Video clips

The machines we love to hate

Moderator: Wiz Feinberg

Kathryn Sabey
Posts: 655
Joined: 26 Apr 1999 12:01 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Video clips

Post by Kathryn Sabey »

Why don't video clips run smoothly? Is it because I don't have a fast enough connection? It's like I'm looking at about every 20th "frame".
User avatar
Brad Bechtel
Moderator
Posts: 8535
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA

Post by Brad Bechtel »

It could be a combination of the computer itself (the faster the CPU, the better your chances of pushing the video out), the video card (some video cards work better than others with streaming media), and/or the connection (streaming over a 56K modem vs. a T3 can make a HUGE difference).
We'd need more information to make an educated guess.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
Kathryn Sabey
Posts: 655
Joined: 26 Apr 1999 12:01 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Post by Kathryn Sabey »

It's a 500 with a 56K modem, but my connection is usually 28-30K.
The computer is brand new, less than 3 weeks old and built here in Farmington. What would you need to know about the video card?
Jonathan Cullifer
Posts: 1132
Joined: 30 Sep 1998 12:01 am
Location: Gallatin, TN

Post by Jonathan Cullifer »

Streaming video is very hard on a computer because of a slow Internet connection. The tradeoff between quality and speed is huge, and there is no way to really get it right. Streaming audio is bad enough. There is no real way to fix it except get a DSL connection, and even that is no guarentee.
User avatar
Jack Stoner
Posts: 22146
Joined: 3 Dec 1999 1:01 am
Location: Kansas City, MO

Post by Jack Stoner »

If you're only getting 28 to 30Kb connections there is a problem somewhere, depending on how far you are from the telephone company central office, etc.

You should be getting V.90 connections generally at least in the 42 - 46 Kbs range.

There are a lot of potential problem areas that will affect the connection speed, anywhere from the PC itself, to a bad connection or wiring inside your residence to one of your phones causing a problem on the phone line, to a bad connection at the Telco demarc connection (the connection box outside your house that connects the phone companies line to the inside house wiring), to a problem in the telephone companies wiring or equipment.

Even with the modem connection speed up to the range it should be, you will still see the video problems because of the line speed, congestion or speed of the web, etc.
Kathryn Sabey
Posts: 655
Joined: 26 Apr 1999 12:01 am
Location: Rock Hill, SC

Post by Kathryn Sabey »

Thanks guys. I thought as much. I'm thinking it's the phone ines as much as anything. This house is 17 years old and in rural New Mexico.
Bill Crook
Posts: 1834
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance

Post by Bill Crook »

Kathrvn.....


Can you not "Save it to disk" and then play it later?? I used that medoth (sp) for a long time untill I upgraged to a faster machine.