OpenLP 3.1.0 RC4 Video Background Flickers at end of video loop

CMCTech

When using a video background, the slide transition flickers when the video reaches the end and starts over (loops). This didn't happen on previous releases. To explain better, we have a 16 sec motion background. When we cycle through lyric slides, the slide timer counts up to 16 seconds and then starts over. When it starts over, there is a very short (1/4 second) blackout of the screen as the video loop starts over. I have tried all the setting and can't seem to fix it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I realize it is a release candidate but wanted to make everyone aware so it can be fixed before official release.

MBechard

This is still broken on the full version 3.1.1, running on Windows 11.

JamesJ

I am also not able to use video background because of this same issue. For me, it looks like it is any video. I have a Global Missions video that I running from the media tab in my library. It will also have about a half a second flash of black screen when the video loops. On that video, it is not too distracting, but if it is being used for background that folks are reading from, it is not good.
I have tried completely uninstalling, and even going back to older versions. I have tried reinstalling VLC and making sure that is up to date. I have made sure my video drivers are up to date. I have even played with every setting in OpenLP that I can try and none of that seems to help.
I am wondering if this is Windows fault, since I did a Windows update around the same time I updated OpenLP, but I don't have a way to verify that. I am on Windows 10 Pro version 22H2.

Violet219

I'm experiencing the same thing and it's quite distracting. Hope this can be fixed soon.

bisericaprovidentasuceava

I can confirm meeting the same issue, while using video background in OpenLP 3.1.1. Here is how you can check the bug:

1) Theme background type is set as Video with 2:00 duration;
2) After church finishes singing I press ESC button and OpenLP Live window switches to Show Desktop mode;
3) Though no songs are presented the Video timer in the bottom of the Live window keeps going;
4) After 2:00 video finishes it goes on a new loop, while OpenLP starts presenting the video background without any verses;
5) OpenLP has the same issue if I switch Live into Go to Black mode. After 2:00 and new video loop the Black screen overflows all other windows including PowerPoint 2021 and BibleShow 5 in presentation modes.

I checked all possible settings trying to fix the bug myself, however all my attempts failed. Please consider fixing the bug in the following updates.

Gsan09

I Just started using OpenLP. I encountered this issue too.
This might be helpful with devs. I downgraded to version 2.9.5 and video background is working properly

brad12kx

I've used animated gifs on our welcome and specialty slides for a few years until this bug showed up.

It has made all of my animated slides unusable except for 1. For the life of me I cannot figure out why that one slide is different. Sadly it is a fall theme so I have to wait about 6 months before I can use it contextually.

I am placing my vote to have this bug sent away for additional training on respect and appropriateness. 😉

markginter31

I'm seeing this -- and here is the output in the terminal (Ubuntu 24.04 -- latest Openlp)
cache_read stream error: cannot pre fill buffer
[00007203a4c1ac90] mjpeg demux error: cannot peek
libva info: VA-API version 1.20.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I don't have an nvidia card so I don't know why it's trying to open that backend -

markginter31

I just opened the same video in VLC - set VLC to loop and low-and-behold -- it flickers when it gets to the end and restarts. It's a vlc issue apparently.

oykleppe

markginter31

Is it still flickering in VLC if you lower the file caching ?

Preferences > All > Input / Codecs > Advanced > File caching (ms)
The default value is 1000ms,
Try e.g. 300ms?

samuels

Just thought I should add my voice to this issue. I recently intended to update our installation of OpenLP from 3.0.2 to 3.1.2, but run into this issue and had to revert to the old version. Reverting to 3.0.2 seemed to remove the error, so I hope this will heal to another release.

For the environment we are using: we run Windows 11 on a rather new lenovo thinkcentre model. It is regularly updated.

Apocalypse612

Confirmed that 3.0.2 is the latest version that doesn't have this VLC playback loop black frame bug. Please fix this, OpenLP. It's app-breaking. The latest build hasn't addressed this issue.

Further, why are you forcing users to even use VLC? VLC is terrible. I saw in older versions, you let the user pick their own backend media player, but those options were removed. WHY? I want MPV, it's it's WAY better than VLC.

Potential solutions include:
1) Let the user pick their own integrated media player again.
2) Allow the user to open the integrated VLC settings options to fix the problem. Solutions detailed here:
[https://quelea.discourse.group/t/background-video-loop-black-screen-solved/191/6]
3) Re-implement the non-broken version of VLC included in 3.0.2 until VLC fixes the problem, and don't update it until that occurs.

(I attempted to manually do #3 on my own by swapping files from 3.0.2 to the latest version, including the vlc and media [plugin] folders, which didn't work. Please help).

Thanks

n0lqu

Having the same issue, and I can confirm it's working fine (seamless animated looping) on a Widows 10 machine with OpenLP 3.0.2 , whereas a different machine with Windows 11 and OpenLP 3.1.0rc4 displays a split-second (multiple frames-worth) full-screen black when a video background gets to the end before it loops back to the beginning. Very distracting when the video is the background for a song.

I tried what "oykleppe"#p25446 suggested, trying various File caching values in VLC's preferences, from 0 to 300 to 1000 to 4000ms, and they had no effect on the problem from within OpenLP. Note that the issue doesn't appear when viewing the animated background video directly in VLC, only within OpenLP (which of course does use VLC in the background).

I bought a new machine for our church and upgraded OpenLP to 3.1.0, not realizing 3.0.2 already supported videos (up to this point I was doing animated backgrounds as animted GIFs, having converted them earlier). Using real videos rather than animated GIF equivalents is much nicer, but I'll need to stick with the animated GIFs until this gets resolved, or revert back to 3.0.2.