Video runs smooth :) Now runs choppy :( Please Help!!!

[DeeSells]

I have an issue that I would be grateful for some help with.

All of a sudden I am having problems with videos in .mkv format playing extremely choppy and are basically unwatchable. The audio and video no longer match, the video is basically in slow motion.

So the very strange thing is this problem came out of nowhere. These videos played with absolutely no problem previously. It started yesterday with a couple of hiccups and then by the end of the video it was unwatchable.

I hadn't changed anything in windows or with the codecs I was using. I tried a couple different players (VLS, BS, Windows Media Player) and they all experienced the same slow down. My CPU is running at 100 percent when a video is playing (not sure if this is normal)
I have checked the drivers and re-installed them for my video card as well as unistalled codecs and reinstalled. Any help would be greatly appreciated at this point as I am going insane.

By the way I am no techie so if anything didnt make sense please bare with me. Anything else I need to post let me know.

System Specs

Centrino T5500 Processor 1.83 GHZ
3 GB DDR 2 RAM
32 Bit Windows
Geforce 8400 GS Graphics card

[gonwk]

Hi Dee,

Welocme aboard! BTW, please READ the above FORUM Rules ... http://forum.digital-digest.com/faq.php?faq=vb_faq#faq_forum_rules

From what you explained ... I have a feeling your PC ... it will not be able to handle these Specific MKV files.

The MKV is a "Container" ... I am assuming your Video File CODEC used was H.264 and probably High Resolution ... probably a 1080 one ... if that is the case your PC Specs will not be able to handle it.

So, what are your choices ...

1) Faster CPU and way better card than Nvidia 8400GS for these files anyway.

2) Demux the MKV and remux it with more user friendly Codec ... like XviD and MP3 audio ... in a .AVI container.

3) Or just use a no-brainer drag&drop software like "MediaCoder" or "AviDemux" to do your Conversions. With T5550 will probably take you couple hours if not more.

G!

[DeeSells]

Thanks for the response.

The weird thing is that I have had no problems in the past playing these .mkv files. I could even stream them from my home server with no problems. Now all of a sudden I can't. Any other suggestions?

[DeeSells]

Also to add, sometimes the videos will play fine for 10 minutes or half an hour and then begin to slowoly become more and more choppy. This happens especially when skipping to different parts of the video a few times.

[gonwk]

Hi Dee,

I know a lot of other people have been complaining about Jerky palybacks and under different set-ups ...

I am not sure what else to do ... if it was me I would Convert them to a regular .AVI with XviD and MP3 ... set your bitrates for the Video high and go for 190Kbps for MP3 ... you should be A-OK!

Sorry can't be of any more help!

G!