, any progress?

[Julian6000]

Hello there, thanks for your replies. Now I conclude that this is a VLC bug, not a Windows bug.

[Zebb]

Does your Windows Media Player play the mp4 videos that VLC cannot? Mine doesn't.

[Julian6000]

Zebb, I didn't est this.

[mTcGo]

I switched to older version, before 3.0. and it works again:)

[Zebb]

Same here. 2.1.5 works. Weird.

[ShanklyGates]

Yep, can confirm. I installed version 2.2.5.1 instead of the latest version and the problem goes away. Suggests it is definitely a VLC problem rather than a Windows problem.

[Zebb]

unidan or any VLC people, any comment or solution?

[unidan]

Hi,

Unfortunately there is a ten thousand reason why it could be a black screen video, it's really hard to find why without the actual hardware and setup.
You can't really compare with 2.x versions as hardware acceleration and video output weren't accelerated by hardware. It's a lot easier to write good software once when it doesn't depend on the hardware you're running it on.

Would you have GPU-related applications ? like Radeon ?

[Zebb]

Thanks for your reply unidan. This problem only happened with the latest version, all before OK. My Dell computer is ten years old and has integrated graphics, no video card. Reverted to several 3.X still black, change to 2.2.5.1: OK. So I will stay with that version. On 3.x If the computer is restarted, VLC works OK with video showing, after sleep mode makes VLC black screen but audio works. mp4 and mkv don't play video. avi and wmv still play video. Chrome still plays videos, YouTube for example, checked for updates for drivers, none available. I have a separate laptop, same specs as my tower, using VLC 3.0.3 Vetinari, still plays video, I'm reluctant to update VLC. See if anybody else can find the problem.