Windows 98 wont play youtube videos, HELP!?!

[Daz2007]

Hi all, I recently came into the posession of a Windows 98 SE computer, ive got the internet up and running etc but when trying to get youtube flash videos to play the picture and sound is very jumpy and I have no idea whats causing it. I have installed all the relevant software so I dont think its that.
Anyway here are my specs:
Authentic AMD
AMD-K6 3D Processor
376MB of RAM, original 120 plus an added 256.

[lil_falco]

Your Ram is the problem.
But your OS is ancient also...

Invest in a computer with somewhat good specifications.

[WillyW]

Your Ram is the problem.
...

What is the problem with the ram?

[Daz2007]

I dont think it has anything to do with the ram, does anyone have any idea what this could be? The frame rate is slow, it will stutter and wont play smoothly. HELP!

[WillyW]

I dont think it has anything to do with the ram,

I didn't either.

But his statement was so definitive,  I thought we all might learn something.   
 

does anyone have any idea what this could be? The frame rate is slow, it will stutter and wont play smoothly. HELP!

Venturing a guess here -  what about your processor speed?   Could it be that it is just not enough?

Also, how about your connection speed?   

Please tell us what speed your AMD chip is,  and what kind/speed of internet connection you are using.

If you would like to pick out a couple good examples of the behavior you've described, and pass along the links,   I'll try them and see what they do for me.     I can use a Win98SE  AMD K-6   350MHZ  on DSL connection.   If it will play a youtube video at all,  I'll report back to you so you can compare our results.

[Soviet_Genius]

Do you have the latest flash player?

[Daz2007]

Thanks Willy, I am using an AMD K6 3D processor, im not sure what speed that is, I wondered whether I need to update the drivers because I will get the same sort of thing with avi files aswell, but not wmv strangely. Im running broadband wirelessly, but I dont think its that because it will stream pretty fast but when I try to play the video, thats when I get the problems.Its hard to explain, its like its only playing every 3 frames, the sound will stutter and the player will skip seconds e.g. it will go from 1:01 to 1:04 missing all the frames in between. I have the latest flash player fully installed.
Thanks in advance.
Daz

[patio]

Have you cleaned out your Temp files lately ? ?
Done a defrag ? ?

How much free space is on that HDD ? ?

[Daz2007]

Its a fresh install of Windows so I doubt that would do much, there is 19GB of HDD.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Ur windows 98 is better than one of my windows XPs......

Try downloading VLC Media Player and see if your .avi's run smooth.

You should be able to find the processor speed by right clicking My Computer.

[WillyW]

Thanks Willy, I am using an AMD K6 3D processor, im not sure what speed that is, I wondered whether I need to update the drivers because I will get the same sort of thing with avi files aswell, but not wmv strangely.

Codecs, maybe?

Im running broadband wirelessly, but I dont think its that because it will stream pretty fast but when I try to play the video, thats when I get the problems.Its hard to explain, its like its only playing every 3 frames, the sound will stutter and the player will skip seconds e.g. it will go from 1:01 to 1:04 missing all the frames in between. I have the latest flash player fully installed.

hmm...  nothing is coming right to mind.

I can say that sometimes an .avi here won't play,  or will play just the audio.
Sometimes I can get them to play with VLC and sometimes not.   Often, VLC is very herky jerky.
Same with .wmv files.   Some play correctly,  some do not.  Both with WMP and VLC.


By the way,  what version of Windows Media Player are you using?
6.4.07.1119 here.      There may be a newer version that I can use -  I seem to remember looking into it one time, but there was a reason I didn't want to upgrade versions.   Can't remember now.

Since .avi and .wmv files are not a high priority to me, I've not spent much time on even trying to see if I could improve things here.   


Is it possible, since you have a fresh install of Windows,  that your version of WMP is upgrade-able, and needs to be?

If you want to get your processor speed,  and a lot of other info about your system,  try   Everest .    It is free, and will generate a nice report.
You can download it here.

How about your video card specs?    Might they not be up to the task?
One way to get some of that info:
Start->Run ,      type    dxdiag        and  click ok.
That will launch a diagnostic tool.
Click the       Display      tab.
There is a box titled   Device.        You might want to report back here the info displayed there -  maybe somebody reading along will notice anything that might not be good.

Stick with Patio, hopefully  he can continue in this thread.    He might want/need some of that info that I mentioned.

[WillyW]

...

You should be able to find the processor speed by right clicking My Computer.

Then what?       .... I haven't found it here yet.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Ah right, missed out a bit.
Right click My Computer and click Properties and at the bottom of the General Tab should say what processor you have and how fast it is.

[WillyW]

Ah right, missed out a bit.
Right click My Computer and click Properties and at the bottom of the General Tab should say what processor you have and how fast it is.

No speed listed.

I suspect that is an XP thing.



Attached is a screen cap of what it looks like on my Win98SE system.




[Saving disk space -  old attachment deleted by admin]

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Try this then...

Download this small program (I don't know if it will work with 98):
System Spec

When the program has loaded, press F5 and it will tell you...stuff about your computer, including CPU Speed.