# Solved: Choppy video



## BillHates

I have been having some pretty crappy video playback lately. For Netflix, Youtube, DailyMotion. Even for avi/mpg's I download in full. The first minute or seconds the video plays fine. Then it goes downhill from there. It's choppy, delayed, sometimes out of sync or even just plain audio with still picture. I don't know what is up. It didn't have that much trouble before. This just happen recently.

My computer is a Sony Vaio PCG-FRV37 my brother bought in 2001 and gave to me. It has a 2800MHz Intel Pentium 4 processor. 512mb RAM, but Windows says it's 447mb RAM for some reason. The video card I have is a RADEON IGP 345M. My OS is Windows XP Pro SP2. I am connected to the internet via wireless card from Netgear. The router is connected to a DSL connected provided by AOL High Speed w/ Convad. I am clocking (tested my wireless card speed at PCPITSTOP.com) in around 2625 Kbps on download and 326 Kbps on Upload. With a ping of 45ms. For browsers I am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 and Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.13.

I hope that's enough info. Any help will, like always, be greatly appreciated.


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## BillHates

I forgot to mention I have empty and deleted cache/internet files and that didn't do that trick either.


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## MysticEyes

> 512mb RAM, but Windows says it's *447mb* RAM


The rest is here:


> RADEON *IGP* 345M





> It didn't have that much trouble before. This just happen recently.


Look towards recent changes to your system, including any Windows updates.


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## TehTech

Bill, Being a Netflix Technician myself I highly recommend you give us a call, we are open 24hrs. and we can look through out system to see what might be causing it.
Couple things to check
1.) Bring up Task Man while trying a Netflix movie, and see if you're CPU is peaking @ 100%, if it is you may want to see if you have the most current video card drivers, if you *do* the roll them back, 90% of the time it's drivers not working properly that cause this issue, its not your internet speed, because the player would tell you it needs to buffer, not be choppy.
2.) Check and see if your computer is formatted in NTFS or Fat32.

Let us know.


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## BillHates

MysticEyes, Does that mean something bad or something good? Do I need more memory?

What should I be looking for?


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## MysticEyes

BillHates said:


> MysticEyes, Does that mean something bad or something good? Do I need more memory?
> 
> What should I be looking for?


Well a bit more memory would probably make your computer more responsive. But as I said what have you changed/installed/un-installed etc. since the problem started?


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## BillHates

I haven't installed any big or important programs. But I have seen my windows has been downloading/Installing alot of Window Updates.


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## TehTech

Windows Updates will install new drivers for your graphics card that are "Microsoft" signed drivers, even though they are the most up to date drivers for your card doesn't mean they are the most up to date. Microsoft's driver tend to be several revisions behind.

Bill what does Task Manager say the CPU is doing when you getting the choppy playback..?


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## BillHates

I left task open while watching. And I got a good 50-60% for half of the video which was 6:47 long. Half way through I started getting an 80-90% usage spikes.


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## TehTech

If it's getting choppy and task man is spiking like that try rolling back to IE 6 (Control panel and uninstall IE 7 it will roll you back to 6) and try it again, sometimes IE 7 takes a priority over your ram and causes slow/choppy video.


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## BillHates

I was using Firefox...sorry I forgot to say that.


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## BillHates

I just downloaded the FireFox 3 beta....and I turned off my on screen scanner from Avast. Still having the same problem. The video get a low number and then a high in the middle. I am still scratching my head on this one.


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## BillHates

I have also tried to uninstall the video driver and try to reinstall with the original driver but Windows keeps forcing the driver from them. I checked it out and still no change what so ever. Starts good but goes down hill still.


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## TehTech

Bill try using IE 6 and playing a Netflix video, this can help pin point the situation, if it's still choppy with IE 6 then is isn't the web browser causing an issue, it will lean toward being a graphics card/hardware issue.


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## BillHates

How do I get to IE6? I uninstalled the IE7 in control panel but it wouldn't let me install 6 afterwards. Windows update then asks me to install 7. Am I doing something wrong?


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## BillHates

I think I fixed it because it working flawless now. All I did was clean a bit of dust from my fan and the back of my laptop and now it works. I don't know why but it just does.

Also cured my overheating and heating problems. So that could be something to look at if you have a laptop.


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