The VLC Media Player is a free open source multi media player that can play the most popular formats for audio, video and various streaming protocols. In my experience, it can also play many of the more obscure formats that the other players can’t handle. The VLC media player can also be used as a multi media server to stream multi media in both IPv4 and IPv6 high bandwidth networks.

VLC can let you setup your own live broadcast. Until recently, VLC was the only media player that could play downloaded YouTube, Meta Café and Google videos. Some of the more common problems users experience using VLC are discussed below.

Synchronization Problem

I don’t think there is anything more frustrating than spending several hours ripping a DVD or downloading a movie and then not be able to play it because the audio and video are not synching up properly. One way to fix this is to change the configuration of the advanced audio preferences in VLC by performing the following steps:

• Open the VLC media player and select Preferences as shown below (the screen shots were made using version 0.8.6d that has the wxWidgets interface. Your player may look different depending on which version you have but all of the essential functions should be available.

• Select Audio and make sure the Advanced Options is checked as shown below. After you check the advanced options check box, the screen will look like the picture below.

 

• Configure the settings as shown above.
• Click on Save

The Audio desynchronization compensation setting allows you to adjust the time delay between the audio and video tracks in milliseconds in both the positive and negative direction. You can play with this setting moving one step at a time until you get the sound and video in synch. Of course, you will have to stop and restart the movie each time you make an adjustment but I think that is a lot better than trying to watch an out of sync movie. Until I started using VLC, I just deleted out of sync movies since the other players did not provide a method to correct the problem.

No Video When Using VLC on Vista

One very common problem is experienced with Vista. You get sound but no picture. This was also a problem on XP but the solutions on the two operating systems are different. I will only discuss the way to fix Vista. You have to reconfigure the video rendering engine. Use the following steps to correct the problem:

• Open the VLC media player.
• Click on Settings and select Preferences as shown in the first example above
• Expand Video and click on Output modules
• Make sure the Advanced options in the lower right corner is checked
• Using the drop down arrow as shown below, set the Video output module to DirectX, OpenGL or Windows GDI.
• Click on Save

I find that OpenGL works on more files that the other choices, but all of them work most of the time.

Poor Audio Quality when using the Capture Feature

VLC has the ability to capture multi media from files, DVDs with menus, DVDs, VCDs, audio CDs. I can also capture live broadcasts from the internet using UDP/RTP unicast /multicast, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, MMS and RSTP protocols. It has the ability to allow time shifting and to capture television programs.

Fixing the problem depends on the source the capture. One of the biggest problem is finding the correct protocols for internet broadcasts. Sometimes the website will provide that information. Other times you have to experiment with the settings. Use the following steps to configure the stream input:

• Open the VLC media player.
• Click on File and select Capture Output Device as shown below

 

• The screen below will appear. Open the Direct Show tab

 

• Click on Advanced options and the screen below will open

You can adjust the audio and video input and output pin to get the best sound and video quality from the incoming signal. There are several sources that provide the technical specifications on what the proper settings should be that are available online. However, if reading a lot of technical material is not your thing, you can experiment with short captures until you find the right combination.