New update has glitched the toolbar?

[Avilaun]

You should create a new report ticket on the VLC issues tracker

Many, many days later, my GitLab account is still pending approval. The suspense is killing me.

Is this really the best way to handle the bug tracking of an Open Source project such as this one? I sure don't know much, but I know this much: the bare minimum for such a service would be the ability to record issues in the system... Wouldn't it?

So my ignorant, naive question would be, is this bug on the radar of anyone? If not, how can we get it there?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

If you don't ping admins on the IRC channel, they won't know that you're not a spammer.

[Avilaun]

If you don't ping admins on the IRC channel, they won't know that you're not a spammer.

Still not approved, of course.

There must be a better way. I'm not jumping any more hoops just to have the privilege to try to help.

I guess not letting annoying people seeing bugs access the bug tracking system is the most efficient of the two ways to not have bugs to track. The other way is too annoying.

[Avilaun]

This non-bug is fixed in 3.0.20. It's even in the change log:
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/raw/3.0.x/NEWS

Thanks.

[fkuehne]

@avilaun: sorry for the late reply. We had to disable non-approved accounts for a huge amount of spam, so we only enable people who contact us directly. Your account was just enabled for future use.

.. and as you noticed, the problem was fixed!

[Avilaun]

Your account was just enabled for future use.

Thanks! I'm all set to nag, nag, nag, now!

.. and as you noticed, the problem was fixed!

Yep! And included in the very next intermediate release too! That was quick! Thanks to all involved!

[rom_stein]

Hello,
Seeing the issue was fixed in the changelog, I decided to update to 3.0.20 today, after staying on 3.0.18 for so long.
Unfortunately, the issue with the toolbar has returned on my end after the update.

More precisely, the fullscreen toolbar interface immediately disappears and can't display if VLC is not in focus.
If I click somewhere else than VLC, hovering the cursor above it does not make the interface appear and I need to click to regain focus.

I tried multiple things to self-troubleshoot :
- checked that my graphic driver was up to date
- tried changing the video output in the settings (the toolbar doesn't even appear anymore with the "Open GL for Window" or "Open GL" outputs)
- tried clearing preferences, even by deleting %APPDATA%/Roaming/vlc
- uninstalled it and reinstalled it (and rebooted)
The fullscreen toolbar issue is still here for me after all of that. As long as VLC is not in focus, it does not show up.

[Avilaun]

Hi.

Was wondering if I could try and confirm, but I utterly fail to understand the issue.

the fullscreen toolbar interface immediately disappears and can't display if VLC is not in focus.

Weird... That's exactly what it should do, isn't it?

If I click somewhere else than VLC, hovering the cursor above it does not make the interface appear and I need to click to regain focus.

When VLC is in fullscreen mode, how do you click somewhere else? Are you in a dual screen configuration? If not, why should the focus be on something else than the fullscreen application?

Don't understand what you're trying to accomplish. I'm missing something here...

[rom_stein]

When VLC is in fullscreen mode, how do you click somewhere else? Are you in a dual screen configuration?

Yes, I said I had multiple monitors.
I often use VLC one screen while doing something else on the other, or even use 2 instances of VLC sometimes.

Weird... That's exactly what it should do, isn't it?

No. Before the update, on 3.0.18, the toolbar would appear just by hovering over VLC, even if it was not in focus.

For instance, let's say I want to sync 2 videos, both opened in fullscreen on each of my screens, by pausing both and starting at the same time.
Before in 3.0.18, I could pause both of them, and quickly hit play on both, hovering the mouse would make the toolbar pop up even for the VLC that was not in focus.
Now on 3.0.20, I have to make an extra click to gain focus, wait for the toolbar to pop up, causing timing issues.

It's not that big of a deal, but I don't understand the change in the toolbar's behavior. It previously did not require focus.

[Avilaun]

Are you in a dual screen configuration?

Yes, I said I had multiple monitors.

I'm sure you did. Yet when I suspected as much, I somehow couldn't find that info. Not in this thread?

Before the update, on 3.0.18, the toolbar would appear just by hovering over VLC, even if it was not in focus.

Now I get it.

For instance, let's say I want to sync 2 videos, both opened in fullscreen on each of my screens, by pausing both and starting at the same time.
Before in 3.0.18, I could pause both of them, and quickly hit play on both, hovering the mouse would make the toolbar pop up even for the VLC that was not in focus.
Now on 3.0.20, I have to make an extra click to gain focus, wait for the toolbar to pop up, causing timing issues.

And now I get what you're trying to accomplish.

I can't help but find it a little funny imagining you trying to start two players in succession as quickly as possible so as to minimize the lagging of the second one. Better not have a cup of coffee on the desk?

How about you pause the second one at 5s for instance (precise timing to be determined empirically), switch to the first one, start it, switch back to the second one quickly using [Alt][Tab] (assuming you're on PC) and pressing [Space Bar] in rapid succession to restart the player? With a little practice you should succeed to sync both pretty well, even with this version (no need to wait for the toolbar to reappear to press the space bar).

Now, I know this is probably not what you asked for, but if your use case doesn't get the attention it deserves from the developers, or if they somehow deem it too rare, maybe this will help you watch your favourite xmass movie in sync on two screens this holiday season?

Now, there should be a better solution, but the following didn't work for me (the second Window never showed). Maybe you could give it a try to see if it works for you?

• Launch VLC Media Player.
• Menu > Media > Open Multiple Files... (or press Ctrl + Shift + O)
• Inside the Open Media window select Add to select the first video to play.
• In the Open Media window, check Show more options at the bottom.
• Check Select Play another media synchronously
• Click the Browse button next to Extra media and select the second video.
• Click Play at the bottom of the window.

HTH

[rom_stein]

I'm sure you did. Yet when I suspected as much, I somehow couldn't find that info. Not in this thread?

Oops, nevermind...I thought I said it, but I didn't.
I only said "I have vlc in fullscreen, and if I click away, losing focus, the toolbar disappears".
Which implies I can click elsewhere even in fullscreen (because I have another screen), but I did not explicitely say it... Sorry, my bad. ^^"

How about you pause the second one at 5s for instance (precise timing to be determined empirically), switch to the first one, start it, switch back to the second one quickly using [Alt][Tab] (assuming you're on PC) and pressing [Space Bar] in rapid succession to restart the player? With a little practice you should succeed to sync both pretty well, even with this version (no need to wait for the toolbar to reappear to press the space bar).

That's kinda what I was doing for videos. Open one, pause immediately, open second one, and meanwhile try to instantly unpause the first one.
But then, I'd try to resync by pausing/unpausing the one that was earlier, but after the update it needs to regain focus.
It 's not a big deal, because it's just an extra click, or an Alt+Tab (if I use the keyboard). It's not as problematic as the 3.0.19 update.
I'm just confused as to why the behavior is different from 3.0.18, because I don't know "how" it works behind in the code.

I'm sorry if it somehow sounded rude or if it sounded like I was ranting about an issue that would render vlc "unusable". This is not what I meant.

Now, I know this is probably not what you asked for, but if your use case doesn't get the attention it deserves from the developers, or if they somehow deem it too rare, maybe this will help you watch your favourite xmass movie in sync on two screens this holiday season?

My example was also not just about "starting 2 videos at the same time". Imagine I have 2 videos or online feeds, running live, and I want to sync them by pausing/unpausing to match them both.
For instance, watching a live race with multiple point of views, and syncing both feeds. You need to have it running and clicking multiple times on pause/unpause to sync it, because you don't have a start at 0:00:00.
Being able to manipulate one or the other without necessiting focus was something neat in this instance.

• Menu > Media > Open Multiple Files... (or press Ctrl + Shift + O)

• Inside the Open Media window select Add to select the first video to play.

• In the Open Media window, check Show more options at the bottom.

• Check Select Play another media synchronously

I did not know this was a feature. Thanks you, this could definitely help if I'm opening from files.

[Avilaun]

I only said "I have vlc in fullscreen, and if I click away, losing focus, the toolbar disappears".
Which implies I can click elsewhere even in fullscreen (because I have another screen), but I did not explicitely say it... Sorry, my bad. ^^"

I'll think of a suitable punishment and get back to you...

My example was also not just about "starting 2 videos at the same time". Imagine I have 2 videos or online feeds, running live, and I want to sync them by pausing/unpausing to match them both.

• Menu > Media > Open Multiple Files... (or press Ctrl + Shift + O)
• Inside the Open Media window select Add to select the first video to play.
• In the Open Media window, check Show more options at the bottom.
• Check Select Play another media synchronously

I did not know this was a feature. Thanks you, this could definitely help if I'm opening from files.

VLC offers the same options to start two network streams in sync on the appropriately named "Network" tab, again when checking "Show more options" on that tab. Have you had a chance to check if these work for you, either when opening two files or two streams in sync?

Could be worth your time if it works for you or if we can get this feature working again from the VLC team?