VLC v3.0.14 64bit bug: video "shrinking" when "start in minimal mode" is active

[GODzillaGSPB]

First things first: I did a complete uninstall of VLC with the option to erase all settings and cleaned via CCleaner afterwards. Then I reinstalled v3.0.14 64bit for Windows and again checked the option to erase all previous settings, just to be sure.

Because a video says more than words, please have a look at this:

https://youtu.be/cN-m3V84O7k

(the video is not listed / not public)

In the first part of the video I start an mp4 file three times. As you can see each time the VLC player window is unchanged, because I disabled the option to scale the window according to the video and VLC usually does memorize the window position and size. In the second part of the video I start the mp4 file again several times, but this time I activated the option to "start in minimal view" (sorry, German version, translated it but I think you know which option it is). Each time I start the video, the window shrinks. And shrinks. And shrinks.

This behavior was not present in previous versions of VLC. I used the minimal view for years without any problems. So I guess this is a bug introduced in version 3.0.14 64bit for Windows.

[Lotesdelere]

You should create a new ticket on the VLC Trac with your above report including the link to the video and the link to this thread:
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/-/issues

[GODzillaGSPB]

Will do. Strange...I have to register seperately for that? Well okay then...

[GODzillaGSPB]

I'm sorry, I have to ask again. It seems that the whole register process on code.videolan.org is aimed towards developers or professional analysts and now I also have to set up a two factor authentification...seems a bit much. It can't be that hard to report a bug, can it now?

PS: Well, done. Was able to use a two factor app I already had in use, so it wasn't such a bug hassle after all. ^^

[JDGerbrandy]

I just went form vlc-3.0.12-win32 to vlc-3.0.17.4-win32 and see the same issue. (I've seen this also in previous versions but it's consistent now while in previous versions it was only seen when playing video not for playing audio or playing nothing at all.)

If - in preferences - you don't flag Start in minimal view mode and
you tick View->Minimal Interface before you close your vlc window the next time
you start vlc the window is smaller. Not desirable but makes some kind of sense here.

But if - in preferences - you do flag Start in minimal view mode and do nothing but start and quit vlc a couple of times the window will also get smaller and smaller. This is makes no sense at all.

So for older versions I could get around the issue by switching to some audio track before quitting vlc. For the current version I made a script to reset [General] geometry and [MainWindow] bgSize in the vlc-qt-interface.ini to my prefered values since those are the only values that get changed by just opening and quitting vlc.

[GODzillaGSPB]

Yes, this issue persisted for all the new releases and I'm since stuck with 3.0.12, which is the last version that does not show this behaviour at all.

A few weeks ago I was trying the latest version hoping this bug would be fixed (but no dice). I wouldn't want to start with the interface visible, so I reluctantly walked back to 3.0.12 yet again.

Please devs, have a look at this. Thanks in advance.


PS: Funnily enough, looking back at the ticket I submitted back then, the issue was never touched again, seemingly having recommended an older version counts as solved or something.

https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlc/ ... ote_265903

But...I guess there is a point in using newer versions in terms of bugfixes / optimization, right? I'd really like to use the new versions, too.

[JDGerbrandy]

With the newer version one can still get around the issue by first switching to some audio track, then un-tick View->Minimal Interface, then quit vlc. The next time vlc starts it has the original size.
Interestingly, if you do this un-tick when some video is active, the next time vlc starts, the window has grown but not with the same amount it shrinks otherwise.

[GODzillaGSPB]

While this might be a working work-around, I use VLC for its ease of use and this would definitely defeat the purpose. Plus I use another programm to listen to music.

Anyway, thanks for the tipp.

[CoderJoe]

My workaround has been to set the vlc-qt-interface.ini to read only.

[GODzillaGSPB]

My workaround has been to set the vlc-qt-interface.ini to read only.

First: Thank you!!!

Well...it kinda works. At least it stops ot from getting smaller and smaller.

But when I tried to set the window to a desired size, then make the file (which is in AppData\Roaming\vlc if anyone wonders) read only, but it somehow always resets to a standard size. I tried and tried and couldn't get it right.

I saw which value was changing and even tried to set that number manually, without success.

It's the second number in the line

Code: Select all

bgSize=@Size(1081 563)

Which is "536" is my example. That is getting smaller and smaller on each successive start of VLC.

And now I really wonder...if it this easy for me, a total laymen when it comes to software, to observe this behavior in a plain text ini file, why does this bug seems to be unfixable for the devls??? -.-