Youtube videos stutters only in full screen, even at 60fps, fine in windowed – using browser

Understanding and Troubleshooting YouTube Full-Screen Playback Issues

Experiencing video playback problems can be frustrating, especially when they occur unpredictably. Recently, some users have reported encountering stuttering or significant drops in frame rate during YouTube videos when switching to full-screen mode, despite having smooth playback in windowed mode. This article explores the potential causes of this issue and offers practical solutions to help restore optimal viewing experience.

Identifying the Problem

Many affected users note that their videos play flawlessly in windowed mode, with smooth motion at 60 frames per second (fps). However, upon entering full-screen mode, the video appears choppy, with frame rates dropping to around 20 fps or lower. This problem persists even with high-bandwidth internet connections, such as gigabit-speed networks, and remains despite disabling hardware acceleration in browsers and updating system graphics drivers.

Potential Causes

1. Hardware Acceleration Settings: While disabling hardware acceleration often improves playback, in some cases, the setting itself may be linked to compatibility issues with certain graphics drivers or browser configurations.

2. Graphics Driver Compatibility: Outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can cause rendering issues in full-screen modes, leading to decreased frame rates.

3. System Resources and Performance: Background processes or limited system resources may influence video playback, especially during full-screen rendering which demands more GPU power.

4. Browser or Extension Interference: Certain browser extensions or outdated browser versions might interfere with video rendering.

5. Display Refresh Rate and Settings: Mismatched display refresh rates or display configuration issues can impact smooth playback.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Verify Graphics Drivers

Ensure your graphics drivers are up-to-date. Visit the NVIDIA or your graphics card manufacturer’s website, download the latest drivers, and install them following the provided instructions.

1. Test Different Browsers

Try playing YouTube videos in alternative browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. Sometimes, browser-specific bugs can affect full-screen playback.

1. Disable/Enable Hardware Acceleration

Experiment with toggling hardware acceleration:

• In Chrome: Settings > Advanced > System > Use hardware acceleration when available.

• Restart the browser after changing this setting to observe effects.

• Check Display Settings

Ensure your display’s refresh rate matches your monitor’s capabilities:

• On Windows: Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings.

• Confirm the refresh rate is set appropriately.

• Close Background Applications

Close unnecessary applications to free system resources, ensuring optimal performance during video playback.

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