new version 3.0.12 on win XP - Subtitles loaded but not shown

[Hitchhiker]

What if you type or copy/paste Freetype2 font renderer in the Search field? Do you get an error message?

[Vampiros]

What if you type or copy/paste Freetype2 font renderer in the Search field? Do you get an error message?

This is what I get:


(click to enlarge)

[Hitchhiker]

Not shown here, but in the screenshot you posted to github, simple menu Subtitles / OSD menu where it reads Default Encoding change Default (Windows 1252) to Universal (UTF-8). Do the usual Save, exit and restart.

If it doesn't revert to default again change MS Shell Dlg 2 to Arial. Save and restart. What happens now?

[mederi]

Try to use "\plugins\text_renderer\libfreetype_plugin.dll" from previous version of VLC (3.0.11).

[Spike1]

I too installed 3.0.12 on several XP machines this week hoping to pick up any recent improvements. It was very slow to random-seek. Watching a movie on DVD, the sound occasionally cut out; this DVD had two English audio tracks and switching was sometimes a solution. I didn't try subtitles. It was effortless to revert to 2.2.1.

Unlike a poster above, I am not "disappointed" in VLC and don't claim I know better than you where to allocate your resources. Just offering feedback. If the current version doesn't support "ancient" OS, maybe this could be stated more clearly (even have the installer give a warning!). Otherwise, accept user observations and repair core functions, though advanced features might not work. Cheers!

[Vampiros]

Not shown here, but in the screenshot you posted to github, simple menu Subtitles / OSD menu where it reads Default Encoding change Default (Windows 1252) to Universal (UTF-8). Do the usual Save, exit and restart.

If it doesn't revert to default again change MS Shell Dlg 2 to Arial. Save and restart. What happens now?

It seems to change to Arial, but after saving and restarting it is back to MS Shell Dlg 2. This happens with the encoding set to Default (Windows-1252) and also with the encoding set to Universal (UTF-8).

[Vampiros]

Try to use "\plugins\text_renderer\libfreetype_plugin.dll" from previous version of VLC (3.0.11).

Now we're getting serious... This works! Full functionality seems to be restored. I figure there may be some incompatibilities, but in a quick test I have both on-screen display and subtitles. And I can change the font. Thanks!

[Hitchhiker]

You'd better go update your Github thread. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear about it.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Unlike a poster above, I am not "disappointed" in VLC and don't claim I know better than you where to allocate your resources. Just offering feedback. If the current version doesn't support "ancient" OS, maybe this could be stated more clearly (even have the installer give a warning!).

This was not done knowingly so there are no ways that this would have been documented. VLC is a community effort. If users don't test, then it does not get tested, and issues don't get found out before releases. It's really as simple as that.

Evidently, nobody wants to spend their free time testing on Windows XP, or really on any old OS version.

[Lotesdelere]

Try to use "\plugins\text_renderer\libfreetype_plugin.dll" from previous version of VLC (3.0.11).

Now we're getting serious... This works! Full functionality seems to be restored. I figure there may be some incompatibilities, but in a quick test I have both on-screen display and subtitles. And I can change the font. Thanks!

So now we know the latest version of libfreetype_plugin.dll provided with VLC 3.0.12 is not XP compatible.

[Vampiros]

You'd better go update your Github thread. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear about it.

Yes, I've now done that and gotten confirmation that this is "a compilation issue".

[Vampiros]

I too installed 3.0.12 on several XP machines this week hoping to pick up any recent improvements. It was very slow to random-seek. Watching a movie on DVD, the sound occasionally cut out; this DVD had two English audio tracks and switching was sometimes a solution. I didn't try subtitles. It was effortless to revert to 2.2.1.

Unlike a poster above, I am not "disappointed" in VLC and don't claim I know better than you where to allocate your resources. Just offering feedback. If the current version doesn't support "ancient" OS, maybe this could be stated more clearly (even have the installer give a warning!). Otherwise, accept user observations and repair core functions, though advanced features might not work. Cheers!

I have not had any major problems (except for this one) on XP, although I haven't used VLC to watch a DVD in quite some time. The problems you had might be due to increased memory demands from version 3. I believe the intention is to have version 3 remain compatible with Windows XP and abandon compatibility with version 4.

[Vampiros]

So now we know the latest version of libfreetype_plugin.dll provided with VLC 3.0.12 is not XP compatible.

Yes, as mentioned above I've gotten confirmation that this is "a compilation issue". So we can hope that this will eventually be fixed in version 3.0.12 and future (if any) version 3's.

[Vampiros]

In case anyone is wondering how to work around this, you have to replace the file libfreetype_plugin.dll from version 3.0.12 with the same file from version 3.0.11.

To extract the file from version 3.0.11, you can use 7-Zip or a similar zipper program on the vlc-3.0.11-win32.exe installation file. Look for the file in \plugins\text_renderer\. If VLC version 3.0.11 is already installed, you can just look for it on your hard drive in \Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins\text_renderer\. Then copy it to another folder.

To replace the file in version 3.0.12, go to \Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins\text_renderer\ and rename libfreetype_plugin.dll to something without DLL on the end, but something you'll recognize if you ever have to go back to the 3.0.12 version of the file (I called it libfreetype_plugin.dll.new). Then copy the 3.0.11 version of the file which you set aside earlier to \Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins\text_renderer\.

After this I rebooted the computer, which may not be necessary but is always a good idea after making changes like this. After the reboot, subtitles were displaying just fine.

[Hitchhiker]

I believe the intention is to have version 3 remain compatible with Windows XP and abandon compatibility with version 4.

To run vlc 4.0 you need minimum Windows 7 / Windows 2008 R2. So not even Windows Vista will be able to run it.

EDIT: forgot to add the link: https://www.theredmondcloud.com/vlc-4-0 ... -versions/

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Historically, for every major VLC releases, somebody or other promised to maintain the previous release, and then failed to actually do so in any meaningful extent and for any meaningful length of time. I surmise that the reasons are always the same: nobody wants to spend their free time maintaining an old VLC version, and nobody wants to pay for someone else to do it either.

Maybe it will be different this time around, but I have to say that I doubt it. I rather think that, if you will be needing VLC 3.0, whether that's to run on Windows XP, or Vista, or really for any reason, you should prepare to have to do it yourself.

[Vampiros]

The "milestone" for this has been set to 3.0.13. I interpret that to mean that the goal is to have it working in version 3.0.13.

[Vampiros]

Historically, for every major VLC releases, somebody or other promised to maintain the previous release, and then failed to actually do so in any meaningful extent and for any meaningful length of time. I surmise that the reasons are always the same: nobody wants to spend their free time maintaining an old VLC version, and nobody wants to pay for someone else to do it either.

Maybe it will be different this time around, but I have to say that I doubt it. I rather think that, if you will be needing VLC 3.0, whether that's to run on Windows XP, or Vista, or really for any reason, you should prepare to have to do it yourself.

That's a good warning. My feeling is that it would be naïve to expect version 3 to be maintained once version 4 is released. What I am hoping, but not expecting, is that the final release of version 3 will run on "old" operating systems without any major bugs.

[Spike1]

What I am hoping, but not expecting, is that the final release of version 3 will run on "old" operating systems without any major bugs.

Or, at least, do the old stuff on old operating systems, a hope even for version 4. Some new features will of course require modern OS support, but a new VLC version should not stop doing things VLC used to be able to do.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Or, at least, do the old stuff on old operating systems, a hope even for version 4. Some new features will of course require modern OS support, but a new VLC version should not stop doing things VLC used to be able to do.

You're free to make a fork of VLC 4 that will run on Windows XP. Official releases will most definitely not support Windows XP.

[mederi]

The bug should already be fixed. Please try the latest VLC 3 nightly build on XP: http://nightlies.videolan.org/

[Vampiros]

I finally updated to version 3.0.15, and it looks to work great on Windows XP. Thanks for the fix! I will try to test nightly builds from time to time.

[Hitchhiker]

I finally updated to version 3.0.15, and it looks to work great on Windows XP. Thanks for the fix! I will try to test nightly builds from time to time.

3.0.15 has been removed due to failures in Windows 8.1: https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.ph ... 52#p518252

After the issues have been fixed and 3.0.15 is re-released it might not work in Win XP afterwards.

[Lotesdelere]

IMO the failure of VLC 3.0.15 is in the D3D11 module and there is no D3D11 on XP so it doesn't really matter
Unless some other bug is found in between.

[Vampiros]

3.0.15 has been removed due to failures in Windows 8.1: https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.ph ... 52#p518252

After the issues have been fixed and 3.0.15 is re-released it might not work in Win XP afterwards.

Thanks for the warning! If I discover any problems with the latest release of 3.0.15 I will report them. None so far...