--- title: VLC Issue Troubleshooting Guide slug: troubleshooting/vlc-issue-troubleshooting-guide createdAt: 2026-03-18T20:03:21.196Z --- # VLC Troubleshooting Guide This guide walks through the most common causes of VLC playback failure when using Zixi, along with step-by-step checks and recommended actions for each. Work through the steps in order. ### Step 1. Verify the Zixi Plugin is installed **Root Cause:** VLC cannot play Zixi streams without the Zixi plugin present and correctly placed. **What to Check:** - Confirm the Zixi VLC plugin has been downloaded and installed. - **Windows users:** The plugin file must be located in the VLC plugins folder. If VLC was installed to the default path, this is typically: - C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\Plugins If the plugin is missing from this folder, manually move it there and restart VLC. - **macOS users:** Ensure you are using the **Universal version** of VLC (not the Intel-only or Apple Silicon-specific build). The Universal build is required for plugin compatibility on Mac. - **macOS Venture Uusers**: On upgrading to MacOS Ventura, you may find that your existing VLC installation my stop working and/or show up as damaged on launch. If so please jump down to Step 7 for more information: **Action:** Reinstall or relocate the plugin, then relaunch VLC and attempt playback again. ### Step 2. Verify you are running the correct VLC Version **Root Cause:** Using an incompatible or unsupported VLC version can prevent the plugin from loading or functioning correctly. (Known stable versions 3.0.16 & 3.0.17) **What to Check:** - **macOS:** Confirm you are running the latest available **Universal** version of VLC. - **Windows:** Confirm your VLC version is current and matches the plugin version requirements. - If you are on a very recent VLC release and experiencing issues, see **Step 6** for version rollback guidance. **Action:** Download the latest Universal VLC release from videolan.org and reinstall if necessary. ### Step 3. Confirm required Network Ports are open. **Root Cause:** Firewall or network policy blocking Zixi traffic will prevent VLC from establishing the stream playback. **What to Check:** - Port **2077** must be open for both** INBOUND **and** OUTBOUND **TCP/UDP traffic. - This must be permitted across all relevant subnets including any intermediate network segments between the VLC client and the Zixi Broadcaster/ZEN Master host. - Check both host level firewalls (e.g., Windows Firewall, iptables) and network level firewalls or security groups. **AWS-Specific Checks:** If the Zixi Broadcaster is hosted on AWS, verify the following: - The** EC2 Security Group** associated with the Broadcaster instance allows inbound and outbound TCP/UDP on port **2077** from the appropriate source CIDR ranges. - **Network ACLs (NACLs)** at the subnet level also permit port 2077 traffic in both directions - NACLs are stateless and require explicit rules for both directions. - No **VPC routing** issues are preventing traffic from reaching the instance. **Diagnostic tip:** Use curl or telnet from the VLC client machine to test reachability on port 2077: curl -v telnet://\:2077 A successful TCP handshake confirms the port is reachable. **Action:** Work with your network or cloud infrastructure team to open port 2077 for inbound/outbound traffic across all relevant network levels. ### Step 4. Confirm Zixi Pull Egress is enabled on your Zixi license **Root Cause:** The Zixi license may not have the **Pull Egress** feature enabled, which is required for VLC pull-based playback. **What to Check:** - In **ZEN Master** or **Zixi Broadcaster**, navigate to your license details and verify that Pull Egress is listed as an active/licensed feature. - If Pull Egress is not listed or is marked as inactive, the stream cannot be pulled by VLC regardless of other settings. **Action:** Contact your **Zixi Sales representative** to request that Pull Egress be added to your license entitlement. Once the license has been updated: 1. In Broadcaster or ZEN Master, **reload the** **license** to apply the update without requiring a full service restart. 2. Retry playback in VLC after the reload completes. ### Step 5. Reload the License **Root Cause:** Even if Pull Egress is licensed, the running service may be holding a cached version of an older or more limited license. **What to Check:** - Confirm the license was recently updated or re-issued. - Verify the active license in the UI reflects the correct entitlements **Action:** **Reload the license** through the **Broadcaster** or **ZEN Master** interface. After reloading, confirm the updated license is reflected and retry VLC playback. ### Step 6. Rollback VLC to a known good versions **Root Cause:** Newer VLC releases occasionally introduce compatibility regressions with third-party plugins. **What to Check:** - If all previous steps have been verified and playback still fails, the active VLC version may have a compatibility issue with the current Zixi plugin build. **Action:** Roll back VLC to **3.0.16** or **3.0.17**, which is a confirmed working stable version with the Zixi plugin. Older VLC releases can be obtained from the VideoLAN archive: https\://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/vlc/ After installing: 1. Reinstall/confirm the Zixi plugin is in the correct plugins folder. 2. Retry playback. ### Step 7. macOS Ventura - VLC shows as Damaged or Fails to Launch **Root Cause:** Upgrading to macOS Ventura can break existing VLC installations. VLC may refuse to launch or display a "damaged" warning due to Gatekeeper and library compatibility changes introduced in Ventura. A full reinstall of both VLC and the Zixi plugin is required. **Which VLC Binary Should I Use?** Two builds of VLC 3.0.17.3 are available for macOS. Try the **Intel64 binary first** — it is the simpler path. Only install the Universal binary if the Intel build fails after the plugin is installed. | Build | When to Use | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Intel64** | Try this first on all Macs (including Apple Silicon via Rosetta) | | **Universal** | Use only if Intel64 does not work after plugin install | **Reinstallation Steps** 1. **Download and install VLC:** - **Intel64 (try first):** https\://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.17.3/macosx/vlc-3.0.17.3-intel64.dmg - **Universal (only if Intel64 fails):** https\://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.17.3/macosx/vlc-3.0.17.3-universal.dmg Double-click the downloaded .dmg to mount it, then drag VLC to your **Applications** folder. 1. **Universal binary only — enable Rosetta before first launch:** Skip this step if you installed the Intel64 binary. After dragging VLC to Applications but **before opening it for the first time:** 1. Right-click VLC in Applications and select **Get Info**. 2. In the Get Info panel, check the box labeled **"Open in Rosetta"**. 3. Close Get Info. 4. **Open VLC and leave it running** while you complete the plugin installation in the next step. 5. **Install the Zixi VLC plugin:** 6. Download the latest Mac plugin from the Zixi Customer Portal: https\://portal.zixi.com 7. Untar the downloaded archive to extract the installer package. 8. Launch and run the installer. 9. Once the installer completes, **close VLC and reopen it**. 10. **Verify playback** by connecting to your Zixi stream. If playback fails after following these steps with the Intel64 build, uninstall and repeat from Step 1 using the Universal binary with Rosetta enabled. ### Troubleshooting Decision Tree VLC will not playback stream, VLC opens but does not load stream Zixi Plugin installed and in correct folder? → NO → Reinstall / move plugin Are you using correct / Universal VLC Version? → NO → Re/Install latest Universal VLC Is port 2077 open for inbound & outbound traffic (all subnets / AWS)? → NO → Open port in firewall / security group Is Pull Egress enabled on your license? → NO → Contact Zixi Sales Has your license been reloaded after any changes? → NO → Reload license via ZM or UI Is your VLC version compatible with plugin? → NO → Rollback to VLC 3.0.16 or 3.0.17 MacOS Ventura – VLC damaged or won't launch? → YES → Reinstall VLC 3.0.17.3 (Intel64 first, Universal + Rosetta if needed) + plugin ### Escalation Checklist If you have worked through all steps above and playback is still failing, please open a support ticket (Email: support\@zixi.com). Include as much as possible of the following so that the team may investigate the issue: - VLC version in use - Operating system and version - Zixi plugin version - Screenshot or details of your Broadcaster/ZEC license details - Evidence that port 2077 is open for inbound & outbound traffic on your Firewall (& AWS if relevant) - Output of a port 2077 connectivity test from the affected machine - Any error messages displayed in VLC (Tools > Messages, set verbosity to 2)