PCFormat Forum Archive

Hey guys, I really hope someone could help.

Occasionally, some Youtube videos will not play. It will either start playing, and then stop after 2 - 6 seconds, or it wouldn't even start playing. The videos always buffer (load) to the full, and skipping doesn't work.

I tried reinstalling the flash player, using different browsers, clearing the cache, everything.
Here's the weird thing, the problem exists on 3 pc's on my network (Win 7 64bit Pro & Home Prem, as well as Vista 64bit)

Notably, when using my phone as modem (Vodacom), the videos (which didn't play while using ADSL as internet connection) load and play perfectly, but back on ADSL the problem still exists. Its a Capped Afrihost 4mb account.

Any ideas?

I think it's your monitor. Send me your monitor and I'm willing to test it and make sure for you. Don't worry, I'll even pay for the delivery to an undisclosed address.

If that fails however I do have something for you to try. If the mods will allow it due to this being a legit technical issue.
Try 3rd party software to see if you are able to download the video. Orbit downloader is freeware and it has a built in flash-downloader called grab++
I don't see how this wouldn't work as it buffers 100%. So once it's downloaded, see if you can play it off your hard drive in your web browser. This should pretty much determine if it's on the ISP side or PC side. I just wouldn't know what to do with that result.

Honestly, if it buffers 100%, I can't see how it's on the ISP side. But you threw a spanner in the works by saying 3G doesn't have the same problem.

P.S. Once it's finished streaming on ADSL, disable your LAN and try play the video.

Actually I have the same problem. However, its not all YouTubes that does the same. But only on my Laptop.

Probably not related, but I sometimes have to move the slider a small amount to get it started.

DVDL wrote:Hey guys, I really hope someone could help.

Occasionally, some Youtube videos will not play. It will either start playing, and then stop after 2 - 6 seconds, or it wouldn't even start playing. The videos always buffer (load) to the full, and skipping doesn't work.

I tried reinstalling the flash player, using different browsers, clearing the cache, everything.
Here's the weird thing, the problem exists on 3 pc's on my network (Win 7 64bit Pro & Home Prem, as well as Vista 64bit)

Notably, when using my phone as modem (Vodacom), the videos (which didn't play while using ADSL as internet connection) load and play perfectly, but back on ADSL the problem still exists. Its a Capped Afrihost 4mb account.

Any ideas?

I get exactly the same problems... I think its a YouTube problem cause at one point, it was really bad, and then after a day it was normal again.

Another thing: I can though play these "unplayable videos" on my Android using Wi-Fi, which obviously uses the ADSL line. Thus I doubt it being on the ISP's side.

Synthesis wrote:I think it's your monitor. Send me your monitor and I'm willing to test it and make sure for you. Don't worry, I'll even pay for the delivery to an undisclosed address.

Thanks, but the problem coexists om my desktop PC as well as on my laptop. Is it possible that both the PC's monitor as well as the laptop's screen are the cause?

Synthesis wrote:If that fails however I do have something for you to try. If the mods will allow it due to this being a legit technical issue.
Try 3rd party software to see if you are able to download the video. Orbit downloader is freeware and it has a built in flash-downloader called grab++
I don't see how this wouldn't work as it buffers 100%. So once it's downloaded, see if you can play it off your hard drive in your web browser. This should pretty much determine if it's on the ISP side or PC side. I just wouldn't know what to do with that result.

All right, I downloaded Orbit Downloader, and observed the following:
-> Grab++ couldn't pick up any streaming video being played (using orbit via the browser), because the video has to actually start playing before it could automatically be downloaded
-> Thus I used the URL function, used the URL of one of the "unplayable videos", it then downloaded a 30kb .htm file which didn't play when I opened it through the browser...

Synthesis wrote:P.S. Once it's finished streaming on ADSL, disable your LAN and try play the video.

Tried that, even used a hard LAN connection in place of WLAN, didn't solve the problem.
*Off to check if these videos play on other pc's on my network.

garp wrote:I get exactly the same problems... I think its a YouTube problem cause at one point, it was really bad, and then after a day it was normal again.

Yes A lot of people on a lot of forums have this problem, but no one has a solution.

KALSTER wrote:Probably not related, but I sometimes have to move the slider a small amount to get it started.

This solution works occasionally, but a permanent solution would've been nice

DVDL wrote: Synthesis wrote:I think it's your monitor. Send me your monitor and I'm willing to test it and make sure for you. Don't worry, I'll even pay for the delivery to an undisclosed address.


Thanks, but the problem coexists om my desktop PC as well as on my laptop. Is it possible that both the PC's monitor as well as the laptop's screen are the cause?

I think he was being sarcastic....

I get the "an error occurred, please try again later" message quite a lot

garp wrote: I think he was being sarcastic....

Looks like my determined attitude shut down my humorous brain function temporary... lol