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Question Profile
| DATE | Oct 22, 2006 |
| TICKET | #329582 |
| STATUS | Closed |
| SUBJECT | Choppy video on YouTube Intel Mac Mini |
| CAT | Web Sites, Home Pages and Web Based Development |
| TYPE | |
| DESC | |
| DESC | |
| PLATFORM | Apple Macintosh (Intel) |
| MODEL | Apple Mac mini |
| PROC | Intel Core Duo 1.66 Ghz |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| DRIVE | 80 |
| NAME | Steve |
| USERNAME | SteveWong |
| TECHNICAL | Lots of Experience |
| ISSUE | Lots of Troubleshooting |
Question Details
TICKET ARCHIVE -> Choppy video on YouTube Intel Mac Mini
SteveWong - Oct 22, 2006 - 11:43 am
My Intel Mac Mini (10.4.8, 1.66GHZ Core Duo, 2 GB RAM, 1920*1200 32 bit monitor (Dell 24' Widescreen) always has choppy video playback on sites playing Flash video, eg. YouTube.
The same problem occurs in Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 RC3 as well as Safari.
The video plays but seems to freeze for a few frames - the audio plays uninterrupted - and after the freeze, the video remains in sync with the audio.
Quicktime movies (streaming or otherwise) work fine as do DVD playback. I have a high speed connection (cable >2 MB/s).
I've installed the latest version of Flash player (9.0.20.0, UB v 9).
I know Youtube uses flash - is it using the flash player or shockwave (which isn't UB yet)?
- Steve
The same problem occurs in Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 RC3 as well as Safari.
The video plays but seems to freeze for a few frames - the audio plays uninterrupted - and after the freeze, the video remains in sync with the audio.
Quicktime movies (streaming or otherwise) work fine as do DVD playback. I have a high speed connection (cable >2 MB/s).
I've installed the latest version of Flash player (9.0.20.0, UB v 9).
I know Youtube uses flash - is it using the flash player or shockwave (which isn't UB yet)?
- Steve
Stuartpau - Oct 23, 2006 - 1:42 pm
Hi Steve, I have similar problems with some sites that offer streaming Video and about the only thing I have found that helps in anyway at all, is to force any browser applications I use to open in Rosetta.
For example anything that requires Video for Windows simply will not work as VFW does not support the Macintel system yet if indeed it ever will.
The problem you are seeing is probably due to the transition between the Intel Based Macs OS and the Pre Intel OS based software.
Not all the components of the operating system on the Intel macs are fully Intel based and I am pretty sure that this is part of your problem.
One of the ways you can see what is going on to some degree is to open the activity monitor and watch the Active process window. I think you will find that there is a great deal of swapping going on between the parts of the OS that are fully Intel based and parts that are not.
Whenever anything this new comes from Apple there are often transitional issues such as these. Your best bet is to make sure you keep your OS software as up to date as possible and probably wait for the next release Leopard 10.5 which I am sure will address a lot of these problems.
Keep your eyes open for workarounds as well. Several people are putting out Mini Apps that often help with issues like this and some people are publishing Unix based system hacks that more often than not actually work, but they do involve modifying your base operating system, something Apple does not recomend and does not support.
One thing I have found to be really useful is ensuring the MMU or SMU is reset periodically, especially after any major update. I am aware that Apple's policy does not recommend this, but so far every time I have reset the MMU, I have had quite significant performance gains in some areas.
If you cannot find out how you reset the MMU on you Mac drop me a line and I will check it out for you.
In between fix permissions using the Disk utilities frequently as this also can affect performance.
Another area I have noticed that affects Flash and other Macromedia products is the Filevault system, so if you are using this you may want to set up a browsing account that is pretty much free of any enhancements and does not use Filevault.
Sorry I don't have any more to add transitions can be pretty trying but in the case of Apple they are nearly always worth it.
Stuart
For example anything that requires Video for Windows simply will not work as VFW does not support the Macintel system yet if indeed it ever will.
The problem you are seeing is probably due to the transition between the Intel Based Macs OS and the Pre Intel OS based software.
Not all the components of the operating system on the Intel macs are fully Intel based and I am pretty sure that this is part of your problem.
One of the ways you can see what is going on to some degree is to open the activity monitor and watch the Active process window. I think you will find that there is a great deal of swapping going on between the parts of the OS that are fully Intel based and parts that are not.
Whenever anything this new comes from Apple there are often transitional issues such as these. Your best bet is to make sure you keep your OS software as up to date as possible and probably wait for the next release Leopard 10.5 which I am sure will address a lot of these problems.
Keep your eyes open for workarounds as well. Several people are putting out Mini Apps that often help with issues like this and some people are publishing Unix based system hacks that more often than not actually work, but they do involve modifying your base operating system, something Apple does not recomend and does not support.
One thing I have found to be really useful is ensuring the MMU or SMU is reset periodically, especially after any major update. I am aware that Apple's policy does not recommend this, but so far every time I have reset the MMU, I have had quite significant performance gains in some areas.
If you cannot find out how you reset the MMU on you Mac drop me a line and I will check it out for you.
In between fix permissions using the Disk utilities frequently as this also can affect performance.
Another area I have noticed that affects Flash and other Macromedia products is the Filevault system, so if you are using this you may want to set up a browsing account that is pretty much free of any enhancements and does not use Filevault.
Sorry I don't have any more to add transitions can be pretty trying but in the case of Apple they are nearly always worth it.
Stuart
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