Solved Youtube audio stutters every few seconds.

[142631835d]

For the past few weeks I have noticed the audio in Youtube videos stuttering every few seconds. There are never any problems with the video portion, only the audio. If I refresh the page and play the video again, the audio stutters at a different time. I cannot force the audio to stutter in the same place twice. I checked the cpu usage in the task manager and it sits around 14% when the video looks and sounds fine, but the second the audio stutters the usage shoots up to around 30% for a second or two before dropping back down. I have tried updating my drivers, clearing out every cache I know of, defragging, uninstalling and reinstalling Chrome, using a different browser, updating flashplayer, restarting my computer, and making sure the correct audio device is set to default. This problem occurs when I use the built in speakers, speakers plugged in through the audio jack, and even headphones. Some videos stutter more than others. Please help me, I am relatively uneducated when it comes to the inner machinations of a laptop so I have no idea what to do. I will provide any additional information to the best of my ability if need be.

The same issue is present with Twitch, though it is less noticable.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
In Chrome,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/271264-chrome-gpu-hardware-acceleration-turn-off.html
Firefox,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/271263-firefox-gpu-hardware-acceleration-turn-off.html
Ie10-11 switch to software rendering instead of gpu,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lorer-gpu-hardware-acceleration-turn-off.html

How old is the machine i7 can't be that old :/
Dust accumulation could be an issue or cat hair clean it out with a can of compressed air.

 

[142631835d]

The laptop is only 3 or 4 years old now and I just got it back after sending it into Dell to have it repaired so dust should not be an issue. I tried turning GPU hardware acceleration off and that did not help. I should mention however I could only do it through the chrome advanced settings. I do not have the "GPU depositing on all pages" option mentioned in the tutorial you linked. It is just not there, not even in the "unavailable experiments".

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Okay sorry the tutorial is a bit old,
Go to settings and on the bottom of that page Advanced settings,
You should see Use hardware acceleration when available verify if it's checked or not,
My last tour it was not checked but that was in a Linux system.

What did you have fixed on the machine exactly ?
Was the issue an issue before you sent the machine in ?

 

[142631835d]

The "use acceleration" box is currently unchecked. I originally sent in the laptop to have the sound card repaired. I thought the issue was caused by some internal physical damage. However they found no issue with it, instead they fixed the fan, heat sink, optical drive, and whatever "various plastics" are. The issue had been occurring before I sent the laptop in and still persists after receiving it back.

I also just want to say thank-you for taking the time to help me out like this.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi thanks for the info,
You might try to access youtube video settings
I'm not sure if it will work in Chrome though,
Right click one of the videos and click on Global settings and or settings,
This is privacy minded but will show you how to navigate through the settings to turn on or off hardware acceleration in flash,
Try it in Internet explorer to see if it's a Chrome issue or not,
How to configure your Flash Player settings for maximum privacy and security

You can also in ie11-10... use the html5 youtube option,
http://www.youtube.com/html5

 

[142631835d]

Ok, I just opened up a video in internet explorer and turned off acceleration. It did not help. I tried the same with firefox with the same result. I also tried the HTML 5 option like you suggested but that did not help either. Any other ideas?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Post a link to a video you have an issue with
I don't have Flash player installed todays browser don't need it to see/ play youtube videos
Which might be a good test for you uninstall flash player and test again,
Cheers.
If that doesn't pan out we might have to look closer at using another network or resetting you modem/ router...

 

[142631835d]

I will post a couple from different youtubers. Some videos stutter more than others and I can never force it to stutter in the same place. My wife does not have the same issue and we share the same router so I am pretty sure it is just my software.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbX1hqC0Gxw (stuttered once, quite badly, in the first 20 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp7DcCAipq0 (stuttered twice in the first 7 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml3EdUJJOPw (stuttered twice in the first 9 seconds)
I'll try uninstalling flashplayer and see if that works. Hopefully it is that simple.

I just uninstalled flash player and it did not help either.

 

[ThrashZone]

I couldn't tell if the first couple of videos stuttered or not the guys voice is so weird :/
Third was a better voice but still bidn't notice any issues,
See if listening to some music on youtube shows the same issue,
Check out a few here too and see,
http://www.sevenforums.com/chillout-room/346929-what-you-listening-10-a.html

 

[142631835d]

Listening to music shows the same issue. I also experience the stuttering on the videos posted on the link you gave me. It is much less noticeable when listening to music than it is when watching commentary though.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I would try to reset your modem/ Routers if this is a laptop connect wired to test ,
If still no joy try a neighbors network and if still no joy send back to the repair shop
Cheers.

 

[142631835d]

It is my network. Everything works perfectly on a neighbors network , which is strange because nobody else in my house has the same issue and we all use the same router/modem. Any ideas that could help me fix this issue, I am really not comfortable piggybacking off my neighbors insecure network.

 

[142631835d]

Ok, so connecting to a neighbors network and then reconnecting to my own seemed to do the trick. I do not know why but I will mark the problem as solved. I truly hope this helps somebody else down the line because I would only wish this frustration on my enemies.

 

[ThrashZone]

Good deal yes enemies only
Glad it worked out no telling why but at least it saved you a return trip to manufacture
Cheers.

 

[142631835d]

Never mind. It is still broken. Looks like I am going to spend my next few days trying to articulate this issue to the oh so helpful people people Dell hires to work their call center.

 

[ThrashZone]

Just how many users are on this wired/ wireless network ?
How old is the router/ modem post what brand and models for both,
Which isp Internet service provider.

If the issue isn't an issue on your neighbors network and gets corrected switching back to yours :/
Rebuild/ reset your network.

 

[Infinitymann]

Same issue

I'm having exactly the same issue.
* All music cuts in and out
* My audio settings test via Windows has sound out of both speakers, but the Realtek audio test cuts out on the left speaker or the right, whichever comes first
* Video on YouTube cuts out
* IM receipt sounds are distorted
* Video on Yahoo! Screen did not cut out at all, but did in the advertisement
* Tried uninstalling and re-installing all audio drivers multiple times
* Monitors hooked up using DVI, so video card HDMI not engaged
* Tried updating codecs, no help

 

[142631835d]

There are four users on this network. The router is less than a year old. I use verizon fios and the router is a Verizon supplied actiontec.

 

[ThrashZone]

Okay thanks
Well it's not outrageous for someone to get a defect router or they go south for no reason
I'd ask for a replacement
Cheers.