1 Frequentely Asked Questions for VideoLAN Client
2 $Id: FAQ,v 1.4 2001/11/27 13:06:23 massiot Exp $
6 1.1 How do I read a DVD ?
7 -----------------------
8 Just launch vlc and use the "open disc" command from the graphical
9 interface. In case of trouble, you may want to use the command line
13 1.2 How do I read an encrypted DVD ?
14 ----------------------------------
15 It's exactly the same as for a normal DVD. You will need write access to
16 /dev/dvd, because of the key negociation process.
18 1.3 How do I switch to full screen display ?
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20 Press 'f' to toggle fullscreen mode. Note that not all video output
21 devices support full screen.
23 1.4 How do I hide the mouse cursor ?
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25 It should disappear after a few seconds if you stop moving the mouse.
27 1.5 How do I use vlc if I don't want to install Gnome and all this
28 #@!£% *$@&§% !@# bloat ?
29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
31 vlc -I dummy myfile.mpg
32 Most commands are available from the command line, see vlc --help for
35 1.6 VLC eats my buffer cache, how to I use raw device ?
36 -----------------------------------------------------
37 If you don't know what is a raw device, don't even read this answer :-).
38 There is an experimental support for raw devices in libdvdcss. It needs
39 that you set up a raw device pointing to your DVD device (under Linux,
40 use the "raw" utility). Then pass the raw device as second argument, for
42 vlc dvd:/dev/dvd@/dev/raw0
44 1.7 How do I use VLC as a client for VLS/VLMS streaming ?
45 -------------------------------------------------------
46 First you must set up a VLS or VLMS stream. Please refer to the
47 documentation of these programs. Then start VLC :
49 You shouldn't need any option. If you're paranoid and want to control
50 everything, here is the exact syntax :
51 vlc udpstream:[<server>[:<server port>]][@[<bind address>][:<bind port>]]
56 2.1 When I start vlc, I don't have any interface coming...
57 -------------------------------------------------------
58 If you installed a binary package, make sure you also installed an
59 interface package such as vlc-gtk or vlc-qt. If you installed from
60 source, make sure the development package for gtk or qt is correctly
61 installed (often gtk-dev or gtk-devel) and recompile.
63 2.2 Clicking on "disc" in the interface doesn't do anything
64 -----------------------------------------------------------
65 Wait a few seconds. Key cracking can take much time on some discs. If it
66 still doesn't work, you can have a more verbose output using "vlc -vvvvv".
67 Here are a few things to check for :
68 * Did you install the libdvdcss package ?
69 * Do you have write access to your DVD device ? For instance :
71 * Does your kernel log contain line about your DVD device ?
72 * Do you have a link from /dev/dvd to your real DVD device ? For instance
75 2.3 Running vlc pussycat.mpg doesn't do anything...
76 ------------------------------------------------
77 Probably your MPEG-1 file doesn't have any system layer. This is common
78 for MPEG-1 streams without any audio track. Currently VLC doesn't
79 automatically detect this format, so you have to manually select it :
80 vlc --input es pussycat.mpg
82 2.4 The video runs but the picture is distorted...
83 -----------------------------------------------
84 There is probably a problem with the output layer. There are several
85 ways of troubleshooting it. First, try with another output plug-in, for
89 Second, try with an unoptimized YUV transform :
91 Third, change your screen depth and/or definition. It quite often helps.
92 Lastly, have a look at your XFree86 video driver (nVidia for instance
93 releases optimized drivers for its boards).
95 2.5 Video is choppy...
97 Your system is too slow to decode all pictures. It might be that your
98 CPU basically isn't fast enough. It can also be that the subsystem is
99 misconfigured/misdriven. Here are some elements to improve speed :
100 * Turn on DMA on your DVD device, for instance :
101 hdparm -X34 -d1 /dev/dvd
102 * Upgrade to the latest XFree86 version and the latest driver for your
103 video board ; check that the xvideo plug-in is effectively used with
105 * Kill other applications running...
107 2.6 Audio is choppy...
109 This is not normal ; it is a known problem and is being investigated.
111 2.7 Audio and video are out of sync
112 -----------------------------------
113 This is not normal. Try using another output plug-in (for instance -A dsp),
114 kill esd or artsd if they are running... This is a known problem and
115 is being investigated.
117 2.8 On some DVDs the subtitles are unreadable
118 ---------------------------------------------
119 This is a known bug and is being investigated.
121 2.9 Sound volume is too low
122 ----------------------------
123 You can raise it with --volume command-line switch.
126 3. Ports and features
130 3.1.1 Does VLC support the ATI DVD hardware acceleration cards ?
131 --------------------------------------------------------------
132 Currently it doesn't. We'd be glad to support them, but we lack technical
137 3.2.2 When moving the focus to another window, VLC network input stops
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140 This is a known problem with Win 95-class systems. Upgrade to an NT-class