VLC crashes when trying to play videos

[masdeirf]

Hello everyone.
I hope someone can help me with this problem. I have been using VLC for years/centuries and now for some time, about half a year, VLC no longer works as expected. At first I ignored it, then looked at newer and later versions, then realized that I have the problem on both Macs.

This is my first forum post, so please forgive me if I missed something.

Hardware: MacBook Pro, Silicon, M2 Pro + Mac mini, Silicon, M1

VLC: Version 3.0.21 Vetinari (Apple Silicon)

Problem: Every time I try to play a file (video, picture, ) with VLC, the program crashes. If I just open VLC there is no problem.

Behavior: no matter on which device I try it same behavior also it doesn't matter if I open the video directly or open VLC first and then open the file via VLC.

Output:

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-- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty -- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty mp4 warning: elst box found mp4 warning: STTS table of 1 entries mp4 warning: CTTS table of 322 entries mp4 warning: elst box found mp4 warning: STTS table of 2 entries videotoolbox warning: forcing CVPX format: 420v videotoolbox: Using Video Toolbox to decode 'h264' faad warning: decoded zero sample videotoolbox: vt cvpx chroma: 420v -- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty mp4 warning: unknown box type beam (incompletely loaded) mp4 warning: unknown box type loop (incompletely loaded) mp4 warning: STTS table of 1 entries mp4 warning: CTTS table of 10 entries videotoolbox warning: forcing CVPX format: 420v videotoolbox: Using Video Toolbox to decode 'h264' videotoolbox: vt cvpx chroma: 420v -- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty mp4 warning: elst box found mp4 warning: STTS table of 1 entries mp4 warning: CTTS table of 2873 entries mp4 warning: elst box found mp4 warning: STTS table of 1 entries videotoolbox warning: forcing CVPX format: 420v videotoolbox: Using Video Toolbox to decode 'h264' faad warning: decoded zero sample videotoolbox: vt cvpx chroma: 420v -- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty cache_read error: cannot pre fill buffer main warning: cannot insert stream filter prefetch,cache_read mjpeg warning: no more data mjpeg error: cannot peek avcodec warning: cannot peek videotoolbox warning: forcing CVPX format: 420v videotoolbox: Using Video Toolbox to decode 'h264' faad warning: decoded zero sample videotoolbox: vt cvpx chroma: 420v -- logger module started -- main warning: Key "Command+0" bound to multiple actions main: VLC wird mit dem Standard-Interface ausgeführt. Benutzen Sie 'cvlc', um VLC ohne Interface zu verwenden. main: playlist is empty -- logger module stopped --

I've tried:
- rebooting
- uninstalling & re-installing VLC, with full cleaning
- tried different versions

No change. The issue persists with the same output.
VLC can still play music files without any issue.
Videos play without any issue when using other media players.

[fkuehne]

This is absolutely not normal. Did you reset the Preferences of VLC in the Preferences window (VLC menu)? Can you post the crash log displayed by the OS? Do you have an audio output device attached with more than 5 speakers?

[masdeirf]

THX
- Did you reset the Preferences of VLC in the Preferences window (VLC menu)? = yes, no change. But also as mentioned completely cleaned with App Cleaner
- Do you have an audio output device attached with more than 5 speakers? = no
- Can you post the crash log displayed by the OS? = there is no log for the crash in the Console App, neither from the timestamp nor with the search terms “vlc” or “videolan”

[fkuehne]

You don't get a dialog from the OS that VLC crashed? it should be expandable and provide a log then.

[masdeirf]

You don't get a dialog from the OS that VLC crashed? it should be expandable and provide a log then.

No. The crash dialogue for sending is very rare, but it is not expandable, with details as usual. I have sent this dialogue to videolan.org twice, according to the Apple dialogue.

[fkuehne]

No no, I mean the Apple dialog from the OS. If you click "Report.." you will see the text that we need.

[masdeirf]

This is what I mean as well, I am familiar with this Apple dialogue. No "Report..." comes up.

[fkuehne]

I have no idea what's happening then. A crash should generate a log.

[masdeirf]

Is it possible to force the crash log? Possibly in the own log file.

[masdeirf]

This is what it looks like:

[ravindrasan]

I am having the exact problem. I have tried multiple times reinstalling different versions of VLC - ARM64 and INTEL both. It has been months, i am not able to play anything in VLC in my mac.
I have just tried VLC with brew as well, same issue.
Other players are working fine (using Elmedia player for the time being ), i don't want to use any other player, VLC was just great - provided exactly what i need.

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Chip: Apple M1 Pro
Memory: 16 GB
OS: Macos Sequoia 15.1.1 (24B91)

An update - The crash not only happens while opening any image or video but also when browsing in the VLC playlist-
I noticed later that while i am in the VLC playlist and i select My local folder and expand it, as soon as the files are listed, the app crashes.

In the Console this is the information i found -

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fault 01:06:22.484519+0530 VLC FAULT: NSInvalidArgumentException: <private>; (user info absent)

Code: Select all

Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: chain: Too high level of recursion (3) Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to create video converter Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: Failed to adapt decoder format to display Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: video output creation failed Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: main: failed to create video output Dec 10 01:00:38 LM0003342 vlc[8368]: faad: decoded zero sample