Using YouTube to watch videos from a variety of subjects is a common practice among Internet users. The site has more than 2 billion views a day, and every minute, 24 hours of new videos are added to it.
The repertoire is great and the functions made available by the service, too. But there are days when the connection does not work. And using all of YouTube’s features deters the playback of multimedia files, causing deadlock and unreasonable delays in uploading. What to do when it happens?
Thinking of situations like those mentioned above? PC-GIGA has prepared a guide with useful tips to keep our users in hand. And it’s crafted for the days when nothing wants to work right on the video site. Check out the little tutorial below and do not go any further!
Solution 1 to youtube is so slow: Implementation of the HD format
About a decade years ago, YouTube added to the site’s features the ability to watch high-quality videos. The feature is known as HQ (High Quality) or HD (High Definition). The boxes in which the images are displayed no longer have the square format already known by the users, to assume the widescreen shape.
This allowed several files already loaded on the site to fit, which were in elongated format, but could not be played that way because the YouTube screen was square.
In addition to the file losing the original quality, the old resolution caused a cut in the displayed images to adapt them to the traditional square. With the update, there were also more possibilities for visualization.
A useful option for larger videos is the “Expand” function, symbolized by a double arrow, pointing down and to the right. With it, you can increase the size of the display screen.
However, if the load is too slow, it is preferable to disable these functions in order to decrease the size of the file to be displayed, a way to slightly relieve the connection speed.
Solution 2 to slow youtube playback: Working with video resolution
On YouTube, there are some changes you can make to the user to customize the display of the content accessed and avoid unnecessary crashes and delays. For this, we will show two ways to modify settings, which, although simple, return very good results.
Solution 3 to slow youtube: Changing the Size
One of the simplest measures to take when slow video playback occurs is to change the size of the displayed file. In the interface where the videos are shot, the user has access to the resolution button, located on the right side of the playback bar.
Click on this item to open the available options. The two largest sizes (1080 and 720 pixels) are displayed in HD, so they consume more bandwidth and tend to slow down playback. Choose sizes 480 pixels or smaller to require less connection and get better results in relation to speed.
It is important to note that the lower the resolution, the less quality the video will have. Therefore, we recommend that the user change and test the resolution that best balances the two items. Check out a comparison between a video displayed at 1080 pixels (the highest) and 240 pixels (the lowest).
Solution 4: Changing Settings Permanently
There is an option in YouTube features that allows you to customize the connection speed, as well as choose the best video size, considering the limitations of the network used. To access this part, there are two paths and, for both, it is necessary to be registered in the site:
- Click the button where the resolution options are displayed, located in the right part of the player, and select the “Settings” item. If the user is not yet logged in, he is automatically redirected to a login screen. Fill in the fields correctly to access the settings page of the videos.
- The second way is by directly accessing your YouTube account settings. To do this, click on your username, located at the top right of the page, and select the “Account” option. At this point, the user is redirected to the settings page. Click “Play Settings” located on the side menu of the page.
On this page, you can leave some changes permanent to improve the playback of videos on your computer. Check that “Always playing in high definition …” is not selected under “Video playback quality.” This may make the display slower than normal.
For those who have a slow internet connection, the recommended option is the first one: “I have a slow connection. Never play high-quality videos “. If you are only passing through a fleeting slowness, the best option is the second one: ”
Always choose the best option for me based on the size of my player”. It allows you to adjust the display according to the speed of your connection.
Solution 5 to youtube is so slow: Scare a load of videos
In some cases, it is possible that the slow or the crash is caused by many access to the site, which ends up leaving the server of the service overloaded. So in such situations, a simple change can solve the problem.
This happens because every time the user accesses a new link or causes the page to refresh – which happens by changing the video resolution – the page is reloaded on the server and can crash into a connection that is not slow. As a result, the video display may return to normal. Try this alternative before changing other settings.
How to stop slow loading of YouTube videos in Mozilla Firefox?
Over the years, YouTube has become increasingly complex and advanced, bringing features and functionality to improve the lives of both those who produce and those who consume video content. With the constant increase of its base of viewers (only in the US, the site is responsible for consuming half of all the data traffic together with Netflix ), the need for changes in its structure is evident.
For some years now, Google has implemented Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. Also known as DASH, this feature “breaks” the data of a video into small fractions that are gradually sent to the user’s browser.
The goal is to accelerate streaming of content especially in limited connections, but for many users, the shot ends up backfiring: in somewhat longer videos, DASH ends up slowing down the loading of videos, forcing the user to see constant buffering screens no matter how fast your internet connection is.
Fortunately, you can turn off this feature in the Mozilla Firefox browser with the help of an extension called YouTube Center. Check below how to install and use this extension.
Step 01
Access this link, which will take you straight to the YouTube Center extension in the list of Firefox extensions.
Step 02
Click the “Add to Firefox” link and wait for the extension’s installation, which will not require restarting the browser.
Step 03
With the extension installed, visit the YouTube site normally and notice that a pop-up window will appear featuring YouTube Center. Click “Go to Settings”:
Step 04
In the left menu, click the “Player” option and uncheck the “DASH Playback” option.
From now on, thanks to YouTube Center, you can watch YouTube videos with full speed and no gagging.