PotPlayer Very Slow to Open Video Files

[CarlEdman]

I've been using PotPlayer x64 for some years and am very happy with it, except for one issue:

Since at least some 1.5 version and continuing through the latest 1.6 stable version I just downloaded, PotPlayer is extremely slow to open video files. Every time I open a video file, by double-clicking in explorer or selecting it in the PotPlayer play list, the title bar changes to "Opening..." and the wait cursor runs for about 5 to 10 seconds before the file starts playing.

This is not an issue with machine. It is quite fast, has lots of RAM, and a very fast SSD. It does not seem to depend on the container (MKV, MP4, or MPG) or codec (h264 or mpeg2) or resolution (SD to 1080p). All video files appear affected, but not pure audio files like MP3s.

Opening the same video files on the same computer with VLC is instantaneous.

Googling turned up some other people with the same problem, but no solution.

Any suggestion? Thanks!

[Hoser Rob]

Hmmm ... potplayer is in perpetual beta, which is IMO just a cheesy way to get donations. Every new release solves a problem no one had and creates 3 others. The developer (single) is Korean and apparently doesn't read any other languages.

I've used potplayer when I used windows more, and it's not bad, but the support is ridiculous.

Why not just uninstall it and reinstall the previous version? It's EXTREMELY unlikely there are any new features in the newest one you can't live without.

[CarlEdman]

Thanks, Rob. I'd do that except I do not know what version was still working. I just know that the current version and the previous 1.5 version I used had the problem. By the time I pinned down the problem a year or two ago, I did not have a record of what the last version without the problem was.

[sheppaul]

Uninstall it and try the latest version released today. Before trying, press "reset" button in the preferences of player.

BTW, I have no such problem with everyday update.

[CarlEdman]

Thanks, I just tried that with the version 1.6.48985 64-bit released today. My preferences were reset, but starting any video file still results in the same problem.

[johns0]

Try mpc-hc and see if it has the same problem.

[CarlEdman]

Yes, mpc-hc seems to exhibit the same delay on video files as PotPlayer (but not VLC).

[sheppaul]

FYI, 64 bit version is not updated daily. If you do not have any issue with 32 bit version, use 32 bit version: 1.6.49332 (Aug 6 2014)
If you have same delay with mpc-hc, there seems to be a problem in your system side.
Remove current video driver and update it to the latest version. Then install the latest directx runtime again.

ps. Do not tweak anything related with video driver service. I've heard turning off nVidia stereo 3d driver service can cause a serious delay while opening a video file.

[johns0]

Turning off the 3d driver doesn't affect video playback,i never install it for my video card,only thing that would delay video playback is there's a disc in the drive and the app is trying to access it or having one of those crappy all in one codecs package installed.

[CarlEdman]

I did get the 64-bit version which was dated August 6, so I don't think that the version is the problem. Nevertheless, I will try the 32-bit version too.

The graphics card driver idea may have something to it though. I recently installed the latest NVidia driver (for a Geforce 660) and that did not seem to change anything. Nor have I gone out of my way to disable the 3d driver. That said, my monitor is not 3d and trying to turn on 3d in the NVidia control panel fails, perhaps unsurprisingly. But intriguingly, starting the NVidia control panel also exhibits a 5 to 10 second delay, similar to what I experience whenever I try to play a video file in PotPlayer or MPC-HC (but not VLC).

Any further advise gratefully considered.

[CarlEdman]

Ok, I've seemed to fix the problem and it was the NVidia graphics drivers.

I fully uninstalled all NVidia components, requiring multiple reboots. Without any graphics drivers, I was limited to 1024x768 (rather than my usual 3840x2160 resolution), but PotPlayer started all video files fast. Then I did a full, clean reinstall of the current WHQL drivers 340.52. And PotPlayer still starts fast!

Still have no idea what I did to the drivers to make them malfunction like this; I do not recall ever disabling any component like 3D. But at least the problem is solved and hopefully future sufferers will find this thread.

[Kettyo]

I had the same problem and completely removing all Nvidia software with the Display Driver Uninstaller program and then reinstalling it solved the issue. Thanks for the solution.

[stenionet]

I have problem when the connection with internet is ON.
The player takes too long to open and takes long to open files when I double click on them. If I drag the files to the potplayer window or disable the internet connection, the player works fast.

[Calidore]

I'll third CarlEdman and Kettyo. I had thought the startup hang was just a PotPlayer quirk, but I've just now uninstalled my direct-from-nVidia drivers and installed the WHQL drivers from Windows Update, and the delay is gone.