DVD playback stuttering

[Vlar]

I've tried to find a solution or even a reason to this on the forum without much resulting.

Recently I updated VLC to the most recent version (0.8.4a) from a version I've had for some time now (0.7.2). After the update, I found that my DVD playback no longer functioned as it used to. Every few seconds it would pause for a split second. The video was very choppy while the audio wasn't very noticibly affected.

It was about time for a new install of my system, so I hoped this would fix the problem. Unfortunatly, even with a new video card and a fresh install on a new hard drive, the problem persisted. I tried downgrading and found that while 0.7.2 and 0.7.0 worked, 0.8.0 and up did not.

The DVD drive would light up several times per second with the older versions, while about only once per second with the newer versions. The light seemed to be in sync with the stuttering. It seems other DVD software works without issue through this whole thing. Also, the stuttering would make my mouse unresponsive for the split second it stutters.

I checked the logs while all this was going on. With the newer versions, when the DVD was playing an error would show up em masse. About 1-2 dozen times per second with the newer version, I would see an error in blue that says "late picture skipped" with what seems like a random number after it (mostly positive with a few negative). The older versions do not show this error. The error is the only thing being displayed in the messages while the DVD is playing on the newer versions.

My system isn't particularly old at all. 2.8Ghz P4 with hyperthreading, 1GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 6800 256MB, Windows XP Pro, dual monitors, Lite-on 4x DVD +- RW (drive playing DVD), and not much running in the background.

I've tried toggling the "Skip Frames" option, as well as having VLC run as a process with higher priority with no effect. I've played with the cache. Bumping it to 30,000 miliseconds helps greatly, but there is still a very slight stutter at the same times just a much shorter duration.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you need more specifics, I'm sure I can set them up, although I have 0.7.2 running at the moment.

[DJ]

I would strongly suspect the nVidia card's drivers. But before you start searching and changing things again. there are a few things to try that should point you in the right direction.

First you need to uninstall the old version with your Control Panel's add/remove programs. I would also like for you to erase VLC's Preferences directory.

Then download one of the newer Nightly Builds http://nightlies.videolan.org/ Pick the 9.1 meg file as it is the install version. I am using 01/15/06 and find it to be very stable. There have been many updates even since 0.8.4

I would be looking at 2, 5 & 6 from what you have described. When you have finished please come back here and describe what you found.

OK! Assuming that you have tried to reset the defaults or better yet erase the preferences directory. C:\Documents and Settings\Owner (this is you)\Application Data\VLC Erase VLC, Application Data is a hidden directory so you will need to make it visible. Reset can be accomplished external to VLC by going to Start Menu. Programs, VideoLAN and selecting the reset icon or internal to VLC through Miscellaneous, Preferences, reset. Then you must restart VLC.

You can try the following:

1. Open VLC, Be sure you are in the wxWidgets mode, from the Settings pull down check Extend GUI, on the video tab check enable and then restore defaults. Now try calling a file into VLC. If you have just reset VLC I would not suspect this one.

2. Some games store information by changing settings on your video card so it would be smart to reset your video card to its defaults for 3D, OpenGL and Overlay

3. change resolutions of your video card. If you are at 1024x768 for example go to 800x600.

4. Change color depths of your video card. If you are at 32 bit color try 24 bit or 16 bit.

5. Try shutting off the video acceleration inside VLC. Miscellaneous, Preferences, Video, untick the Overlay box and save. Now close VLC and restart. Then try to call a file, within VLC.

6. As a last resort, try opening VLC Miscellaneous, Preferences, Video, Output Modules and using the pull down to select "Windows GDI video output". Then save, restart VLC and try to call a file.

Most of these things are tests to try to expose your problem. So it is suggested to put things back the way it was if it had no change to your problem. Also always call a file into VLC to rule out a possible Windows interface problem.

[Guest]

Thank you very much for the fast response! Currently I'm at work, but here are a few answers to your inquiries:

That's an excellent idea concerning the video card drivers, however I don't believe that is the issue. When the issue first started with the upgrade, I was running a Radeon 8500LE video card. Soon after the issue started, I swapped out to the current nVidia card with no effect on the problem. Since then, the drive has been formatted with the newest drivers installed.

It's possible that it's the video card drivers, however I've seen the same issue on two seperate cards from two seperate manufacturers. It leads me to believe it's an issue with the software interacting with the DVD drive.

During my testing to see what version the error started with, I did a lot of uninstalling and reinstalling. In each time, I did it through Add/Remove Programs, and checked the option to remove all prefrences whenever it was there. Tonight when I am home I will pull down the latest nightly and see how it fairs. I'll wipe out the preferences folder first as well.

As for the list of suggestions, I'll have to try all that later tonight when I get home.

Thanks for your help!

[Vlar]

Whoops, forgot to login! That was me responding.

[DJ]

The problem for most people started in 0.8.4 as the DirectX module was rebuilt to be more current with 9c. This leaves us with two choices:

1. You DirectX version is not current.

2. Your present Video drivers are not fully cooperating with DirectX.

I would suggest that you perform the tests as it most generally points in the correct direction.

[Guest]

I've tried it on multiple computers and I always get stuttering with 8.2 and 8.4a. I then load PowerDVD or a similar program and it works fine.

It's something with the new version that is causing the problem. I tried all the things you recommended, DJ and nothing got rid of the occasional pauses on my computer. It's usually worse on other computers.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Truth0r

[DJ]

I've tried it on multiple computers and I always get stuttering with 8.2 and 8.4a. I then load PowerDVD or a similar program and it works fine.

It's something with the new version that is causing the problem. I tried all the things you recommended, DJ and nothing got rid of the occasional pauses on my computer. It's usually worse on other computers.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Truth0r

The only other thing I have run across (and only for some machines) is the Skip frames function causing the opposite condition (intended for slower machines). Preferences, Video then untick the Skip frames box then press Save and close the player.

[stefanmf]

Hi

I have the same problem - stuttering DVD playback. I tried everything mentioned here, including using the latest beta release, to no avail. I have, however, realised that the stuttering only occurs when playing from my internal DVD drive. I have an external drive too, and it plays flawlessly through VLC. My internal drive works fine for DVD playback through regular dvd players like wmp, windvd etc.
Before reading this thread, I never actually tried a version 7.x of vlc, but reading the initial post, I thought I might try this as a last resort - and voilá - stutter-free DVD playback from my internal drive.

The point of this post is just to point out that it seems that VLC 8.x - for some odd reason - requires a faster DVD drive than 7.x, and this can be the cause of your problems. Only fix, though, is getting an outdated build of vlc.

[Anon]

Wow, stefanmf, this is great information.

I posted earlier about video stutters too. Mine only occur with VLC ONLY if the DVD source is a backup from DVDfab.

Same backup plays fine with WinDVD.

I think we are on to something here.

Q for a dev guy: How does VLC read data from the DVD drive? Using which API (if any)? Perhaps that is the key.

At first I thought it was the actual blank media that I used, but stefanmf also confirmed that it isn't.

VLC kicks major bottom. I hope this gets resolved some day! Cheers!

[Bendit]

Actually, I got the same video stutter problem playing a DVD movie from a video_ts folder on my hard drive.

So the media thing is not necessarily a proven theory.

[DJ]

There have been a few users that have reported that using the "dvdsimple" option resolves the problem. But on 95% or better of the machines out there with all the varying hardware configurations, current DirectX and video and or audio drivers has resolved the issue.

Remember, that all digital video is follow audio for sync. If the audio is not controlling the video properly there will be varying degrees of problems from jitter and skipping frames to not playing. VLC is a packet based player that is very reliant on the system for most of its functions. If there is a problem with the system VLC is most likely to show it up.

See ReClock on the web for more information regarding this.

[Bendit]

DJ, I will try the DVDSimple option.

You could be right. The DVDs I have had stutter were opened with "open folder" and not dvdsimple.

This gives me a new thing to try next time I witness video stuttering.

Thanks.

For future reference, my computer is not a slow and crappy one. I play graphic intense games with it, and watch movies with VLC, WinDVD and PowerDVD with it. I state those facts to retort on your DirectX incompatibilities. I understand you have to say that though, because I understand that VLC is heavily dependant on DirectX. I have latest drivers of everything, always had.

Next time I see stuttering, I'll copy and paste the debug window content here. Thanks again DJ.

[Guest]

I've got two drives to play DVDs, one old, slow SCSI 2x drive and a LG-GSA-4163B RW. The playback only studders with the SCSI drive in DVD-menue mode but plays fine in the dvdsimple mode. The LG-GSA-4163B plays fine in both modes. I think that should rule out DirectX.

Increasing the caching value to 400 or higher solved the problem here.

The downside of this approach is that if you press 'pause' VLC keeps on playing 'till the cache is empty.

[Sander]

I'm experiencing the same problem. Brand new computer (Lite-On SHM-165P6S 16x internal DVD drive, Gefore 7600GS), latest drivers (84.21), latest DirectX. dvdsimple mode works perfectly, but dvd with menus stutters like crazy. Increasing the cache size doesn't work either (that is, assuming that I'm changing the right cache: input / codecs -> access modules -> DVD with menus -> Caching value in ms, right?).
Going to try fiddling with the audio drivers now. Here's hoping...

[Sander]

I haven't had any luck solving this, but, I did find a post by a developer saying he was aware of the problem and that dvdsimple uses a different library from dvd with menus, and that he intends to fix that before the next release: viewtopic.php?p=56425#56425
(Noting that here since this thread was much easier to find with the search terms I used than the other one, so perhaps other people will benefit from this as well.)

[Sander]

Thanks to some rather excellent help from bigben in the irc channel, I've solved this issue, and I suspect that a lot of you other folks who are reporting this with a brand new system will have the same. Apparently for some reason, DMA on my DVD drive was not enabled.
I'd actually already been looking for this, but it wasn't located where I thought it would be, so I forgot about it.

For those who don't know how to enable DMA, usually you'd follow the steps as per here - go to control panel, "System", the "hardware" tab, click on "device manager...", "view" -> "devices by type", expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, click on properties on your DVD drive, and on the "settings" tab enable "DMA".

On my system however, this option wasn't present. Instead, I had to look under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers", "primary IDE Channel", and on the "Advanced Settings" tab change the "transfer mode" for "Device 0" from "PIO only" to "DMA if available". A restart later, DVD with menus worked as beautifully as dvdsimple. Apparently libdvdnav (which is used before dvdread in menu mode, but not at all in simple mode) needs the direct memory access.

[Guest]

I can hardly believ it. My DVD recorder is in PIO mode, too. I always assumed it is in DMA mode. Maybe that´s the explanation why my system is hardly usable when I burn DVD´s (Athlon XP2000, 1gb RAM).
The only problem still remains is that my DVD drive is set so DMA if available but it´s in PIO none the less.
But now I know what I have to do to make VLC play my DVDs with menus and without stuttering.

Thank you all for this "investigation".

-Shape

[DJ]

Thanks to some rather excellent help from bigben in the irc channel, I've solved this issue, and I suspect that a lot of you other folks who are reporting this with a brand new system will have the same. Apparently for some reason, DMA on my DVD drive was not enabled.
I'd actually already been looking for this, but it wasn't located where I thought it would be, so I forgot about it.

For those who don't know how to enable DMA, usually you'd follow the steps as per here - go to control panel, "System", the "hardware" tab, click on "device manager...", "view" -> "devices by type", expand DVD/CD-ROM drives, click on properties on your DVD drive, and on the "settings" tab enable "DMA".

On my system however, this option wasn't present. Instead, I had to look under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers", "primary IDE Channel", and on the "Advanced Settings" tab change the "transfer mode" for "Device 0" from "PIO only" to "DMA if available". A restart later, DVD with menus worked as beautifully as dvdsimple. Apparently libdvdnav (which is used before dvdread in menu mode, but not at all in simple mode) needs the direct memory access.

Thank you for reminding me! I would like to correct and add a minor change.

The hard drive should always be the Primary as device 0 thus allowing expansion for another hard drive without possible interference from an optical disk and better transfer rates for both units. This is where all operating systems look for a hard drive. So if you are wondering why your boot is so slow???

An optical disk should never be used as a Primary device 1 it should be a Secondary on device 0 if a Burner or in the case of two optical drives where one is a burner and the other a ROM only, the burner should be on device 0.

Please also remember to re-strap the drives according to their position in order to avoid conflicts and have them show up in the right place.

Following these recommendations will guarantee the best possible transfer rates and the least chance of any kind of interference during high load conditions such as we find when working with video.

[malungu]

Hi,

I have tried everything that you discussed in this thread, but the only remedy in my case was to use version 0.7.2. So I guess there must be something different in the software.

malungu

[DJ]

There have been lots of changes sense 0.7.2 but the one that is probably effecting you is the update of the DirectX interface that forced most people to update their video and audio drivers when 9c was installed. Or DirectX needs updating.

This was recommended by Microsoft after SP2 or DirectX 9c.

[Guest]

DJ, I will try the DVDSimple option.

You could be right. The DVDs I have had stutter were opened with "open folder" and not dvdsimple.

This gives me a new thing to try next time I witness video stuttering.

Thanks.

For future reference, my computer is not a slow and crappy one. I play graphic intense games with it, and watch movies with VLC, WinDVD and PowerDVD with it. I state those facts to retort on your DirectX incompatibilities. I understand you have to say that though, because I understand that VLC is heavily dependant on DirectX. I have latest drivers of everything, always had.

Next time I see stuttering, I'll copy and paste the debug window content here. Thanks again DJ.

[Sander]

The hard drive should always be the Primary as device 0 thus allowing expansion for another hard drive without possible interference from an optical disk and better transfer rates for both units. This is where all operating systems look for a hard drive. So if you are wondering why your boot is so slow???

*grins* My hard disks are SATA and hanging off a raid controller, so that's not applicable here. But thanks for your thoughtfulness.