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Troubles viewing 4k video from YouTube

Anonymous
2024-04-11T11:18:40+00:00

I have a Windows 11 and there seems to be a problem when I'm watching 4K videos such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62y2Qr-IEUA&t=106s The problem is that the video stalls a few times during playback and from what I can see when I move the mouse over the video is that it's not caching enough video data at times. There is not much else happening on the link so I really don't know where to start looking at this? Here is a speedtest I performed: https://www.speedtest.net/result/16106885812 I get the same result using FireFox or Chrome.

I'm monitoring PC performance using the Task Manager and this is what I see:

CPU: 45%

Memory: 75%

Disk 0 (C: D:): 0%

Ethernet: S: 1.4 R: 30 Mbps

GPU 0: 10%

OS: OS Name: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

OS Version: 10.0.22631 N/A Build 22631

Motherboard: Gigabyte B360M AORUS Gaming 3 Intel 8th Gen Motherboard

Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. Model B360M AORUS Gaming 3-CF (U3E1)

Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6Ghz 9th Gen CPU

Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4 3000MHz Desktop RAM - Black

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING OC 8G Graphics Card

GeForce Driver: 552.12

FireFox: 124.0.2

Chrome: 122.0.6261

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-04-17T22:59:07+00:00

    I tried all that and still have the same issue. It's like the browser cannot, or does not, download enough pre-cache video data and the PC is consuming the video data quicker than it's being downloaded and when it runs out of cached video, this is where the video stops, waits and then continues and the cycle happens again.

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  2. JosephT71 9,210 Reputation points
    2024-04-17T23:38:12+00:00

    Your GPU doesn't have av1 hardware decode, so it's too slow for av1 4k.

    https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/compare/

    So your problem is not really about internet speed and caching.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-04-12T09:39:20+00:00

    Hello, Julian Mils

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

    Hello, sorry to hear about your situation.

    It sounds like you're experiencing buffering issues when trying to watch 4K videos on YouTube, even though your system is performing well and your internet connection is good. Since I can't reproduce your environment for testing, I can offer you some basic advice:

    1. Update your browser: Make sure your browser (Firefox or Chrome) is up to date. Sometimes outdated browsers have compatibility issues when streaming high-resolution video.
    2. Clear Browser Cache: Clear your browser cache and cookies, as accumulated data can sometimes interfere with streaming performance. Disclaimer: Your browser automatically saves temporary internet files to help pages load faster. Clearing this cache will sometimes fix page display problems. Please back up all your personal files first, such as Favorites, to ensure you do not lose data.
    3. Hardware Acc eleration: Try enabling or disabling hardware acceleration in your browser settings to see if it makes a difference. Sometimes hardware acceleration can cause problems in certain configurations.
    4. Check background processes: Although the Task Manager readings seem fine, check to see if there are any background processes or applications that are unnecessarily consuming resources. Close any unnecessary tabs or applications that may be running in the background.
    5. Test different resolutions: Try watching the video at a lower resolution (e.g. 1080p) to see if the problem persists. If the problem disappears at a lower resolution, it may indicate a problem with the system's ability to smoothly handle 4K video playback.
    6. Check for GPU Driver Updates: Make sure your video card drivers are up to date. Sometimes outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues with video playback.
    7. YouTube Playback Settings: On YouTube, try adjusting the playback settings (click on the gear icon on the video player) and manually selecting a lower resolution to see if it improves playback stability.
    8. Disable browser extensions: Temporarily disable any browser extensions or add-ons you may have installed, as they can sometimes interfere with video playback.

    With these steps, you should be able to identify and hopefully resolve the buffering issues you're experiencing when watching 4K videos on YouTube.

    Thank you for your time and effort in resolving this issue.

    Best regards

    Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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