To troubleshoot jerky video/ DVD playback, we have to explore four lanes
for solutions: (1) Detect
what is (eventually) wrong with the graphic card; (2) Investigate
CODECS (Compressing Decompressing Software) to see if the right (efficient)
one is installed on the system; (3) Make sure that the right
or latest Adobe Flash Media Player(s) / ActiveX Control update/ upgrade are
installed, and (4) Verify
that there is no memory-leak when
playing videos.
Current issue gives tips and hints about memory leak to troubleshoot
jerky video/ DVD playback.
After performing troubleshooting suggestions and advices provided in previous
deliveries [97,98,99],
one can still experience jerky video and DVD playback. if the amount of Random
Access Memory (RAM) available for video or DVD playback is insufficient.
Indeed,
the quantity of Memory allocated
to loaded applications is an important
factor for having smooth video playback.
When applications are loaded, the
system grants each single one a certain amount of RAM. On its parts,
Microsoft's Windows Operating
System loads grabbing a very big chunk of available RAM - to make itself comfortable!
Further, several other applications from third parties load processes (DLLs)
not really needed unless one really does load the application itself. (For
instance,on my system, iTune loads iTuneHelper.exe and Ipod Service that I
do not really need. (I do not use iPod).
Performing the following sequence
Ctrl + Alt+ Del you can visualize the listing of the several processes that
load at the start of the computer. You would notice that many are not needed
for your particular computing session.
Normally,
when shut down, an application should relinquish its RAM allocation
[12, 55]
and close down its loaded Dynamic Link Library (DLLs)..
However, things do not always happen that way as some applications keep allocated
memory, and deprive memory guzzler applications like DVD players and video
players from necessary memory-allocation they need to perform well.
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LIMIT MEMORY-LEAK: CONTROL PROCESSES THAT LOAD WHEN
WINDOWS STARTS
The install of an application that operates in the background
to free RAM and unload DLLs (when an application is shut
down) is an asset to limit memory-leak on the system
[12, 55].
There are several such applications available on the Net. Ad-Aware
Plus from lavasoftis one of the most efficient as it not only
manages RAM allocations but also handles the Cache system that is also an important
factor to having smooth video and DVD playback sessions.
Knowing better your system, you can easily control RAM availability if you
perform the sequence Ctrl+Alt+Del to load the Task Manager and
spot processes that grabble a big chunk of available memory -
and that are not really necessary for your particular computing sessions.
Clicking on the Processes's menu bar on the top of the interface, you can kill
the "redundant" processes (with the End Process's button (XP- Service
Pack 2) at the bottom of the interface. There is another Microsoft
client called Microsoft
Process Explorer that is more performing than the "classic"
Task Manager that loads when you perform Ctrl+Alt+Del.
There are plenty of third parties software that controls and manages the loading
of StartUp applications. The one called StartUp Control Panelis
available here and is a very efficient
freeware.
- THE MOST POWERFUL THE CPU THE BEST
In conclusion, the most powerful the CPU and the quantity of installed RAM the
best to experience smooth computing sessions.
Indeed, if your computer
CPU (Central Processing Unit) is endowed with a powerful Dual Core or
Quarto Core Central Processing Unit, in addition of plenty of RAM and huge
Cache system, you can enjoy the luxury of multitasking without bothering about
memory-leak.
However, whatever may be the power of the CPU, the more applications you install
on your system, the more the risk of memory-leak.
In other words, a break-even point (with regards to the number of installed
applications) could be reached beyond which it would become compulsory to
tightly control processes that load when the operating system starts - in order
to experience non-jerky video and DVD playbacks.
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WHICH MEDIA PLAYER FOR A GOOD VIDEO AND DVD PLAYBACK EXPERIENCE?
In line with subject above
exposed, another factor that controls the smoothness of video and DVD playback
is the quality of the Media Player. A good one should expose all frames/
pictures included in videos.
There are score of Media Players available on the Net. Some are good freeware
that compete well with paid brands.
A good Media Player should expose in perfect sequence all frames contained
in a video or film and synchronize voice and pictures. Otherwise, one experiences
jerky video playback or a lag between voice and picture known as lip's lag time.
Therefore it is always a good computing practice to have several Media Players
installed in order to choose the right one for a particular video or film in
accordance with data file extension (avi; divX; wmm; and so on.) Of course, some
Media Players's producers boast their client software to
be the ultimate universal player. However, you would find out soon or later that
the claim is just a bombastic one.
Indeed, playing some video/ film on different Media Player, you would
notice astonishing exposures's differences.
For instance, when the witchwoman Nicole Kidman landed on the garden of the house
she decided to lease she stopped at the entrance and "collapsed"
her traveling witch-broom. And walked into the compound to put a spell on the
house (making the renting-panel springing from nowhere.) Then she entered the
house and came out with the lady in charge, enthusiastically stating
that she will lease the house. Then the lady in charge asked for references,
that Kindman said she did not have and suddenly "kicked" her left ear
to trigger a spell that put on the renting-panel a new statement that no reference
was needed.
Some of the Media Players may show all these frames above briefly described and
some won't. It is very characteristic. For instance, when Kidman drove out in
rear gear from the garage to go and meet her father at the superstore, her beetle-car's
hood opens in some Media Player and do not open in others. And so on.
Hence, the necessity to have several Media Players installed (to be tested)
to choose the one best suited for a particular video/ DVD playback session because
for the time being no existing Media Player can claim to be be the ultimate
player. Not to forget weird data file extensions that necessitate particular
system configuration as here exposed.
.
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