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VLC Stuttering, Lagging, or Skipping Video [Full Fix]

If the video is lagging, changing the video caching value will help

6 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

VLC media player is one of thebest media playersin the world. This payer is available on a wide range of platforms, but Windows 10 users reported some issues with it.

According to them, the VLC media player is lagging during video playback.

What can I do if VLC media player is lagging?

VLC media player lagging video

1. Change caching value

If the VLC media player is lagging while playing video, you can fix this problem by changing the caching value. To do that, follow these steps:

The aforementioned solution works for local files on your PC, but if you’re trying to view a file that is shared on the network,you need to do the following:

To be sure that your problems are not caused by an outdated version of the program,download and installthe latest VLC version.

2. Consider using an alternative to VLC

If not of the following solutions manage to fix your issue, then maybe it would be a good time to consider using an alternative to VLC Media Player.

The aims and feature sets of various media players vary. You could choose from general-purpose media players, audio players, video players, and even 3D media players depending on your preferences.

If you’re not sure which is more useful, we’ve got you covered with the bestuniversal media playersfeaturing a variety of functionalities.

Some of these provide advanced features for both audio and video material, such as automatically locating movie subtitles, online radio, audiobook indexing, color correction, recording, and much more.

3. Change Skip the loop filter for H.264 decoding

Users reported that you can fix lagging video issues in VLC by changing the Skip the loop filter for H.264decodingoption. To do that, follow these steps:

Keep in mind that this option will slightly degrade the quality of the video in order to improve your playback. If you want to keep the quality of your video, be sure to try different options first.

Some users are also suggesting checkingAllow speed tricksoption inFFmpegsettings menu, so you might want to try that as well.

If you are facing other issues, likeVLC could not open the MP4a audio encoder issue, we suggest you check out this quick guide to find solutions.

4. Disable Hardware decoding

Users reported that in some cases turning on Hardwaredecodingcan fix this issue, so you might want to try turning it on.

Interested in some more codec options? Readthis articleto find out how to download more codecs and install them properly.

5. Change the video output module

If you’re having problems with video lagging in the VLC player, you can fix that issue simply by changing the output module.

VLC media player lagging 1080p

1. Change the power settings

Sometimes your power settings can cause this issue to appear especially if you’re using Battery Saver or Power Saver profile on your laptop.

These two profiles are designed to lower power consumption by reducing the performance of your hardware.HD videois demanding and it requires hardware power in order to play smoothly.

Keep in mind that using a High-performance power profile will consume more power and drain your battery faster, but the issues with 1080p video should be fixed.

2. Assign the proper GPU to VLC

If you have a laptop that has both an integrated and dedicated graphic card, be sure to assign the right card to VLC. To do that, simply open your graphic card configuration tool such as Nvidia Control Panel or Catalyst Control Center, and assign the appropriate card to VLC.

If you can’t open the GPU configuration tools, checkthis guide for Nvidia Control Panelorthis guide for Catalyst Control Center. Follow the easy steps mentioned there and solve your issues in no time.

Although assigning a dedicated graphics card to VLC is usually better, several users reported that using an integrated graphics card with VLC fixed the problem for them, so you might want to try that.

VLC media player lagging mkv

1. Change FFmpeg threads to 2

If VLC is lagging while playing mkv files, you might want to try changing the number of FFmpeg threads. According to users, you can do that by following these steps:

If you’re having trouble playing mkv files on Windows 10, you may want totake a look at this article.

2. Make sure that your drivers are properly installed

VLC uses your GPU for video processing and if you want to properly view mkv videos without any lag, you should install the complete driver package.

Some drivers allow you to choose between full installation or minimal installation, therefore be sure to download and install the full version of graphic card drivers.

In addition, some users recommend that you download the ATI Avivo tool in order to fix mkv lagging issues in VLC.

3. Convert to a different format

Sometimes the best solution is to convert the .mkv file to a different format. Mkv files can be demanding, therefore you might want to use avideo converterand convert them to any other less demanding format.

Problems with the VLC media player and lagging can somewhat ruin your multimedia experience, but you should be able to fix this problem by changing VLC settings.

We strongly recommend you to switch your player in case VLC is still lagging as it can cause possible malfunction to your system.

VLC Stuttering, Lagging, or Skipping Video [Full Fix]#

What can I do if VLC media player is lagging?#

VLC media player lagging video#

1. Change caching value#

2. Consider using an alternative to VLC#

3. Change Skip the loop filter for H.264 decoding#

4. Disable Hardware decoding#

5. Change the video output module#

VLC media player lagging 1080p#

1. Change the power settings#

2. Assign the proper GPU to VLC#

VLC media player lagging mkv#

1. Change FFmpeg threads to 2#

2. Make sure that your drivers are properly installed#

3. Convert to a different format#