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DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| reply to frankdsl124c
Re: hulu
Bring up task manager, and then minimize it to the systems tray. This will give you a real time read of the CPU used. You will likely find that HULU is moderately CPU intensive. And when you max out your CPU, you start to get a case of the the pauses, jumps, etc.
A faster CPU will obviously help this, and adding more memory (which is fairly cheap these days) might help as well. Beyond that, here are some "tricks" that I've found that help some (especially on the older/slower computers in our house):
1) First the obvious one. Since the problem is likely lack of sufficient CPU, close down anything else you don't need to run (which is using up CPU). This gives more CPU to the flash video.
2) As others have said, pausing the video briefly (until the CPU goes close to zero according to task manager) allows the HULU app to buffer a little ahead. This doesn't help a lot, but it's sometimes just enough to allow HULU to display things without "hanging".
3) I forget what the Win2K task manager is like, but if it's the same as the XP task manager, you can use it to raise the priority of your web browser's task above normal. The effect of this (temporary) change, is that your browser (and therefore the HULU flash video) will get a little higher priority (over other tasks in Windows) for any CPU that you have. In my experience, this also makes a minor improvement in the quality/smoothness of HULU video.
4) When things start getting "jumpy" try a smaller video display (as drawing less of the screen uses less CPU). The WORST CHOICE (if you have an older CPU that can't keep up) is their "Full Screen" mode, as it (in my experience) uses a lot of CPU, and can often have problems with hanging and jumpy screens. Obviously the "best choice" (CPU wise) is their normal boxed screen (that first comes up). However, I have also found that the "Pop out" option (i.e. video in a new browser window that you can size as you wish) is often a good compromise between video size and CPU load.
WARNING: If you do go with "Pop out", be sure to close the original browser window ASAP. Yes, the original browser window will now be "paused", but I've found that sometimes the HULU controls can goof and start running BOTH windows (the new "Pop out" one, and the original smaller one). And when that happens, you not only have your CPU go south, you get very funny audio, as the two screens won't be at the same place in your show... | |
frankdsl124c
join:2008-03-13
Brooklyn, NY
| I have turned off all of the start up programs when running hulu videos including anti-spyware and anti-virus programs and this does reduce the tendency to stall. But how do you raise the priority of your web browser's task above normal? Also r there any programs that i can get that will help reduce video stall? Y does Google video and YouTube work so well? Thanx 4 the help! | |
DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| said by frankdsl124c  :But how do you raise the priority of your web browser's task above normal? As I mentioned, I don't remember what the Win2K task manager is like (it's been a few years since we used Windows 2000 at work).
But if it works anything like the XP task manager, it's very easy to change process priorities. In XP you just have task manager bring up the process list, find the process used by your web browser (for example, I use the FireFox web browser, so my browser's process is "firefox.exe"), right click that process (in Task Manager), and choose "Set Priority => Above Normal" (and OK the change, when Task Manager asks you to verify). Voila, your web browser is running at higher than default Windows priority (and therefore gets CPU slightly ahead of other things running on your machine).
NOTE: Higher priority for your web browser seems to help a little bit. But in the end, a "too slow" machine, will still be too slow. And we all have to live with the fact that HULU is just more CPU hungry than say YouTube is (so it won't work as well on slower machines)... | |
frankdsl124c
join:2008-03-13
Brooklyn, NY | Thanx 4 the information, i have tried some of your suggestions and they do help. I was also thinking of getting a faster internet service such as Verizon Business Class or such. Would this help? | |
DracoFelis
Premium
join:2003-06-15
| said by frankdsl124c :I was also thinking of getting a faster internet service such as Verizon Business Class or such. Would this help? In theory yes, but in practice it appears that you may have enough ISP speed, and the problem is your CPU speed. If so, a faster ISP speed won't make much of a difference (except to your pocket book), until/unless you get a computer with a faster CPU...
BTW:
I have the same problem with 3meg (supposedly 10meg, but my older modem can't sync with my DSL at full speed) internet, and I still have the same hulu problems you do with my older computer. And yes, things like playing with the priority, using smaller video, etc, all help (but only so much).
OTOH: I just got done viewing things using my newer (albeit not exactly super fast) laptop (but cabled up to my 20" CRT monitor), and I had little problems watching "full screen". So in the end, the solution appears to be to get a faster CPU, not necessarily a faster internet (as your internet is probably "fast enough", it's your CPU that's having trouble drawing the video in "real time"). | |
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