Video Playback Help

**Kams** · 23-03-2008

Whenever I try to watch video files on my Mac (no matter which computer I'm using), they just don't play smoothly. They're all choppy and everything

. I see this happen with videos that are encoded with the H.264 and are in an .mp4 format. But, if I import the same file into iMovie, it plays flawlessly. Are there any tips to help improve video playback quality when I use Quicktime or iTunes?

chevre · 23-03-2008

Do the videos you're watching have DRM? Purely speculation, but perhaps you're running into problems because of the additional overhead of decrypting the video?

And just an aside, I've always hated quicktime. Personally I stick to mplayer (which should probably work on Mac also).

**Kams** · 23-03-2008

No, there aren't any DRM's, it could be a file I've exported from Final Cut Express, or a video from my PS3 and it just won't play properly.

Sawaa · 23-03-2008

Tried with VLC?
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ ?

**Kams** · 23-03-2008

Yeah, still choppy

UnMarth · 26-03-2008

Now for all the years I have been using VLC. I was playing an MKV video. Can't remember the video codec. But nothing out of the ordinary. It played the video chopply. WMP wouldn't have it at all. But Media Player classic has no problems. I don't get it. Might be something to do with directshow? But then again, your on a Mac. So i haven't got any real advice.

**Kams** · 26-03-2008

Well the odd thing is, is that it plays awful in Quicktime, however, iMovie and Final Cut (which both play video smoothly) use a Quicktime plugin to display the video!

andysetra · 26-03-2008

VLC uses it's own codecs, so VLC should play the same no matter what codecs are installed. Also, I find VLC to be slower than media player classic (or mplayer on the mac). My G4 1.5Ghz w/1.25GB RAM plays videos choppy sometimes (but it's also running 10.5 which I am slowly learning was a mistake, speedwise) :/ What OS are you running? The best I could guess is that there was an update to itunes or quicktime that slowed it down. I notice these programs run pretty slow on my powerbook. Try Mplayer for OSX (there are a bunch of versions, the one I used looks more like itunes..don't remember where I found it tho..)

**Kams** · 27-03-2008

I've got basically the same computer as you, G4 with 1.5Ghz but with 2GBs of RAM. I'm also running 10.5, but when I start up on my external drive (which runs on 10.4), I still get issues. I think video actually played better on my old Mac Mini hehe...

23-03-2008	#1 (permalink)
Kams Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Age: 16 Posts: 392 Threads: 12 Gallery Uploads: 3 Wiki Edits: 2 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 4	Video Playback Help Whenever I try to watch video files on my Mac (no matter which computer I'm using), they just don't play smoothly. They're all choppy and everything . I see this happen with videos that are encoded with the H.264 and are in an .mp4 format. But, if I import the same file into iMovie, it plays flawlessly. Are there any tips to help improve video playback quality when I use Quicktime or iTunes?

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23-03-2008	#2 (permalink)
chevre Not your typical kid Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: US Age: 25 Posts: 1,465 Threads: 43 Wiki Edits: 38 Reputation: 38	Do the videos you're watching have DRM? Purely speculation, but perhaps you're running into problems because of the additional overhead of decrypting the video? And just an aside, I've always hated quicktime. Personally I stick to mplayer (which should probably work on Mac also).

23-03-2008	#3 (permalink)
Kams Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Age: 16 Posts: 392 Threads: 12 Gallery Uploads: 3 Wiki Edits: 2 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 4	No, there aren't any DRM's, it could be a file I've exported from Final Cut Express, or a video from my PS3 and it just won't play properly.

23-03-2008	#4 (permalink)
Sawaa Regular Donor Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: ~ Age: 20 Posts: 432 Threads: 5 Blog Entries: 8 Reputation: 15	Tried with VLC? http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ ?

23-03-2008	#5 (permalink)
Kams Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Age: 16 Posts: 392 Threads: 12 Gallery Uploads: 3 Wiki Edits: 2 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 4	Yeah, still choppy

26-03-2008	#6 (permalink)
UnMarth Mite!☆Mite! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: JazzLand Posts: 877 Threads: 18 Wiki Edits: 51 Blog Entries: 23 Reputation: 25	Now for all the years I have been using VLC. I was playing an MKV video. Can't remember the video codec. But nothing out of the ordinary. It played the video chopply. WMP wouldn't have it at all. But Media Player classic has no problems. I don't get it. Might be something to do with directshow? But then again, your on a Mac. So i haven't got any real advice.

26-03-2008	#7 (permalink)
Kams Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Age: 16 Posts: 392 Threads: 12 Gallery Uploads: 3 Wiki Edits: 2 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 4	Well the odd thing is, is that it plays awful in Quicktime, however, iMovie and Final Cut (which both play video smoothly) use a Quicktime plugin to display the video!

26-03-2008	#8 (permalink)
andysetra turtles all the way down Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 1,453 Threads: 9 Gallery Uploads: 2 Blog Entries: 7 Reputation: 19	VLC uses it's own codecs, so VLC should play the same no matter what codecs are installed. Also, I find VLC to be slower than media player classic (or mplayer on the mac). My G4 1.5Ghz w/1.25GB RAM plays videos choppy sometimes (but it's also running 10.5 which I am slowly learning was a mistake, speedwise) :/ What OS are you running? The best I could guess is that there was an update to itunes or quicktime that slowed it down. I notice these programs run pretty slow on my powerbook. Try Mplayer for OSX (there are a bunch of versions, the one I used looks more like itunes..don't remember where I found it tho..)

27-03-2008	#9 (permalink)
Kams Regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Age: 16 Posts: 392 Threads: 12 Gallery Uploads: 3 Wiki Edits: 2 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 4	I've got basically the same computer as you, G4 with 1.5Ghz but with 2GBs of RAM. I'm also running 10.5, but when I start up on my external drive (which runs on 10.4), I still get issues. I think video actually played better on my old Mac Mini hehe...