How to fix choppy sound replay with VLC

I've got a problem with vlc playing some file formats, for example mkv or m2ts (I didn't notice this problem with avi though). The sound plays ok, than dissappears for a second or two, than re-appears. It occurs around once every 10 seconds. This is really annoying and prevents me from using VLC for those files, which, by the way, play completely ok in Media Player.

Here's what I already tried to do about it:

Change VLC sound output method
Re-install k-lite codec pack
Re-install/upgrade VLC

My configuration is:

Soundcard: Asus Xonar Essence
Operating system: Windows 7
Codecs: K-Lite

What else could I try to fix this issue?

Arsen Zahray

Posted 2013-09-29T16:29:46.540

Reputation: 419

What do you mean with "Change VLC sound output method"? Have you changed the output modules? – Christian – 2013-09-29T16:37:48.837

@Chris yes. I've tried several, and the problem persists in all of them – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T16:40:26.357

1How are you playing the files? locally? from a media server? m2ts are bluray so the files can be HUGE, maybe your computer/network can not handle the thru-put. The same with the mkv files, which can be small or bluray quality (>20GB). Every 10 secs.... sounds like its trying to catch up and can not. – Logman – 2013-09-29T16:43:45.763

I'm playing the files from a local wd caviar black hard drive, although it is being used at the moment of playback by other software. However, the issue is reproduceable with VLC with me, and doesn't occur with Media Player – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T16:50:05.090

open up Resource Monitor (RUN > Resmon.exe) and watch the hdd/cpu/mem... pretty sure your hd can not keep up...esp if the hd is getting hit by other applications at the same time – Logman – 2013-09-29T16:57:02.823

vlc's r/w is at around 3-4 mb/s, while disc capacity is at around 50 mb/s. Granted, I see some usages by svhost of up to 100mbs, but those peaks are rare and are probably from my main system drive. I don't think it's the hard drive being chucked – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T17:05:49.130

just to be sure I copyed the video to my system drive, which is at 500 mbps, and the problem is still there – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T17:23:14.490

Answers

in VLC... Tools – Preferences - Select Input & Codecs option ... Look for "Skip the loop filter for H.264 decoding " or “Skip H.264 in-loop deblocking filter” and select ALL from the drop down list.

Save the preference and play the video.

Logman

Posted 2013-09-29T16:29:46.540

Reputation: 3 452

This worked to clear my "sound stops minutes into video, resumes later" problem that I started seeing after upgrading to 14.04 LTS. – Andrew Beals – 2014-08-26T19:53:02.480

2Tools-Prefs-Audio-Modules-WaveOut worked for me. – karmington – 2014-12-22T16:28:51.427

1No change here in 2018. – jtheletter – 2018-04-13T05:34:34.623

2doesn't work, the problem persists. Also tried GPU acceleration on and off ( – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T17:09:11.160

3on the other hand, I got the gaps to be shorter by changing default caching policy to "lowest latency". Got them to be really long when I changed to "highest latency" – Arsen Zahray – 2013-09-29T17:16:59.680

Open VLC Tools->Preferences->Audio->Output->Output Module

Select a different output module, then Save

Repeat until the problem goes away.

Phil Goetz

Posted 2013-09-29T16:29:46.540

Reputation: 151

I've continued to have problems with VLC audio cutting out. Recently I discovered the problem goes away if I close all, or nearly all, my Chrome web browser tabs. This is puzzling; resource utilization doesn't seem to be the issue, as going from 30 to 5 open Chrome tabs had little effect on resources other than memory, and no effect on VLC's behavior, while going from 5 to 3 tabs eliminates the problem entirely--regardless of which 3 tabs I leave open.

I can still watch VLC videos if I use Firefox instead.

I'm using Windows 7 64-bit and Chrome Version 58.0.3029.110 (64-bit).

Phil Goetz

Posted 2013-09-29T16:29:46.540

Reputation: 151

you rare RIGHT! Nothing I did would stop VLC from shuttering at exactly every 30 seconds of the videos. Closing chrome solved it. (I only had 3 tabs open! On a 8GB RAM machine....) – yurividal – 2019-06-25T07:21:29.447

If the answer is to listen to the video, rather that resolve the VLC problem, I have a couple of workarounds; essentially, open it in something else. I have some .ts files recorded with a (perfectly good) Hauppage USB stick tuner using NextPVR, with a poor antenna connection. The picture breaks up occasionally (whatever the viewer). but in VLC 3.0.8 the sound cuts out intermittently. I think it's been said that the sound is OK in Firefox (on a PC?); I confirm this, but add that it's fine when opening the file in Kodi on an Android phone (I make a network connection, without copying the file, and open it by clicking on it in Total Commander for Android with LAN plugin, and selecting Kodi). No need for Kodi unapproved addons.

From this and other comments, this looks like something for the VLC developers to look into.

pol098

Posted 2013-09-29T16:29:46.540

Reputation: 31