i have a 1st generation macbook air and it can be quite frustrating especially watching youtube and hi definition video. it will looks jerky and especially when it turns hot. is it normal? any solution to overcome it? thinking of selling it and get a MBP.
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youtube looks jerky on my macbook air
- Thread starter roslee7
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Your Macbook Air should be fine watching high definition video in Quicktime X or VLC. It won't be able to handle much via Flash though.
Flash on Mac OS X is one of the worst pieces of software I have ever used. It is beyond slow and consumes far more CPU than it should.
You can try to install the Flash 10.1 prerelease, but it will only help so much.
Flash on Mac OS X is one of the worst pieces of software I have ever used. It is beyond slow and consumes far more CPU than it should.
You can try to install the Flash 10.1 prerelease, but it will only help so much.
I have a rev C Air and use Click2flash to avoid using flash on Youtube as far as possible. You can download it here:
http://rentzsch.github.com/clicktoflash/
If you go to youtube and load a page with flash on it, you can right-click on where the video would be - you'll see what I mean - and get a set of options.
Select "load H.264 videos from youtube" and if you want, load HD videos. That forces selection of quicktime rather than flash which should work a lot better.
It may not solve all your problems but it's a lot better than flash on a mac.
better youtube performance
The videos are looking jerky because firefox does an autosave every 10 seconds. This has nothing to do with your computer. I own an MBP late 2008 an even here the videos look(ed) jerky.
Here is the solution to your problem.
http://lifehacker.com/5342636/how-to-fix-annoying-youtube-jumpiness-in-firefox
njoy
The videos are looking jerky because firefox does an autosave every 10 seconds. This has nothing to do with your computer. I own an MBP late 2008 an even here the videos look(ed) jerky.
Here is the solution to your problem.
http://lifehacker.com/5342636/how-to-fix-annoying-youtube-jumpiness-in-firefox
njoy
Try the same videos in Safari, Chrome, Opera, or any other browser and the result will be the same. Flash uses 120% (100% is one processor core) CPU watching normal video with HD taking even more.
This is a problem with Flash. No tweak to Firefox is going to fix it.
I'm assuming you're using Safari because you've not said, if so you will need to restart Safari to enable Click2flash.
If you go then to youtube, or any site that shows a flash image, right click on the grey box with flash in the centre and you should get a menu. Select the bottom option and change the settings as I said before.
The problem with flash, which is the default for youtube videos, is that flash is **** on OSX compared to windows. So it takes a lot of cpu power to display flash. A MacBook Pro may do better, in fact I think it does, than an Air but it is really a problem with Adobe flash not your air.
thanks so much guys...you guys are very helpful and thats what the forum means..to share and help mac user. btw, its true, after restart safari and then clicktoflash works. the video much much better . thanks a again
I tried the videos in Safari - they played without interruption - after I did what lifehacker suggested the videos run smooth in Firefox as well.
nope, it means that the weak playback has nothing to do with your macbook air but with the configuration of firefox.
Your Macbook Pro has enough CPU power to watch the Youtube videos even with Flash hitting the CPU as hard as it does.
The OP has a Macbook Air Rev. A which is notorious for heat related issues and a weak CPU. There is a massive difference between the two.
u guys are great and this clicktoflash is awesome. the firefox setting doesnt help. i almost like throwing my MBA on the floor coz so frustrating watching youtube and finally have this solution....thanks again. but in future, i will consider buying Macbook pro i guess coz its speed
Run Safari in 32 bit mode, my games glitch like crazy in 64 bit mode, I'm guessing Flash video performance gets thrashed too.
Quit out of Safari, right click the Safari icon in your Applications folder, select get info, and select 'open in 32-bit mode,' open Safari back up.
Please tell me if that helps your particular problem.
Please tell me if that helps your particular problem.
upaymeifixit
macrumors 6502a
Not what I was told.
I have the same problem. I went in for an appointment and one of the geniuses said this problem is common with most Rev. A MacBook Airs. He said it is caused by lack of proper heat discharge, resulting in a slower GPU and CPU (not that there was much of either to begin with). Try to keep it cool. You may want to use a voltage reducer application like CoolBook, or be like this guy, and mod your heat sink.
I figured the problem lay in the hardware, but I also have noticed the software can be a decent chunk of the problem. Sure things like Firefox's autosave feature and FlashPlayer will not be good for any graphics, but the thing I noticed most was the RAM. I find it's best to keep as much out of your RAM as possible. Even things sitting not being used still take up space. Space that isn't really available with 2GB. Look in your menubar, how many third party icons are up there? Eliminate as many as possible. Unfortunately the Macbook Air was not really designed to be a main computer. Think of it as a big iPhone (sorry).
I have the same problem. I went in for an appointment and one of the geniuses said this problem is common with most Rev. A MacBook Airs. He said it is caused by lack of proper heat discharge, resulting in a slower GPU and CPU (not that there was much of either to begin with). Try to keep it cool. You may want to use a voltage reducer application like CoolBook, or be like this guy, and mod your heat sink.
I figured the problem lay in the hardware, but I also have noticed the software can be a decent chunk of the problem. Sure things like Firefox's autosave feature and FlashPlayer will not be good for any graphics, but the thing I noticed most was the RAM. I find it's best to keep as much out of your RAM as possible. Even things sitting not being used still take up space. Space that isn't really available with 2GB. Look in your menubar, how many third party icons are up there? Eliminate as many as possible. Unfortunately the Macbook Air was not really designed to be a main computer. Think of it as a big iPhone (sorry).
anyway Macbook air is not as bad as u think and i still can do imovie and final cut express on it and photoshop without a prob. I just got frustrated recently when watching youtube coz its not smooth and jerky until bro AndyMulhern intro me this clicktoflash and at least its helps me a lot. Anyway, i will just use it until my apple care protection expire on 2011 and perhaps will get a macbook pro later. I love this MBA coz of its weight and slimness
My Rev. B Macbook Air struggles with Flash video. The reason why is Flash is consuming more CPU than it should. Try to play the same Flash video under Windows (via Boot Camp) on the Macbook Air and it will be very smooth.
The Rev. A isn't the most powerful machine ever built, but it isn't at fault here.
Flash is the problem. OS X can manage the memory correctly without much help.
Hulu too
I have a rev a as well, and I also have this issue on Hulu, so no chance in DL the video and replaying on QT. Would love some ideas, I love my air, but would love for the video to be better.
I have a rev a as well, and I also have this issue on Hulu, so no chance in DL the video and replaying on QT. Would love some ideas, I love my air, but would love for the video to be better.
Try switching to HTML5 in youtube:
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/21/youtube-videos-now-available-in-html5-good-riddance-flash/
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/21/youtube-videos-now-available-in-html5-good-riddance-flash/
Bosman
macrumors member
Here is a link about html5 an how it is gonna help rid flash from the internet...hopefully. Also the article discusses who, how and why...
http://gizmodo.com/5454115/first-youtube-now-vimeo-how-html5-could-finally-kill-flash-video
hitekalex
macrumors 68000
HTML5 YouTube on MBA - huge improvement
Anyone tried HTML5 YouTube videos on their MBA yet?
I see huge performance improvement over standard Flash. Have been playing videos for over 30 minutes now, the CPU is under 30% and the fans run cool 2500rpm. With Flash, the laptop gets red hot with fanks cranking up to 6200rpm after a few minutes of playback. Very promising..
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for Flash on the web!
Anyone tried HTML5 YouTube videos on their MBA yet?
I see huge performance improvement over standard Flash. Have been playing videos for over 30 minutes now, the CPU is under 30% and the fans run cool 2500rpm. With Flash, the laptop gets red hot with fanks cranking up to 6200rpm after a few minutes of playback. Very promising..
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for Flash on the web!
hi guys, previously i had problem when watching youtube coz of its jerky video and then i did install clicktoflash which was recommended by some of u. It helps me a lot and it looks much better on it except i have to shrink the video in order to click the play button underneath. Do u guys have the same problem? 1 thing i like about this program, u can download the video too. I can say, its an awesome software and very useful too. Recently i read about youtube html5 and i try it. Now sure if got any difference on it and some videos are on html5 and some are not. is it true? BTW, i already have clicktoflash and will it conflict with html5?