VLC Media Player Not Playing MP4 Videos - Black Screen?

Hi,

I tried playing an MP4 video in VLC media player but they don’t work?
Just get audio playing with a black screen.
How can I fix this?
Thanks!

Jesse

Is there something to fix?
Do other mp4 videos play in vlc?
Does this one play in a different player?
mpv for example?
Is there console output (errors, warnings …) when vlc is started via command line (terminal)?

I get a black screen with audio playing when opening a MP4 video with VLC

vlc LF-Steam-Video.mp4                                                    ✔ 
VLC media player 3.0.17.4 Vetinari (revision 3.0.13-8-g41878ff4f2)
[0000555a7fe3c580] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
[00007fd868007d60] gl gl: Initialized libplacebo v4.192.1 (API v192)
[00007fd868007d60] glconv_vaapi_x11 gl error: vaCreateSurfaces: attribute not supported
[00007fd86c05e4a0] main video output error: video output creation failed
[00007fd87cc1fc30] main decoder error: failed to create video output
[00007fd86809fea0] gl gl: Initialized libplacebo v4.192.1 (API v192)
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86877eef0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873b340] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873bbc0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873bbc0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873b340] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873b340] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873bbc0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86873bbc0] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86873afb0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8687b6b30] chain filter error: Too high level of recursion (3)
[00007fd86877eef0] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd8683acc10] main filter error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86801fcf0] main vout display error: Failed to create video converter
[00007fd86801fcf0] main vout display error: Failed to adapt decoder format to display
[00007fd86c0a4110] main video output error: video output creation failed
[00007fd87cc1fc30] main decoder error: failed to create video output
[00007fd86809e490] gl gl: Initialized libplacebo v4.192.1 (API v192)
uint DBusMenuExporterDBus::GetLayout(int, int, const QStringList&, DBusMenuLayoutItem&): Condition failed: menu

There where two more questions :wink:

That fits the symptom you describe - but I do not know how to solve it.
Answers to the other question might help.

It might be just this one video which is stangely encoded - IDK.

AVI videos play ok in VLC
Just have the issue with MP4s in VLC

Also the MP4s play fine in Windows VLC

In preferences-video output, mine is set to automatic. I don’t use VLC as I have Parole as default. You might try to change video output to something else or if set to something else, back to default (Automatic).

I have the same version as you and mine plays .mp4 just fine.

…xfce here, VLC is playing mp4 videos fine on my system. Do you have rebuild-detector installed ? If not, install it and type in terminal checkrebuild and see if there is any message.

Maybe a consequence of too many AUR packages, combined with wrong dependencies, or do you have private repos like archlinuxcn ?

My vlc has version 3.0.17.3-1 (stable branch). You are on testing ? You should explain beforehand.