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Smoothing out web video
Question : How can I make streaming video from websites play more
smoothly, without all the starting, stopping and stuttering ?
Answer :
Video playback from websites can be affected by traffic congestion on
the Internet, a computer's connection speed and the software used to
play the clips. Most web video is meant to be played over a broadband
Internet connection, so if you are using dial-up, the experience may be
continually frustrating. For everyone else, make sure your computer
meets the site's requirements for video. Most websites with video
players offer a help link somewhere on the homepage to troubleshoot
specific problems with the site and its software. Sometimes updating a
machine with the new version of Adobe Flash, Windows Media
Player or whatever video program the site is using for its clips can
help. If you are getting a lot of stuttering, or video that stops
abruptly for a few seconds in the middle of the stream, try clicking the
Pause button on the player's window. This should stop the playback of
the clip, but allow the video stream to continue downloading to the web
browser. Once you see the progress bar at the bottom of the video window
fill in, press the Play button to see if the clip will stream without
stuttering. Some programs like RealPlayer allow adjustment of the
buffer -- number of seconds or minutes of the clip that downloads to the
computer before the video starts playing. It may take longer to start
playing, but increasing the buffer time can often help smooth out
overall playback; check the program's options or preferences for the
buffer settings. If you are suffering through poor video quality on
sites using Windows Media Player, you might try adjusting the
Video Acceleration setting to see if it improves the picture. To do
so, start Windows Media Player, go to the Tools menu and
selection Options. Click on the Performance tab and use the slider bar
to adjust the Video Acceleration. Turning it down or off can sometimes
help fix garbled audio or choppy video. Click the OK button, close
Windows Media Player and try the website again. |
