MP4s Fading In and Out

[box-turtle]

I'm using the venerable VLC Media Player. Several days ago I downloaded
an MP4 with a problem. The video image oscillated from completely normal
to grey every three or four seconds. I randomly tinkered with some of the
VLC settings, hoping I might get lucky. It didn't help, so assumed it was
a defective MP4.

When the image fades you can see the pixels turning grey until the entire
VLC screen is greyed out. The process is reversed when the image reappears
normally for a few seconds. It's like watching the pendulum swing back and
forth on an old grandfather clock!

This morning it happened again. I downloaded another MP4 with the same
fading in and out. This may be a common problem with MP4s, but it's new to
me.

Are these simply defective MP4s that should be deleted? I comprehend a few
of the many VLC menu settings, but most I do not understand. Is there some
combination of settings that might correct this problem?

[poisondeathray]

Try another VLC version, or better yet try another player to rule out player issues eg. mpchc, potplayer, smplayer, kmplayer