Arch Linux

Garlyle

Member

Registered: 2025-07-23

Posts: 3

VLC black screen

I've vlc and vlc-plugins-all installed. Most videos are working fine, but I ran into some videos where I have audio, but black screen.
Codec: H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (avc1)

On a different Linux install where the video worked, the decoded format was Planar 4:2:0 YUV, but here this part was blank.

Running vlc from command line kept giving this error repeatedly:

[h264 @ 0x7919e4c48580] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7919e4c48580] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture

Any idea what is causing this?

Last edited by Garlyle (2025-07-23 16:21:19)

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 71,617

Re: VLC black screen

https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/issues/14941 (though apparently only AV1)

vainfo

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

Garlyle

Member

Registered: 2025-07-23

Posts: 3

Re: VLC black screen

Trying display: wayland
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.22 (libva 2.22.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 25.2.5 ()
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileNone                   :	VAEntrypointVideoProc
      VAProfileNone                   :	VAEntrypointStats
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointFEI
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointFEI
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVC1Simple              :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Main                :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Advanced            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           :	VAEntrypointEncPicture
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:	VAEntrypointFEI
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline:	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :	VAEntrypointFEI
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile1            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile1            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile3            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile3            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain12             :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain12             :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_10         :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_10         :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_12         :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_12         :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain444            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain444            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_10         :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_10         :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_12         :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain            :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain10          :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain10          :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444         :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444         :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileAV1Profile0            :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444_10      :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444_10      :	VAEntrypointEncSliceLP

Garlyle

Member

Registered: 2025-07-23

Posts: 3

Re: VLC black screen

Small update: changing in Input & Codecs the Hardware-accelerated decoding from Automatic to VDPAU or Disabled solves this sort of problem.

VA-API decoder was also an issue and there seems to be something not working with that one. I suspect while the settings is on Automatic, it's trying to pick VA-API primarily. What is wrong with VA-API, is still a mystery for me.

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 71,617

Re: VLC black screen

For an intel chip, try QSV, depends on intel-media-sdk

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

bepaald

Member

Registered: 2016-10-08

Posts: 23

Re: VLC black screen

I have been seeing this same issue for a while (not sure how long, must be between 6 and 12 months now). Symptoms and errors are completely identical to OP: on some videos only audio plays, but the video output remains blank. Also, the same two error messages are repeatedly printed to the terminal.

My `vainfo` output is also identical apart from the driver version being newer currently and I'm still using X11.

Small update: changing in Input & Codecs the Hardware-accelerated decoding from Automatic to VDPAU or Disabled solves this sort of problem.

VA-API decoder was also an issue and there seems to be something not working with that one. I suspect while the settings is on Automatic, it's trying to pick VA-API primarily. What is wrong with VA-API, is still a mystery for me.

While this does work, it does disable hardware acceleration (for all videos) which seems disappointing to say the least. From the hardware acceleration options in my VLC, I have:

• Automatic: appears the same as VA-API (below).

• VA-API video decoder: does not work (for some videos).

• VDPAU video decoder: makes videos work, but disables hardware decoding (expected since I do not have any NVIDIA hardware in my machine).

• VA-API video decoder via DRM: I was curious about this one, not sure what it is exactly (how it differs from the other VA-API without DRM). Unfortunately this again makes all videos work, but from the terminal output and CPU usage it is clear hardware decoding is effectively disabled.

• Disabled: playback works, but obviously no hardware decoding.

For an intel chip, try QSV, depends on intel-media-sdk

Could you explain exactly what you had in mind with this? I have `intel-media-sdk` installed, but no QSV option in the video decoding options in VLC. I read a post on the VLC devel mailing list (by Jean-Baptiste Kempf himself) that "QSV is for ENcoding in H264, not decoding.", though that may be outdated.

I am very much open to suggestions, because this has been irritating me for too long already. If I can provide any more info, please let me know.

Thanks!

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 71,617

Re: VLC black screen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Quick_Sync_Video de- and encodes, whether https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x8 … quicksync/ also implements a decoder Idk - can be it don't (ffmpeg and therefore mpv can use the decoder)

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc