Summary :
Question: Q: VLC is not working on my mac, any one can help me fix this? I have OSX Yosemite Version 10.10.5, and Trying to play Movies in different format, usually. VLC media player stops working in between; Other playback issues can also be a symptom of a corrupt application. Causes of VLC Player not working. VLC Player might not be installed correctly on your system; You could be trying to load a corrupt or unsupported file. The VLC Player could have been corrupted as well. MPC-HC does have a solution to OP's problem. It's under 'Video Frame-Touch Window From Outside'. The default in both VLC and MPC-HC using this terminology is 'Touch Window From Inside' when auto-zooming. I have been wishing for this ability in VLC for many years, but it is not currently possible to solve this.
Sometimes, you may need VLC alternatives because of the annoying 'Rebuilding Font Cache' thing or others. This post lists different VLC alternatives for Windows/Mac. Choose the best VLC alternative 2019 depends on your actual situation.
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Have you ever used VLC media player? This post is going to show you some excellent VLC alternatives for Windows/Linux/Mac. You can find a suitable VLC alternative 2019 to play video and audio files.
VLC is a free, open-source, portable, and cross-platform media player and streaming media server developed by the VideoLAN project. It is able to play incomplete, unfinished or damaged video, but it will drive you crazy sometimes.
For example, here is a true story.
I have been using VLC media player for a while and was pleased with it. Then I get a notice about an update, which I did. Now all I get is green lines over the movie. I have tried everything to solve the problem, installing the backup, uninstall and install, with no success. Everything worked great until this update. Does anybody have a solution to this? It is driving me crazy. Please help. Thank you.
In general, a VLC alternative can solve this problem easily. The below are some common problems you might encounter when using the VLC media player.
4 Reasons Why You Need a VLC Alternative
1. VLC is unable to play broken files.
Generally, VLC media player can play unfinished or damaged video. But, sometimes, it cannot play video file and tells you that the file is damaged. Actually, this file is just being downloaded.
2. VLC doesn’t support a few codes and file types.
VLC supports a lot of video and audio codes and formats, but it requires codec settings for a few formats. For many common people, it is a difficult job.
3. VLC crashes without warning.
Sometimes, VLC media player suddenly crashes when you watch some normal files, try to insert subtitle or make it full screen.
4. VLC media player will damage the speakers!
If you are using VLC media player and keep the volume loud for a long time, your speakers could be damaged. Sadly, some manufacturers like Dell say replacing the speakers will not be covered by the hardware warranty. Therefore, please keep the volume down while using VLC.
Now, it is time to look for VLC alternatives to play your video or audio files. No matter you have come across these problems or not, it is a good idea to prepare a suitable alternative to VLC.
You will find many people are searching for VLC alternatives on the Internet. Here, we list different alternatives to VLC media player for Windows/Mac/Linux. Read on and find out which one suits you best.
Part 1. VLC Alternatives 2019 for Windows
VLC is a free video editing software, you might need to look for a VLC alternative because of the unfriendly UI, “Rebuilding Font Cache” thing and other problems. Now, try the following alternatives to VLC media player for Windows.
No 1. Windows Movie Maker
There is no doubt that many people have probably heard of Windows Movie Maker, a video editing tool developed by Microsoft. It not only allows you to watch video, but also lets you edit this video simply, for instance, add text to video.
Related article: How to Add Text to Video in Windows Movie Maker (Step-by-Step Guide).
Now, some users might want to know where to get this tool since it was officially discontinued on January 10, 2017. Fortunately, you can get this Microsoft video editing tool by clicking the following button.
Cons
- It supports playing videos as well as pictures.
- It can edit your videos simply.
- It is able to share your videos on YouTube, Facebook, etc.
Related article: How to Use Movie Maker | Step-by-step Guide for Beginners.
Pros
- Microsoft does not support it now.
- It cannot play music alone.
No 2. 5KPlayer
5KPlayer is a mixture of free (MKV) HD video player and music player. This real media player is compatible with Windows as well as Mac OS X. If your VLC crashes suddenly, you can try this alternative.
Pros
- It supports a lot of video formats, including MKV, M2TS, MPEG1/2, WMV/ASF, AVI, MOV, RM, OGV, FLV, MP4, H.264, M4V, WEBM.
- It can play 4K UHD videos without any glitches.
- It is able to play 1080p or 1080i high-definition videos under 10% CPU cost.
- It can play MP3 AAC APE FLAC music perfectly to activate your senses.
- It can download online videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc.
Cons
This alternative to VLC media player for Windows might be confusing for beginners.
No 3. Windows Media Player
Windows media player is another VLC alternative. It allows you to play video and audio files. Besides, it allows previewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices.
Pros
- It provides a less cluttered user interface.
- It offers a better music library.
- It supports network sharing.
- It can access to online music services.
Cons
- It cannot handle 4K, 3D and 360-degree video.
- It doesn’t support for VR headsets.
No 4. Photos App
If you are running Windows 10, you have another great VLC alternative 2019 – Photo app. This Windows 10 hidden media player not only can play video but also can play images. Besides, it can help to trim video.
Related Article: How to Cut Video Easily and Quickly (The Definitive Guide).
Pros
- It can play videos quickly.
- It has a simple, touch-friendly interface.
- It also supports browsing photo, and is able to create albums automatically.
- It has cool video editing effects.
Cons
![Not Not](https://www.fonelab.com/images/screen-recorder/click-media-vlc.jpg)
- It cannot tag faces.
- It doesn’t support panorama stitching and selective focus.
No 5. KMPlayer
KM player can play video as well as audio in Windows. This alternative to VLC supports almost any format that Windows can play including AVI, ASF, WMV, AVS, FLV, MKV, and many more. With the VLC alternative, you can slow down or increase playback speed, select parts of a video as favorites.
Pros
- It supports many audio and video formats.
- It supports 3D and VR and setting related to that.
- It has extensive subtitle management.
- It can capture audio and video.
Cons
Advertisement (There are no hidden or misleading clauses while installing, but we will be asked whether we want to install Avast Antivirus after installing.)
After learning these different VLC alternatives for Windows, you can take a look of the below wonderful video tool.
No 6. MiniTool Movie Maker
MiniTool Movie Maker, free and simple video tool, lets you review videos, and pictures. Besides, it also lets you create videos and slideshow easily and quickly. For instance, I usually use this simple and free tool to create Facebook Slideshow.
Pros
- It supports a lot of video format including WMV, MP4, AVI, MOV, F4V, MKV, GIF, MP3, and so on.
- It offers wizard-like interfaces. This tool can help you create a movie without requiring professional knowledge and skill.
- It offers movie as well as trailer templates. You are able to easily create cool movies or Hollywood-style movie trailers.
- It allows you to make video with pictures easily and quickly.
- It offers some filters to help you change the color, style, or tone in minutes.
- It offers plenty of useful transition effects to make the presentation, slideshow or movie good looking and impressive.
- It not only can split large video into small parts but also can trim video to remove the unwanted frames from the start or end of a clip. More details can be found in How to Trim Video Easily (Step-by-Step Guide with Pictures).
Cons
It only supports Windows OSs, now.
Part 2. VLC Alternative Mac
Mac users can try the following alternatives when the VLC media player isn’t working.
No 1. QuickTime Player
QuickTime player, the best VLC alternative Mac, is the most familiar media players for Mac users. As the default movie player as Mac, QuickTime player is capable of supporting various formats of videos, music, images, and other media files.
- QuickTime player enables you to set playback from 1/2x to 3x the normal speed.
- This alternative to VLC is capable of watching videos from hard drive and internet.
- This VLC alternative Mac allows you to screen recording your Mac, edit movies and extract audio from a video. However, you need to purchase the QuickTime Pro license key to unlock the recording, editing and extracting features.
No 2. MPlayerX Media Player
MPlayerX, a free and open source media player, is another VLC alternative.
- It can handle any media format in the world without extra plug-ins or codec packages as it is armed by FFmpeg and MPlayer.
- It provides you the easiest way to control the playback as it will follow your gestures.
- It can automatically and seamlessly detect and convert the encoding method of the subtitle file.
No 3. Movist
Movist, a free, simple yet powerful player for Mac, supports QuickTime, FFmpeg as well as subtitles.
- It is easy to use.
- It owns a beautiful and convenient user interface.
- It is available to adjust aspect ratios and configure keyboard shortcuts.
Unfortunately, this VLC alternative Mac doesn't support Apple remote.
Part 3. VLC Alternative Linux
Let’s start with a true example from my best friend.
I've used VLC in Linux for years. But lately, it's been choking and dying for no discernible reasons and attempts to troubleshoot have failed. Are there any other comparable alternatives for media players out there at the moment?
Now, my friend can try the following VLC alternative Linux.
No 1. Bomi Player
The best VLC alternative Linux, Bomi player (known as CM Player), works well on Linux and provides GUI features.
- This easy-to-use VLC alternative Linux provides some powerful features which you will find in the context menu.
- It supports audio file and subtitle at all.
- It allows browsing your old playlist because it generally saves all your playback record.
No 2. SMPlayer
SMPlayer supports for all the default formats as like as other media players.
- This VLC alternative Linux allows you to play YouTube video directly from this player because of its built-in codec.
- This VLC alternative 2019 loads the subtitle of a movie from the internet. And, it saves your all settings when you play video.
- This alternative to VLC is fully resume supported video player.
Your Choice
The above video editing tools are good alternatives to VLC media player. You can choose a suitable one to play your videos.
Which VLC alternatives do you like to choose? Let us know by leaving comments.
Should you have any other good suggestions about VLC alternatives, please share them with us. Thanks in advance!
VLC Alternatives FAQ
VLC is a free, open-source, portable, and cross-platform media player that can play incomplete, unfinished or damaged video.
QuickTime Player is bundled into the macOS, thus it becomes the default option for a lot of users. However, VLC is often the best option since it supports a massive number of both audio and video file formats, and it is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
![My vlc player is not working My vlc player is not working](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWMTl-m9WOs/VReyQHJPkwI/AAAAAAAAK-8/SLji2zwfGSQ/s1600/015.png)
- PotPlayer
- KMPlayer
- Media Player Classic – Home Cinema
- ACG Player
- GOM Media Player
- DivX Player
- Kodi
- Plex
- 5KPlayer
- MediaMonkey
- VLC Player
- PotPlayer
- Media Player Classic – Home Cinema
Oct 28, 2020 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions
Q: How do I fix VLC from crashing?
'Whenever I try to load a video, the VLC player freezes and doesn't respond. I have restarted my Windows computer a few times, but VLC keeps crashing. Can someone tell me how to do VLC repair?'
'Whenever I try to load a video, the VLC player freezes and doesn't respond. I have restarted my Windows computer a few times, but VLC keeps crashing. Can someone tell me how to do VLC repair?'
When we talk about a universal cross-platform media player, VLC is the first option that comes to our mind. Although VLC is quite a reliable video and audio player, there are times when users encounter numerous issues with it. For instance, getting the VLC grey screen or the VLC player not working are some of these commonly faced issues. To help you fix these VLC player problems, I have come up with this detailed guide. Read on and learn how to do VLC repair on Mac or Windows like a pro!
Part 1: Why won't VLC Play my Video?
Before we discuss how to fix VLC Player, not working solutions, it is important to understand the situation. For instance, you should know the symptoms of VLC lagging and the common VLC player problems that users encounter.
Symptoms of VLC crashing
- VLC media player not loading after several attempts
- The media player is not able to load a video.
- Grey, blue, black, or white screen instead of the video
- Getting different logical errors and prompts on the screen
- VLC media player stops working in between
- Other playback issues can also be a symptom of a corrupt application.
My Vlc Player Is Not Working
Causes of VLC Player not working
- VLC Player might not be installed correctly on your system
- You could be trying to load a corrupt or unsupported file.
- The VLC Player could have been corrupted as well.
- Your system might not have enough free space to run an HD video.
- The drivers installed on your computer might be corrupt or outdated.
- There could be an issue with VLC's coding, output scheme, or any other playback setting.
- Your system's firmware or any other security app/setting could be blocking VLC's component.
- The video can have picture/sound issues, lack of sync, missing fragments, dropped frames, corrupt header, etc.
Part 2: How to Fix VLC Crashing on Windows
If you are running the VLC Media Player on your Windows system, then you might encounter crashing, lagging, or stuttering issues with it. In this case, I would recommend the following solutions to fix VLC crashing or lagging problems.
Fix 1: Reinstall VLC Media Player
This is the easiest solution in the book that can fix VLC crashing issues pretty easily. For instance, if the VLC Media Player itself is corrupted, then you can uninstall it and later install it back on your Windows. To uninstall VLC, just go to Control Panel > Programs to see a list of all the installed apps. Select VLC from here and click on the 'Uninstall' button to launch the wizard to uninstall the application.
Afterward, restart the computer and go to the official website of VLC again to install it on your Windows PC.
Fix 2: Change the Hardware Acceleration Decoding
Hardware acceleration is a vital component in media players that distributes its load to the GPU. Sometimes, a change in the hardware acceleration decoding can also cause VLC player lagging problems. To fix this, you can go to VLC Player's Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs > Hardware-accelerated decoding. From here, you select the DirectX Video Acceleration feature or just disable the option altogether.
Fix 3: Turn off Windows Firewall
As stated above, an anti-virus tool or Windows firewall can also cause issues like VLC stuttering or lagging since it can block any important component. If you use a third-party security application, then you can just disable it as of now. In case if you rely on Windows Defender or its native firewall, then just go to its Settings > Windows Defender and simply disable it.
Part 3: How to Fix VLC Crashing on Mac
Just like Windows, you might encounter various VLC Player problems on your Mac as well. While you can also implement some of the above-listed solutions (like reinstalling VLC) on your Mac, here are a few other methods you can try.
Fix 1: Force Quit VLC Media Player
If your VLC video freezes in between or is not responding, then you can just forcefully quit the application from running in the background. To do that, you can go to Finder and click on the 'Force Quit Applications' feature. Alternatively, you can press the Command + Option + Esc keys at the same time. As the Force Quit window will open, select your VLC player and close it from running in the background.
Fix 2: Install a VLC Codec Pack
It has been noticed that Mac is often not compatible with a lot of video formats or codec schemes. Due to this, you might encounter the VLC Media Player crashing on Mac while playing an unsupported file. To fix this, you can just install a VLC codec pack on your Mac that would extend its compatibility for your videos.
Fix 3: Update your VLC Player
Lastly, if you are running an old or outdated version of the VLC player on your system, then it might cause VLC lagging or stuttering problems. To quickly fix this, you can just go to its Menu > Help > Check for Updates. This will automatically make the application check for the latest stable update for your Mac, and you can install it subsequently.
Part 4: How to Repair the Not Playing Videos Error on VLC Player
If your video is not getting played on VLC Media Player, then the chances are that the video itself could be corrupt as well. In this case, you can use a professional video repairing application like Wondershare Video Repair. A user-friendly DIY application, it can fix all sorts of errors and problems with the video you are trying to play on VLC. You can just install Wondershare Video Repair on your computer, add the corrupt video, and fix it pretty easily.
- With the help of Wondershare Video Repair, you can fix issues like lags in videos, truncated videos, dropped frames, audio/video syncing, corrupt header, and various other problems.
- The DIY tool is extremely easy to use and can repair multiple videos at the same time.
- It features two different modes – quick and advanced that users can choose as per their requirements.
- There is a provision to preview videos and select a location to save the repaired file.
- It is fully compatible with all the major video formats like FLV, AVI, MPEG, MP4, 3GP, etc.
Here's how you can fix various VLC Player problems by repairing a corrupt video using Wondershare Video Repair:
Step 1: Load the corrupt videos
Whenever you wish to fix the VLC Player lagging problem due to a corrupt video, just launch the Wondershare Video Repair application. Now, click on the Add button to load a browser window and locate the corrupt videos. You can also just drag and drop your corrupt files to Recoverit's interface.
Step 2: Perform a Quick Video Repair
Once the videos are added, the application will display the details of the file. Just click on the 'Repair' button to commence the quick video repair operation.
After waiting for a while, you will be notified when the repairing process is completed. You can now preview your videos and save them to any location.
Step 3: Perform an Advanced Video Repair
If your corrupt videos are still not repaired in the right way, then you can click on the 'Advanced Video Repair' button to perform a more sophisticated repairing algorithm.
To proceed, you have to add a sample video to the application. A sample video should be a working video of the same format, shot on the same device as the corrupt video.
Step 4: Save your repaired videos
In the end, when the video repairing operation is completed, you will be notified. You can now preview the results and check if the video has been repaired successfully. Click on the 'Save' button to launch a browser window so that you can locate any folder to save your repaired videos.
Part 5: Other VLC Player Problems and Fixes
Apart from the discussed problems like VLC Player not working or a corrupt video, there can be several other issues as well. The following are the three main VLC Player problems that users face with their smart solutions.
Issue 1: VLC Lagging
Too many times, while loading a video, the VLC Media Player keeps lagging. This can happen if the video is of high-definition or too heavy to load by the media player. The lack of video cache or free space on your system can also be a reason for VLC lagging.
Fix 1: Change the File Cache Value
Just like every other major media player, VLC also maintains a cache of the file it is running. If the file is pretty heavy, then you can consider increasing the file cache value to fix VLC lagging. For this, go to its Tools > Preferences > Advanced Preferences > Input/Codecs settings and increase File Cache to around 700-1000ms. Hash generator pro 1 0 – easy hash generator excel. You can also improve the value of network caching as well.
Fix 2: Change the FFmpeg thread value.
If too many threads are running in the background by VLC, then they can make the app lagging or cause a deadlock. To fix the VLC Player lagging problem, you can just restrict the number of threads to two. Go to its Tools > Preferences > Advanced Preferences > Input/Codecs > Video Codes > FFmpeg and change the number of 'Threads' to 2.
Issue 2: VLC Stuttering
Sometimes, while playing a video, VLC Player might start stuttering as well. Ideally, you can just close the application and load the video again. If VLC keeps stuttering, then it means there can be an issue with its settings that you can fix in the following way.
Fix 1: Change the Video Profile
The chances are that the present profile of the video might not be supported by the VLC Media Player. In this case, you can take the assistance of the native feature of VLC to change its profile. Just load the video and go to VLC Media Player's Menu > Media > Convert/Save. From here, you can change the video profile to a compatible format (like MP4) and save the video to the desired destination.
Fix 2: Disable Hardware Acceleration Decoding
I have already explained earlier how hardware acceleration decoding can affect video playback and cause VLC stuttering issues. Therefore, you can go to its Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs section and simply disable the hardware acceleration decoding feature from here. Afterward, try to load the video again and check if VLC is crashing or not.
Issue 3: VLC Green Screen
While playing a video on VLC Player, you might get a green screen instead. An issue like VLC grey or green screen happens when there is a problem with its output coding, or the video is missing some frames.
Fix 1: Change the Output Scheme
To provide a better viewing experience, VLC provides different output modules that we can switch as per our requirements. Though, a change in its output module can also be a reason for the VLC grey/green screen. You can fix it by visiting its Tools > Preferences > Advances Preferences > Video > Output Modules. You can switch between different modules here or just select a more compatible format like Direct3D or OpenGL to resolve this.
Fix 2: Drop late or corrupt frames.
If a video frame has been corrupted, then you might get the VLC green/grey screen instead. This is because VLC would not be able to play the respective frame and will display a green screen instead. To fix this, you can just choose to drop the missing or corrupt frames instead by visiting its Tools > Preferences > Advances Preferences > Video option. From here, just enable the feature to drop late frames and skip corrupt frames.
Part 6: How to Prevent VLC & Video Crashing
Now when you know how to do VLC repair, let's quickly discuss some tips to avoid these VLC Player problems in advance.
Prevent VLC Crashing Issues
- Try not to open too many videos and threads at the same time on VLC.
- If the video is not compatible with VLC, then consider converting it or playing it with another media player.
- Do not open too many applications and processes in the background while running the VLC Player.
- Keep the VLC Media Player updated with all the latest and essential features.
- Only install VLC Player from a genuine source (like its official website).
- Try not to change the crucial settings in VLC like its output modules, file caching, codec scheme, etc.
Prevent Video Corruption Problems
- Do not close a media player abruptly when the video is still playing.
- Try not to restart or power off your computer when the video is still playing or processing in the background.
- Avoid forcefully converting a video by changing its extension or using an unreliable online tool.
- Do not download videos from public networks or from sources you do not trust.
- Avoid playing videos on unreliable media players or using too many video editors at once.
- Never tamper with the header or meta component of the video file.
Chrome Sound Not Working Mac
This brings us to the end of this extensive guide on fixing issues like VLC crashing, lagging, or shuttering. As you can see, I have covered several solutions for the VLC Player, not working problem. You can simply try either of these options or use a reliable tool like Wondershare Video Repair if your video is damaged. By following a simple click-through process, it will help you fix all the major problems with a video file easily.
The drone is quite popular these days. Do you know how to fix corrupted DJI videos after the Drone was crashed?
People Also Ask
Does VLC use GPU?
Yes, just like other media players and browsers, VLC also uses GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to delegate its load. Though, in VLC Player, it is represented by 'Hardware Acceleration Decoding,' which you can access from its Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs settings.
Does VLC support H 265?
Yes, VLC Media Player supports H 265, which is a High-Efficiency Video Coding technique. The latest version of VLC has extended its support to 4K H 265 videos with up to 60 frames per second playback. Though, you should be running VLC Media Player 2.1 or a later version to access this feature.
How do I update my VLC player?
To update your VLC Media Player, just launch the application and go to its Help > Check for Updates. This will let you know about the latest update of the VLC Player, and you can follow a simple wizard to update the application.
Does VLC work on Windows 10?
Yes, VLC is fully compatible with all the major updates of Windows 10. It also supports other Windows versions like Windows 8, 7, Vista, and more. Apart from Windows, you can also run VLC on macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS versions.
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