VLC can't do 144 fps at all cause it's limited to 72 fps (i.e. x3 rate)
Regarding 4k@144 - read this - https://www.svp-team.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5983
Okay, not using VLC anymore.
I tried using MPV and the results are MUCH better, seems to have fixed the problem.
I get mild occasional stutter when pushing 4k30 to 4k144, but dropping down to 4k100 or so fixes it.
It seems like the issue was just MPC HD and VLC not playing well with SVP.
This results in another issue unfortunately, where the image is very dark when using SVP + MPV, but MPV only works fine.
Could it possibly be that a old install of MADVR is interfering? Before SVP I was running MPV + MADVR combo.
VLC = no 144hz
MPC-HC = stutters above 100hz
MPV = abnormally dark. Adjusting brightness or gamma does not fix it, it just overblows the image, its something to do with the background processing