Why is my video streaming jerky?

Q I am experiencing slow, jerky playback when I watch online videos.

It seems particularly bad when I try to watch programmes via the BBC’s iPlayer. The playback window appears with the dotted circle revolving for ages then the programme runs for just a few seconds before the dotted circle reappears: this makes it impossible to watch.

In fact, this happens pretty much any time I try to watch video content online – even on Youtube. What’s the problem?
John Alcroft

A You have only told us that your PC runs Windows Vista so we can offer only general advice.

Video-streaming websites such as iPlayer and Youtube deliver huge amounts of data to your PC. If a computer’s internet connection doesn’t have sufficient bandwidth to cope with this volume of incoming information then playback can be infuriatingly choppy, just as you describe – with the player having to pause while the next chunk of data is downloaded.

So, the first thing to do is check that your connection to the outside world is up to the job of streaming videos. The BBC maintains its own iPlayer diagnostics page, click here to go to it.

As well as offering a familiar broadband speed test, this will measure your connection’s performance during three real streams before using this information to gauge which services can be reliably streamed to your PC.

Once the test has completed, you will be offered tips on improving performance – just click the Streaming programmes link. In addition, if your computer is a laptop that is connected wirelessly, say, then there are a couple of strategies that may improve the reliability of streaming video.

For starters, try moving the laptop closer to the router: if playback improves, then it’s a fair bet that parts of your home are reception black spots.

Another thing to try is to change the radio channel used by your router, to reduce interference from neighbours’ equipment. Click here to look at a video guide on our website which shows you how to do this – hopefully this video isn’t too jerky to be of assistance.