Even though Windows has many video player apps, users still prefer VLC Media Player. VLC is an open-source media player app for PC that offers you endless sets of features. It’s a full-fledged media management tool that you can use for various purposes.
The good thing about VLC is that it can help you get rid of a few software. For example, if you use VLC, you won’t need to install a dedicated screen recorder, video converter, video-to-audio converter, etc.
We are talking about VLC because, recently, many users have been found getting an unusual error message while playing videos. While playing videos, VLC Media Player shows a ‘Your Input can’t be opened’ error message.
So, if you’ve just encountered this error message on VLC while playing a video, you have landed on the right page. Below, we have shared a few simple steps that would let you fix VLC ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error message. Let’s get started.
What Causes the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ Error in VLC?
Before trying the solution, you must know why the error message appears. Below, we have shared several reasons for this error message on the VLC Media Player.
- Invalid/Broken Streaming URL
- Corrupted Video File
- Incompatible file format.
- The streaming network is encrypted.
- Wrong Preference/Settings of VLC Media Player.
These are the most probable causes of the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error on VLC Media Player.
Fix ‘Your Input Can’t Be Opened’ Error Message
Now that you know all possible reasons for the ‘Your Input can’t be opened’ error message, you should be able to resolve it easily. Here are the best ways to fix the VLC Error message.
1) Restart the VLC Media Player
Before trying anything else, make sure to restart your VLC Media Player. Sometimes, glitches or bugs in the media player application can prevent video playback.
The best way to eliminate bugs and glitches is by restarting the VLC Media Player app. Just close the VLC Media Player and open the Task Manager. On the Task Manager, close every process linked with the VLC application.
2) Use Youtube.lua script
Well, if you are getting a ‘Your input can’t be opened’ error message while playing a YouTube video on VLC, you need to use this method. There’s a script available on GitHub that claims to resolve the error message. Here’s how to use the script.
1. First, open the Github Link and copy the script.
2. Now, on your computer, right-click on the VLC media player and select ‘Open File Location’.
3. Next, locate the lua > playlist folder. On the Playlist folder, find and double-click on youtube.luac file.
4. Select all lines inside the document and press the Del button. Next, paste the script you have copied in the first step.
5. Press the CTRL + S button to save the changes.
That’s it! After making the above changes, restart the VLC Media player and play the YouTube video again. This time, you won’t get the error message.
3) Turn off Firewall/Antivirus Software
Well, Firewall and Antivirus software often prevent incoming requests. If you are getting the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error message while streaming a video from video streaming sites, chances are that your security program is blocking the incoming connection.
When the connection is blocked, VLC will fail to stream the video. It will also show you the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error message. So, make sure to turn off the firewall and antivirus software on your PC and then try to stream the video.
4) Reset the VLC Preferences
If the error message still appears while playing a video file, you may have some wrong configuration in the VLC Preferences. So, you need to reset the VLC Preferences to resolve the error message.
1. First, open the VLC Media player on your computer.
2. When the media player opens, head to Tools > Preferences.
3. Next, on the Simple Preferences prompt, click on the ‘Reset Preferences‘ option.
That’s it! This is how you can reset VLC Preferences to fix Your Input Can’t be Opened error message.
5) Check for VLC Updates
VLC updates are important, especially if you use it on the beta or release preview builds of Windows operating system. Many users have claimed to fix the Your Input Can’t be Opened error message by updating their VLC Media Player app.
Hence, if the issue is still not fixed, you must ensure you are using the latest version of the VLC Media player on your computer. Here’s how to check for VLC Updates.
1. First, open the VLC Media Player app on your PC.
2. Click on the Help menu and select ‘Check for Updates‘.
3. Now, VLC Media Player will automatically scan for available updates and install them.
That’s how easy it is to update the VLC Media player on Windows to resolve video playback errors.
6) Reinstall VLC Media Player
If all the methods mentioned above fail to fix the VLC error, you must reinstall the VLC Media Player app on your PC/Laptop.
Reinstallation may fix all corrupted VLC files and reset all user-made settings. So, if the problem is happening due to corrupted VLC files or wrong settings, reinstallation is the ultimate solution.
To reinstall the VLC Media player, head to the Control Panel and find the VLC media player. Right-click on the VLC Media Player and select ‘Uninstall’. Once uninstalled, install the latest version of VLC Media Player again.
7) Use other Media Player Apps
Today, there are many VLC Media Player alternatives available for PC. While none matches the features that VLC provides, only some offer better stability and codec support.
If the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error message is still not fixed, you can try playing the video on other media player apps. You can use other media player apps, such as KMPlayer, PowerDVD, Media Player Classic, etc., to play videos on the computer.
So, these are some of the best methods to resolve the ‘Your Input Can’t be Opened’ error message on VLC Media Player. If you need more help resolving the VLC error message, let us know in the comments. Also, if the article helped you, share it with your friends.
