top -p $(pidof vlc) Or, for macOS:
If VLC still uses 100% CPU, uninstall it and install mpv (a lighter player) or switch to VLC 4.0 experimental. VideoLAN is powerful, but even the best media player chokes on broken "bafxxx" streams. Have you encountered a specific "bafxxx" error log? Post the exact output of your top command in the comments below for a tailored diagnosis. bafxxx videolan top
Published: October 2023 Reading Time: 12 minutes top -p $(pidof vlc) Or, for macOS: If
top -pid $(pgrep -x VLC) | Column | Healthy VLC | Unhealthy VLC (bafxxx issue) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | %CPU | 5-25% (4K video) | 90-150% (Software decoding loop) | | MEM | 150-500 MB | 1.5 GB+ (Memory leak) | | RPRVT (macOS) | Stable | Increasing linearly every second | | Command | vlc --intf | vlc --codec avcodec --demux avi (fallback loops) | Post the exact output of your top command