Harsh J

Memoirs of a QWERTY Keyboard

VLC on Windows Vista

53 comments


If you run VLC [ Video LAN Client ] on Windows Vista and find that it displays no video output with just audio playing, then this post is for you.

All you actually need to do is to switch to OpenGL Playback.

Do that by going to the Settings Menu > Prefrences. Look at the right bottom of the dialog box that appears and tick the Advanced Options tick-box.

Now just click the plus next to Video. Click on Output Modules under that (Not the plus sign, just the menu item). From the Video Output Module drop down menu, select “OpenGL Video Output“. Thats it, you’re done.

Thanks to Kalpik for the tip and as he mentioned, its actually due to an issue with Aero.

Written by Harsh

February 11th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged with , ,

53 Responses to 'VLC on Windows Vista'

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  1. Thanks for the information! I was going crazy trying to figure this out!

    Nick

    26 Feb 07 at 10:50 am

  2. Thanks very helpful Man…Thank you

    MaRtHeGrEaT

    28 Feb 07 at 4:17 am

  3. thanks heaps saved my soul

    Nick

    6 Mar 07 at 8:07 pm

  4. thank you soo much :)

    h

    6 Mar 07 at 11:38 pm

  5. Thanks a lot!! was trying to play iso files I have for my son and was getting frustrated with vista!!!

    Aps

    7 Mar 07 at 8:45 am

  6. No problem people, VLC is one of the best players ever to have happened to computers! :D

    Harsh J

    7 Mar 07 at 10:40 pm

  7. Hi Harsh,

    Thanks for trying to help.

    I am having the (No Video) problem with firefox on Linux — especially when I go to cnn.com.

    VLC works fine for me on local files and in some web sites.

    However, even with your above change it still gives me the (No Video) message.

    Would you happen to know know how to to configure firefox not to use a plugin an just launch a helper app? It seems like I”m stuck but would be happy to have that option — ugly as it is.

    Thanks,
    Lowell

    Lowell Boggs

    12 Mar 07 at 9:30 am

  8. thanks a lot !!!

    Mo

    13 Mar 07 at 12:31 am

  9. Thanks a lot! Been switching to 16bit just to get VLC to run! Appreciate the tech support. :)

    Edward the ACE

    16 Mar 07 at 1:17 pm

  10. Thanks!

    DrFruit

    19 Mar 07 at 7:50 pm

  11. hate to reiterate, but thanks a ton.

    Alerion

    19 Mar 07 at 8:49 pm

  12. @Lowell – Am sorry I don’t know an answer to that one but why not use some other plugin instead? Like the WMP 11 default one perhaps. I know its crappy but still … :)

    @Mo, @Edward, @DrFruit, @Alerion – You’re all welcome, VLC rocks, even on Windows Vista! :D

    Harsh J

    20 Mar 07 at 10:30 am

  13. Thank you for the info… This worked perfectly!

    mailmeuk

    31 Mar 07 at 10:17 pm

  14. Thank you very much for your help to run vlc under windows vista!

    kostas

    1 Apr 07 at 2:29 pm

  15. Thanxs Harsh

    ur ace, trying to fix prob for a while, vista is so picky!! even downloades other players.

    vlc rules cheers

    Avz

    4 Apr 07 at 1:39 am

  16. Hi man,
    Thanks u very much for helping in this matter.
    Bye

    Nimesh

    6 Apr 07 at 4:45 am

  17. if i can do it any one can do it lol
    i like VLC
    THANKS yo

    mark

    7 Apr 07 at 4:17 pm

  18. thing you so much, i was about to have a break down trying to find the problem, thank you so very much!!! you are my angel

    Kari

    10 Apr 07 at 6:15 am

  19. thank you so much! i was so pisesd trying to get it to work! :D

    kris

    10 Apr 07 at 3:12 pm

  20. I can’t thank you enough. I’ve been trying to figure this out for an eternity.

    Kris

    12 Apr 07 at 10:19 pm

  21. Brilliant Stuff mooohahah Vista lives another day . All my mates are like Hmm Vista whatever LOL sweet good one lads.

    Netah0lic

    Netah0lic

    15 Apr 07 at 12:48 pm

  22. how do you do that!!! i just wanna watch my indian movies =(

    pooja

    18 Apr 07 at 8:23 pm

  23. okay so i found out how to do that, but its still not working!! someone please help me, it really killin me! i’ve been tryin to get it to work for atleast 3 days!

    pooja

    18 Apr 07 at 8:33 pm

  24. another huge thank-u

    if it wasn’t for problem solution postings like this, my computer would barely work at all. keep doin what yer doin, ay harsh. it’s a big help to a lot of folks out there

    manhands

    19 Apr 07 at 3:18 am

  25. pooja – It should work! Still, if you are desperate to watch the movies anyway, try GOM-Player at http://www.gomplayer.com

    Harsh J

    19 Apr 07 at 4:19 pm

  26. Onto Another problem Peoples. Vista and Refresh problems with games etc any ideas.

    Netah0lic

    Netah0lic

    19 Apr 07 at 11:52 pm

  27. I mean t to say Refresh Rate problems. I Cannot find a solution ANYWHERE any ideas ! Net

    P.S Thanks for the VLC Info using it alllll the time !

    Netah0lic

    19 Apr 07 at 11:53 pm

  28. haha, thanks… BUT…. i got it working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

    this weekend is gonna be sooo exciting! hah new bollywood releases ! =D

    pooja

    20 Apr 07 at 12:12 am

  29. if your still having problems with the VLC, the steps are correct above. But some will not be able to see it:

    1 click on “Setting”
    2 click on “Prefernces”
    3 click on the the PLUS sign ( ) next to “Video”
    4 click on “Output Modules” it will highligh blue, or whatever your desktop setting are.
    NOTE: You if u don’t see anything. Make sure you have a check box in “Advance Opitions” (Right handside in the bottom of the window”, check check!!

    5 Once checked, you see a drop menu box, thats where you can scroll down to
    “OpenGL video output!

    Peace, THIS VERSION of VLC media player 0.8.6b (wxWidgets interface)

    FireDaemon

    21 Apr 07 at 3:10 am

  30. heyy thnx a tonne fr da help…………….
    in addition to da open GL thing………vlc also works fine wid
    1) DirectX
    2)Windows GDI

    carbon

    21 Apr 07 at 9:11 pm

  31. awsome dudes

    man i was going fluck no no vlc wtf

    vista i hate you

    FireDaemon i love you man

    if your still having problems with the VLC, the steps are correct above. But some will not be able to see it:

    1 click on “Setting”
    2 click on “Prefernces”
    3 click on the the PLUS sign ( ) next to “Video”
    4 click on “Output Modules” it will highligh blue, or whatever your desktop setting are.
    NOTE: You if u don’t see anything. Make sure you have a check box in “Advance Opitions” (Right handside in the bottom of the window”, check check!!

    5 Once checked, you see a drop menu box, thats where you can scroll down to
    “OpenGL video output!

    Peace, THIS VERSION of VLC media player 0.8.6b (wxWidgets interface)
    thats that shittttttt

    smacktastic

    22 Apr 07 at 10:22 am

  32. Dude, you are a life saver. Almost smashed my new vista setup because this stupid problem. Thanks again.

    Kong

    22 Apr 07 at 10:31 pm

  33. Fantastic, thanks for the VLC solution.

    Do you also know how to get Media Player 11 working on weblinks again via IE7? After downloading VLC it stopped working and now when I click on a movie file IE7 just creates a new window and just displays the following message “Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage”.

    Any help greatly appreciated.

    Tiger

    27 Apr 07 at 6:00 pm

  34. Well, this worked, but the video output is very choppy and unbearable to watch. This is becoming a major problem because I don’t have another program to use for things like VIDEO_TS folders. I’ve grudgingly used Windows Media Player for DivX files, but would prefer to use VLC again, if I can get the choppy playback fixed.

    ebowed

    28 Apr 07 at 5:03 pm

  35. Hi ebowed

    Yep, this seems to be an intermittent problem. When I started to watch an old TV video it started to work and then I got exactly the same as you (the picture became choppy / shaky). Other files seem to work fine; HOWEVER, I found by changing the “Video output module” preference (as described by others earlier) to “DirectX video output” it worked for this old video without the shaking. The downside is just a small amount of the picture extremities is lost but it is still very watchable.

    Try putting the setting back to “OpenGL video output” for other files, but at least this should let you watch others that don’t work for “OpenGL video output”.

    Kind regards and good luck.

    P.S. for anyone trying to help me with my earlier problem posted 27 April (as above), I should have confirmed my OS is Vista Home Premium. Thanks.

    Tiger

    29 Apr 07 at 2:02 pm

  36. YAY thanks a MILLION. it was really annoying having to use a diff media player

    pcgooroo

    3 May 07 at 10:26 am

  37. Thanks! :)

    ShiroKai

    5 May 07 at 3:54 pm

  38. Thank a lot……

    sushil

    6 May 07 at 10:56 am

  39. Thanks a ton..i faced the same issue but with your help i am able to solve the issue. Thanka a lot again.

    Gajodhar

    6 May 07 at 11:55 am

  40. hey, i dont know if anyone has said this because i didnt want to read all of the replies, but for me, the video kinda lagged when i switched to OpenGL, so i switched to DirectX and it works better for me. don’t know about you guys but thought id share that.

    Tuna

    17 May 07 at 8:32 am

  41. Anyone having problems in full screen?
    it works fine using this method. untill i hit full screen and its all slow.

    Help?

    Robhavok

    22 May 07 at 10:29 pm

  42. [...] xD yeah I was using Media Player Classic and for some reason it wouldn’t load the subtitles so I just ran it on VLC and it worked perfectly I just didn’t try it because Vista had problems running videos on VLC so I searched the web and found this site that helped a lot to solve the problem I’ll post the link in case anyone else has the same problem. VLC on Windows Vista at Harsh J [...]

  43. hi robhavok if it slow m8t …… put it on windows gdi video output ……..then it will be ok

    mathew

    22 Jun 07 at 9:36 pm

  44. hi , matthew mate, ive been using it on directx recently which works in full screen in real time as does gdi video. Im just a little annoyed that the quality is noticable crap :( are other people noticing this or am i just being snobbish. Rob

    Robhavok

    23 Jun 07 at 4:06 am

  45. Hey people, the latest VLC release @ http://www.videolan.org has full Vista support and needs no tweaking. Try it out!

    Harsh

    23 Jun 07 at 7:31 am

  46. You’re the man Harsh….Thank you!

    Pinoy

    28 Jun 07 at 7:59 pm

  47. god bless ur soul man!

    Rohit

    15 Sep 07 at 12:40 am

  48. Omigod! Finally!

    Finally I come to know what’s wrong! (ok, I still don’t know whats wrong, but at least I know how to correct it now! :) )!!!

    I can’t thank u enoug!

    Soumitra

    16 Dec 07 at 8:07 pm

  49. awsome dude thanks for this i was abt to uninstall this………… thanks da

    vivek

    20 Dec 07 at 12:06 pm

  50. It didn’t work. everytime i open vlc now it says program not responding and closes.

    QuE

    11 Jan 08 at 1:04 pm

  51. Thank you !! :D

    thx

    28 Mar 08 at 4:46 pm

  52. Thanks Heaps.
    Great Help! :)

    Lorenzo

    19 May 08 at 3:46 am

  53. This also works for Windows 7 RC1.
    The default settings in both mediaplayer and VLC is grainy and pixilated when you upscale the video.

    Changing to Open GL sorts it out. Changing to Directx output disabled the desktop bells and whistles (Aero) when running VLC.

    Windows 7 RC1 user

    15 Jul 09 at 8:03 am

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