VLC UI/Buttons too small

[SupermanLoko]

Hi, I was hoping for some help. On my Windows Laptop, which is 1920x1080, the VLC user interface is just too small. The buttons are tiny and everything seems unoptimised. It's the first picture below.
This happens with the newest versions of VLC. Version 3.0.0 works fine and has suitably sized icons for my screen, as seen in the second picture. Anyone know what's going on, and how I could possibly fix this? It's pretty unfortunate as it makes VLC pretty unusable for me. Thanks

[SupermanLoko]

I looked around and saw some people say to change some environment variables but I'm not sure how to do that at all

[SupermanLoko]

Bump for any help please

[Hitchhiker]

Have you made any changes to vlc since you installed it, or have you changed the default font in your version of Windows? I have the same size screen as you but the buttons are the same as your second screenshot.

Try resetting Preferences via Tools ---> Preferences and then click the Reset Preferences button at the bottom. Exit and then restart vlc.

[SupermanLoko]

Have you made any changes to vlc since you installed it, or have you changed the default font in your version of Windows? I have the same size screen as you but the buttons are the same as your second screenshot.

Try resetting Preferences via Tools ---> Preferences and then click the Reset Preferences button at the bottom. Exit and then restart vlc.

Hi, thanks for the response. I haven't done any of those things. I tried what you said, but it didn't work. As mentioned, 3.0.0 works fine, with suitable buttons, but any later versions give me issues.
I did find this thread, but I don't really know how to follow the steps. It seems it isn't just me though:
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=144467

[Hitchhiker]

To change environment variables you have to use Windows. The menu is located in User Accounts in Control Panel. But if you change something in the operating system it affects every program you're running in addition to vlc. For that reason it isn't recommended unless you know what you're doing and can undo any undesirable changes in another program that might occur.

The commands QT_AUTO_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTOR have to be run from a command prompt since scaling the UI isn't mentioned as an option in the QT menu in vlc. You can check that yourself by going to Tools ---> Preferences and then click "All" at the bottom. In the Advanced menu which opens type QT in the search field at the top in the left hand pane and then click QT when the menu opens. There are various options in there, but no references to scaling the interface or increasing the size of the buttons. Similarly, in the tutorial on how to use the vlc in a terminal there's no mention in the QT section as to how to scale the UI.

What you could possibly do is to apply a custom skin. These are located at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/skins.php If you find one you like, copy the URL to it and then open Tools ---> Preferences and then in the menu which opens click the radio button "Use Custom Skin" in the "Look and Feel" menu at the top and then paste the URL in the field which opens. Save, exit and then restart. You can also open the skins site from that same menu.

Otherwise hang around and maybe one of the other contributors might be able to help you.

[SupermanLoko]

To change environment variables you have to use Windows. The menu is located in User Accounts in Control Panel. But if you change something in the operating system it affects every program you're running in addition to vlc. For that reason it isn't recommended unless you know what you're doing and can undo any undesirable changes in another program that might occur.

The commands QT_AUTO_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTOR have to be run from a command prompt since scaling the UI isn't mentioned as an option in the QT menu in vlc. You can check that yourself by going to Tools ---> Preferences and then click "All" at the bottom. In the Advanced menu which opens type QT in the search field at the top in the left hand pane and then click QT when the menu opens. There are various options in there, but no references to scaling the interface or increasing the size of the buttons. Similarly, in the tutorial on how to use the vlc in a terminal there's no mention in the QT section as to how to scale the UI.

What you could possibly do is to apply a custom skin. These are located at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/skins.php If you find one you like, copy the URL to it and then open Tools ---> Preferences and then in the menu which opens click the radio button "Use Custom Skin" in the "Look and Feel" menu at the top and then paste the URL in the field which opens. Save, exit and then restart. You can also open the skins site from that same menu.

Otherwise hang around and maybe one of the other contributors might be able to help you.

Thanks for the response and the detailed information. I think it would be wise to avoid messing with environment variables then since I don't really know what I'm doing. I still don't really know how to do it, other than you have to use cmd since you just told me.
I did have a look at some custom skins, but a lot of them seem very dated and I couldn't see any more modern ones. I also am used to stock VLC's appearance now. It's just strange because 3.0.0 works fine, but anything further than that gives me a small UI that is pretty much unusable.

[Hitchhiker]

Sorry to hear that. If I come across an option to enlarge the buttons I'll update your thread.

[Hitchhiker]

I think I found something which might help!

Launch vlc and then right click anywhere on screen and go to Tools ---> Customize Interface. In the Toolbar elements section in the middle checkmark Big Button. Save, exit and restart vlc.

Worth a try anyway.

[SupermanLoko]

I think I found something which might help!

Launch vlc and then right click anywhere on screen and go to Tools ---> Customize Interface. In the Toolbar elements section in the middle checkmark Big Button. Save, exit and restart vlc.

Worth a try anyway.

Unfortunately, this didn't work. "Big Button" doesn't seem to be a check option you can save, but is instead an option to move in specific buttons. I tried it and unfortunately it was barely any different in size.
I do want to say thanks so much for the help and all the suggestions though, it has been worth trying! I just hope it doesn't come to having to mess with environment variables since I don't even know how to do that in command prompt

[Hitchhiker]

You could try doing the following.

In vlc open Playlist (the menu where your buttons get bigger) and then close vlc using CTRL + X (the Windows close button). Restart it again and it should start with the Playlist interface. Hold CTRL while you click View ---> Playlist to go back the default UI. What happens to the buttons now?

[SupermanLoko]

You could try doing the following.

In vlc open Playlist (the menu where your buttons get bigger) and then close vlc using CTRL + X (the Windows close button). Restart it again and it should start with the Playlist interface. Hold CTRL while you click View ---> Playlist to go back the default UI. What happens to the buttons now?

Unfortunately, the buttons don't get bigger in the Playlist menu.
The first image in the OP post is the latest version of VLC. The second image is VLC 3.0.0. VLC 3.0.0 works fine on my machine, the buttons are big and the right size through the whole UI. Any version after that does not scale properly and I get the small buttons

[Hitchhiker]

You could try doing the following.

In vlc open Playlist (the menu where your buttons get bigger) and then close vlc using CTRL + X (the Windows close button). Restart it again and it should start with the Playlist interface. Hold CTRL while you click View ---> Playlist to go back the default UI. What happens to the buttons now?

Unfortunately, the buttons don't get bigger in the Playlist menu.
The first image in the OP post is the latest version of VLC. The second image is VLC 3.0.0. VLC 3.0.0 works fine on my machine, the buttons are big and the right size through the whole UI. Any version after that does not scale properly and I get the small buttons

Actually, I made a mistake when making that suggestion. I didn't read your OP properly and assumed that the second picture was the same version as the first one, but that the buttons resized themselves in the Playlist view. But after reading it again I note that you mentioned that the second picture was taken from v3.0

It's odd though because my laptop also has the same size screen as yours, but the buttons are more than sufficient for me even though my eyesight has deteriorated with my advancing age. The only difference is probably that you're running Windows 10 while I'm on 8.1 still (I turned down the free upgrade to W10).

There's another setting in Prefs / All menu which might be worth a try. Type "Interface" in the search field top left and then expand the Interface tree and click "Control interfaces". In the panel on the right there are four boxes which can be checkmarked two of which are "Windows messages interface" and "Windows services interface". They're all unchecked by default. But try both to see what they do.

You might try other options below that while you're at it.

[SupermanLoko]

You could try doing the following.

In vlc open Playlist (the menu where your buttons get bigger) and then close vlc using CTRL + X (the Windows close button). Restart it again and it should start with the Playlist interface. Hold CTRL while you click View ---> Playlist to go back the default UI. What happens to the buttons now?

Unfortunately, the buttons don't get bigger in the Playlist menu.
The first image in the OP post is the latest version of VLC. The second image is VLC 3.0.0. VLC 3.0.0 works fine on my machine, the buttons are big and the right size through the whole UI. Any version after that does not scale properly and I get the small buttons

Actually, I made a mistake when making that suggestion. I didn't read your OP properly and assumed that the second picture was the same version as the first one, but that the buttons resized themselves in the Playlist view. But after reading it again I note that you mentioned that the second picture was taken from v3.0

It's odd though because my laptop also has the same size screen as yours, but the buttons are more than sufficient for me even though my eyesight has deteriorated with my advancing age. The only difference is probably that you're running Windows 10 while I'm on 8.1 still (I turned down the free upgrade to W10).

There's another setting in Prefs / All menu which might be worth a try. Type "Interface" in the search field top left and then expand the Interface tree and click "Control interfaces". In the panel on the right there are four boxes which can be checkmarked two of which are "Windows messages interface" and "Windows services interface". They're all unchecked by default. But try both to see what they do.

You might try other options below that while you're at it.

No dice unfortunately. I did try a bunch of the options, just didn't seem to solve the issue
The buttons are legible, I can use them, they're just far too small for proper use. My Laptop has a touchscreen too, which only makes matters worse since the smaller buttons become harder to tap.

[Hitchhiker]

One thing I've noticed which seems a bit odd to me is that the Minimize, Enlarge and Close buttons - top right on vlc - are much further apart than normal and look like they've been stretched apart. Does the same thing happen in any Windows 10 menus?

Aspect ratio springs to mind and maybe you could check what that's set to by right clicking a blank part of your desktop and go to "Screen resolution". In the menu which opens click the "Advanced settings" link (on the right in the middle) and then in the following menu click the "Intel HD Graphics Control Panel" tab. That menu has a number of display scaling options. Here's a screenshot.



(click to enlarge)

What's it set to on your machine?

[SupermanLoko]

One thing I've noticed which seems a bit odd to me is that the Minimize, Enlarge and Close buttons - top right on vlc - are much further apart than normal and look like they've been stretched apart. Does the same thing happen in any Windows 10 menus?

Aspect ratio springs to mind and maybe you could check what that's set to by right clicking a blank part of your desktop and go to "Screen resolution". In the menu which opens click the "Advanced settings" link (on the right in the middle) and then in the following menu click the "Intel HD Graphics Control Panel" tab. That menu has a number of display scaling options. Here's a screenshot.



(click to enlarge)

What's it set to on your machine?

Those top right buttons are in line with everything else on the machine. No further or closer than other programs like Chrome.
I have scaling set to 150% in the Windows menu, and scale is set to "Maintain Display Scaling".

[Hitchhiker]

You might want to try scaling individual items instead. I have mine set to 134% applied to just the title bars. Here's a pix.



(click to enlarge).

[SupermanLoko]

You might want to try scaling individual items instead. I have mine set to 134% applied to just the title bars. Here's a pix.



(click to enlarge).

Wouldn't that scale my entire desktop? Everything else is fine for me, it's just VLC, and only from 3.1 onwards.
Surely the only fix isn't messing with environment variables? I may just have to go and do it, not that I really would know what I'm doing.

[Hitchhiker]

If you checkmark the option to only apply the scaling to the title bars (as per pix) it shouldn't affect the rest of the display. It's easy enough to revert to defaults if it looks a bit awry.

[SupermanLoko]

If you checkmark the option to only apply the scaling to the title bars (as per pix) it shouldn't affect the rest of the display. It's easy enough to revert to defaults if it looks a bit awry.

Fair enough, but I don't really see what changing the title bars would do?

[Hitchhiker]

If you checkmark the option to only apply the scaling to the title bars (as per pix) it shouldn't affect the rest of the display. It's easy enough to revert to defaults if it looks a bit awry.

Fair enough, but I don't really see what changing the title bars would do?

It's the way I have mine configured which seems to work given that we both have the same laptop model.

[SupermanLoko]

If you checkmark the option to only apply the scaling to the title bars (as per pix) it shouldn't affect the rest of the display. It's easy enough to revert to defaults if it looks a bit awry.

Fair enough, but I don't really see what changing the title bars would do?

It's the way I have mine configured which seems to work given that we both have the same laptop model.

Thanks again for all the help
Which version of WIndows are you on? I'm on 10, can't seem to find a setting for just the title bars.
I don't really see how it would change the size of the buttons either. I have no issues with the scaling in any of my programs, only VLC has tiny buttons.
They're not small to the point of being unusable, but like the OP picture shows, they used to be much bigger and a much better size.
All newer versions of VLC just don't play well with my Laptop screen. 1920x1080 on a 13.3" display

[Hitchhiker]

I'm using Windows 8.1, but the setting is available in Windows 10

[SupermanLoko]

I'm using Windows 8.1, but the setting is available in Windows 10

Thanks, though I'm not sure whether I should really use a 3rd party program when it doesn't seem like it'll change much anyway. It's not a title bar problem

[Hitchhiker]

I'm using Windows 8.1, but the setting is available in Windows 10

Thanks, though I'm not sure whether I should really use a 3rd party program when it doesn't seem like it'll change much anyway. It's not a title bar problem

Up to you, but since we both have exactly the same hardware with the only difference being the OS it would seem odd if my suggested settings don't fix the problem.