Finding the problem and solution depends on what kind of video is giving you trouble.
If we're talking about something streaming over the Internet, look to your broadband connection as a possible culprit. Is it fast enough? And even if it is, something else could be slowing down this particular transfer, including someone else in the house also streaming a video, or an overloaded server at the video's source.
Try pausing the video and doing something else for a few minutes. That should give it a decent head start.
If we're talking about games, video editing, or anything involving HD, there's a good chance your graphics adapter isn't up to the task. Or, if you're lucky, the hardware is fine and only the driver needs to be updated.
Check for driver updates before spending money on new hardware. If you're using the onboard graphics built into your PC's motherboard, look to your system vendor's website for an update (this is how Davisd fixed his problem). If you have a separate graphics board, check that manufacturer's web site.
But drivers may not be enough, especially if you're using your motherboard's built-in graphics. If there are no updates available, or if they don't fix the problem, you may need a new graphics card. Visit PC World's Graphics Cards page for more information. This is strictly a desktop option; you can't upgrade the graphics card on your laptop.
Upgrading RAM might also solve the problem, especially if you've got less than 1GB for XP or 2GB for Vista. This generally costs less than upgrading the video, helps performance all around, and can be done to a laptop as well as a desktop. But if you already have a sufficient amount of RAM, it probably won't help this particular problem.
Chances are that hardware upgrades won't help if the video stutters when you play a DVD. As far as I know, no one has built a PC this century that lacks the power for that simple job. If a video driver update doesn't fix this problem, try switching to another player--like WinAmp, iTunes, or Windows' own Media Player. Or try closing some background programs before settling down for your movie.
You read the original Answer Line Forum thread at http://forums.pcworld.com/message/146893.
Email your technology questions to me at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum.
Ad Choices