Editing Streaming Buffer in VLC on Mac to Improve Playback of MP4 Files

When playing back MP4 files using VLC Player on your Mac, you may encounter issues with buffering or lagging during playback. Fortunately, there are ways to adjust the streaming buffer in VLC to improve the playback experience. In this article, we will explore two methods for changing the streaming buffer in VLC on a Mac.

Method 1: Temporary Fix

The first method is a temporary fix that only applies to the current stream. To do this, you need to open VLC Player and go to Tools > Preferences or press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P. This will open the Settings window. Click on the 'All' bullet at the bottom-left corner of the window to display additional settings.

Scroll down to the 'Stream Output' section and change the caching value to a larger number. For example, if you want the buffer to be improved to 1.5 seconds, change the number to 1500 ms. The default setting is 1500 milliseconds, which is equivalent to 1.5 seconds.

Once you've made the changes, click 'Show more options' at the bottom of the window and navigate to the Network tab. Here, you can adjust the caching value to a higher number than the existing one.

Method 2: Permanent Fix

The second method is a permanent fix that saves your settings beyond the current stream. To do this, follow the same steps as above to open VLC Player's Settings window. However, instead of changing the caching value in the 'Stream Output' section, you need to click on the 'Media' tab and select 'Open Network Stream'.

Scroll down to the 'Stream Output' section and change the caching value to a larger number. The changes you make here will be saved permanently and apply to all future streams.

Additional Tips

If you want to improve the playback of MP4 files using VLC, it's essential to note that there are different conversions available on our servers. These include conversions from MP4 file format to various other formats such as CDR, TBZ2, AEPX, RCPROJECT, TRAK, UOS, WEBZ, TPC, CEB, CIN, WBMP, LIF, TM, and FWDN.

We have over 100,000 daily conversions on our servers, making it a free tool to use. By adjusting the streaming buffer in VLC using the methods outlined above, you can improve the playback experience of your MP4 files and enjoy smoother video playback.

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