VLC play stops after several minutes of playing

VLC play stops after several minutes of playing.

We are evaluating VLC to be used in a large deployment of security cameras streaming rtmp video to Wowza and having clients connect via a VLC player. SO far this is the only major issue we found. Latency is one other issue. For Woza to be considered for our deployment we need to resolve these issues. I ruled out network issues in this case and we are evaluating another media server that does not have this issue.

Note that we are running Wowza in Azure

os Windows (Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter)

size Standard D2s v3 (2 vcpus, 8 GiB memory)

VLC settings:

“–file-logging”,

“–logfile=C:\ProgramData\BlueAPI\Samples\VLC.log”,

“–log-verbose=3”,

“–quiet-synchro”,

“–quiet”,

“–rtsp-tcp”,

“–clock-jitter=0”,

“–clock-synchro=0”,

“–no-sout-display-audio”,

“–input-repeat=10”,

“–no-osd”,

“–network-synchronisation”

VLC log

lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Users\mike.vassilopoulos\AppData\Roaming\vlc\lua\meta\reader

lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\BLueAPIMaster\blueapi\VideoLiveWebRTC-GUI\bin\Debug\libvlc\win-x86\lua\meta\reader

lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script C:\BLueAPIMaster\blueapi\VideoLiveWebRTC-GUI\bin\Debug\libvlc\win-x86\lua\meta\reader\filename.luac

main debug: no meta reader modules matched

main debug: `rtsp://52.170.130.247:1935/live/definst/relay/high/0cd3fe4f-3a26-414f-b20a-4d87e83ecea8/49Ix0TMwSLIwszRK0rU0NTDVNUkyNtS1MLc00DVJTDVMNE01NbFMTdJLTsw1MBASWLLpy2GZSLeYRY-KF9yOj7wNAA’ successfully opened

drawable warning: unsupported control query 3

live555 debug: tk->rtpSource->hasBeenSynchronizedUsingRTCP()

main debug: Buffering 0%

main debug: Buffering 2%

main debug: Buffering 5%

main debug: restarting module due to input format change

main debug: removing module “avcodec”

main debug: looking for video decoder module matching “any”: 19 candidates

avcodec debug: using ffmpeg Lavc58.6.103

avcodec debug: CPU flags: 0x0007d3db

avcodec debug: allowing 6 thread(s) for decoding

avcodec debug: codec (h264) started

avcodec debug: using frame thread mode with 6 threads

main debug: using video decoder module “avcodec”

avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 119 (cuda)

avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 53 (dxva2_vld)

avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 118 (d3d11va_vld)

avcodec debug: available hardware decoder output format 174 (d3d11)

avcodec debug: available software decoder output format 0 (yuv420p)

main debug: Buffering 9%

avcodec debug: trying format d3d11va_vld

main debug: trying to reuse free vout

main debug: removing module “freetype”

main debug: looking for text renderer module matching “any”: 3 candidates

freetype debug: Using DWrite backend

freetype debug: DWrite_GetFamily(): family name: Arial

freetype debug: DWrite_ParseFamily(): using font at index 0 with weight 400 for bold: 0, italic: 0

freetype debug: DWrite_ParseFamily(): using font at index 1 with weight 700 for bold: 1, italic: 0

freetype debug: DWrite_ParseFamily(): using font at index 2 with weight 400 for bold: 0, italic: 1

freetype debug: DWrite_ParseFamily(): using font at index 3 with weight 700 for bold: 1, italic: 1

main debug: using text renderer module “freetype”

main debug: reusing provided vout

main debug: looking for hw decoder module matching “any”: 2 candidates

d3d11va debug: different 0 device p vs P

d3d11va debug: different 1 device p vs p

d3d11va warning: failed to read the 2 Display Adapter registry key (2)

d3d11va warning: can’t find adapter in registry

d3d11va debug: Reusing Direct3D11 device

d3d11va debug: CreateDevice succeed

d3d11va debug: - ‘MPEG-2 variable-length decoder’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘MPEG-2 inverse discrete cosine transform’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VC-1 variable-length decoder’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VC-1 variable-length decoder 2 (Intel)’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VC-1 variable-length decoder (Intel)’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Windows Media Video 9 IDCT’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VC-1 inverse discrete cosine transform’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘H.264 variable-length decoder, no film grain technology’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘H.264 stereo high profile, mbs flag set’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘H.264 stereo high profile’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘H.264 multiview high profile’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0xc528916c-0xc0af-0x4645-0x8cb2372b6d4adc2a’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x91cd2d6e-0x897b-0x4fa1-0xb0d751dc88010e0a’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VP8’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x442b942a-0xb4d9-0x4940-0xbc45a882e5f919f3’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x97688186-0x56a8-0x4094-0xb543fc9daaa49f4b’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x1424d4dc-0x7cf5-0x4bb1-0x9cd7b63717a72a6b’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0xc346e8a3-0xcbed-0x4d27-0x87cca70eb4dc8c27’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0xffc79924-0x5eaf-0x4666-0xa73606190f281443’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x2364d06a-0xf67f-0x4186-0xaed062b99e1784f1’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x464bdb3c-0x91c4-0x4e9b-0x896f225496ac4ed6’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x28566328-0xf041-0x4466-0x8b148f5831e78f8b’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x6b4a94db-0x54fe-0x4ae1-0x9be47a7dad004600’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x8c56eb1e-0x2b47-0x466f-0x8d337dbcd63f3df2’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘HEVC Main profile’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x75fc75f7-0xc589-0x4a07-0xa25b72e03b0383b3’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘HEVC Main 10 profile’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x07cfaffb-0x5a2e-0x4b99-0xb62ae4ca53b6d5aa’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VP9 profile 0’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VP9 profile 2’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘VP9 profile Intel’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x80a3a7bd-0x89d8-0x4497-0xa2b82126af7e6eb8’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x8de911c4-0xc898-0x4364-0x97151de6b3fe773d’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x50925b7b-0xe931-0x4978-0xa12a586630f095f9’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0xb69c20e0-0x2508-0x8790-0x0305875499e0a2d0’ is supported

d3d11va debug: - ‘Unknown decoder 0x49761bec-0x4b63-0x4349-0xa5ff87ffdf088466’ is supported

d3d11va debug: Trying to use ‘H.264 variable-length decoder, no film grain technology’ as input

d3d11va debug: NV12 output is supported for decoder H.264 variable-length decoder, no film grain technology.

d3d11va debug: Using output format NV12 for decoder H.264 variable-length decoder, no film grain technology

d3d11va debug: va_pool_SetupDecoder id 27 1280x720 count: 24

d3d11va debug: using external surface pool

d3d11va debug: ID3D11VideoDecoderOutputView succeed with 24 surfaces (1280x720)

d3d11va debug: we got 9 decoder configurations

d3d11va debug: configuration[0] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[1] ConfigBitstreamRaw 1

d3d11va debug: configuration[2] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[3] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[4] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[5] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[6] ConfigBitstreamRaw 2

d3d11va debug: configuration[7] ConfigBitstreamRaw 1

d3d11va debug: configuration[8] ConfigBitstreamRaw 1

d3d11va debug: DxCreateDecoderSurfaces succeed

main debug: using hw decoder module “d3d11va”

avcodec: Using D3D11VA (Intel® UHD Graphics 630, vendor 8086(Intel), device 3e9b, revision 0) for hardware decoding

main debug: Buffering 46%

main debug: Buffering 54%

main debug: Buffering 62%

main debug: Buffering 70%

main debug: Received first picture

main debug: Buffering 78%

main debug: Buffering 86%

main debug: Buffering 94%

main debug: Stream buffering done (1027 ms in 866 ms)

main debug: Decoder wait done in 0 ms

main debug: auto hiding mouse cursor

drawable warning: unsupported control query 3

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 102883 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 102802 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 102722 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 102642 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 102561 ms)

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec warning: More than 11 late frames, dropping frame

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

avcodec error: more than 5 seconds of late video -> dropping frame (computer too slow ?)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 103194 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 108338 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 108258 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 108178 ms)

main warning: picture is too late to be displayed (missing 108257 ms)

Hi @michael Vassilopoulos, this may be caused by a relatively high bitrate compared to the bandwidth either from the camera to the server or from the server to VLC. It may also be caused by high CPU utilization on the server, eg. if you’re using transcoding. Last but not least, RTSP isn’t the most stable transport, and packet drops happen, especially on unstable networks.

In either case you should be able to see errors and/or warnings in the Wowza logs (which you can obtain via the Streaming Engine Manager panel, or directly on the server console in the /logs subfolder)

I assume you have tested if you can play other streams with VLC? Because it may also be a capacity problem on your machine, e.g. you could try to enable or disable hw acceleration.

This will likely require a support ticket to troubleshoot properly so our support team and SEs can take a look.

What version of Wowza Streaming Engine are you running? Are you using an Engine trial license?