Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Geek Speak => Topic started by: Chemistry4me on 17/03/2009 08:05:23
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Why do some videos stream slower than others?
Most of the time the videos streams faster than I can watch them, but today I was watching one and it was streaming really slow, I have noticed this in the past but didn't really think much of it.... [::)]
Is it my computer? Or is it simply that some video players are just slower than others? Why does this happen?
How (if there is a way) can I speed it up?
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I don't really know the answer to this so this is largely a guess and just based on personal observation. A year or two ago there was some fuss about market claims made by broadband providers here in the UK. Most of them were significantly exaggerating the speed of their supply. Apparently internet speed varies tremendously depending on demand and the speeds that the providers were offering were potential speeds that were never likely to be seen by consumers. I have noticed recently that my internet speed varies from one time to another and this would be reflected in all internet use from refreshing pages to streaming videos.
That being said I usually never switch my computer off. Right now it has been on for about a fortnight straight through. Every now and then I switch it off overnight and that certainly speeds it up a little (although computer geeks have told me this should make no difference). Finally, in my family we use a wireless router and several laptops. I have also found that the router will actually grind to a complete stop if it is not allowed to cool down once every three or four weeks.
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Thanks
Brad John Chapman. [;)]
Now I'll just see what other people have to say, if they decide to say it that is. [:)]
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That's my pleasure,
Chemsibooboo
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Tut-tut, you and your silly antics
Knightley.
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Geddit? Night-ly?
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a?
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a what?
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I don't geddit.
What do you mean, Night-ly. It's 9am here!
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Bloody Kiwis. No stamina. No wonder Keira ran off with James! [:D]
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Is everyone on drugs here. Or have I slipped into some sort of alternative reality? [;D]
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Ha ha ha.
No. These are references to Turnipsock's thread about the correct way to climb a gate.
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=20513.0
Chem was using it as an excuse to seduce innocent young hollywood starlets! Throwing himself at them, he was. Honestly, you think you know someone.....
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Honestly, you think you know someone.....
touché. [:)]
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just download Real player for music
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I've got iTunes which is handy enough.
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Why do some videos stream slower than others?
Most of the time the videos streams faster than I can watch them, but today I was watching one and it was streaming really slow, I have noticed this in the past but didn't really think much of it.... [::)]
Is it my computer? Or is it simply that some video players are just slower than others? Why does this happen?
How (if there is a way) can I speed it up?
Basically it all boils down to whether the data throughput of your broadband connection is greater than the (average) bit-rate of the streaming video.
If either your broadband speed decreases for some reason (eg network congestion) or you're trying to watch a higher bitrate video, then it will stutter and stall.
The bitrate of a video can depend a lot on who is producing it, what resolution it is, and what "quality" settings they've chosen. The standard-res vids on the BBC News site are 256kbps I recall, while the "high quality" ones are more like 1Mbps. YouTube videos are presented in much lower bitrate (and correspondingly poorer visual quality).