Trouble watching YouTube livestreams

owenmahamilton

owenmahamilton

owenmahamilton

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Joined
27 Jan 2023
Posts
9
Location
Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Hello, I just joined the forum and I have a problem that I hope someone can help me with. I watch YouTube content on my Windows 11 computer using Google Chrome which is kept fully up to date. If a channel that I subscribe to has a scheduled live stream coming up and I start the live stream video before the live stream actually starts then for some reason, when the stream starts, the person speaking is always already speaking so I have to rewind the stream back to the beginning. It is only a few seconds but I'm finding it quite annoying as if the stream has a live chat where questions can be asked, I'm always a few seconds behind. Does anyone have any idea why this might be happening and if so, is there something I can do to fix it? I tried asking on the official YouTube help forum but got no response whatsoever so I'm hoping someone on here will be kind enough to answer and hopefully help me solve this problem as I'm finding it really annoying. As I'm new to this forum, if I've posted this in the wrong place, please accept my apologies and perhaps someone can point me to the correct place to post it.

Thank you.
 
Do you have any extensions installed? Do you know the specs of your PC? Have you tested with other browsers, eg Firefox?
 
Thank you for the reply, the only extension I have is Adblock Plus which I've had for ages, and I'm sure that the problem started after I'd had it installed for quite a while. I've not tried any other browser as I only use Chrome. My PC is running an Intel i5-11600 @2.80 Ghz with 16Gb of memory.
 
as orcvader said
first thing you have to do is
test in another browser
you need to rule out/or not whether its a browser specific issue
if another browser works fine
then you can concentrate on its a chrome issue
if its same in other browsers
then maybe the issues at youtubes end (wouldnt be first time)
or its something else on your pc

ps. welcome to the forums
and as a new member youve probably not seen my weird typing before lol
i have issues reading large blocks of text like yours
so if i misunderstood something you said
then thats why
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
as orcvader said
first thing you have to do is
test in another browser
you need to rule out/or not whether its a browser specific issue
if another browser works fine
then you can concentrate on its a chrome issue
if its same in other browsers
then maybe the issues at youtubes end (wouldnt be first time)
or its something else on your pc

ps. welcome to the forums
and as a new member youve probably not seen my weird typing before lol
i have issues reading large blocks of text like yours
so if i misunderstood something you said
then thats why
Click to expand...
Thank you for the welcome, I don't believe you misunderstood anything I said at all, I will try another browser to see if the issue still occurs.
 
owenmahamilton said:
Thank you for the reply, the only extension I have is Adblock Plus which I've had for ages, and I'm sure that the problem started after I'd had it installed for quite a while. I've not tried any other browser as I only use Chrome. My PC is running an Intel i5-11600 @2.80 Ghz with 16Gb of memory.
Click to expand...
I highly suggest using uBlock Origin over ABP, it's lighter and doesn't have any allowed ads.
 
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To give an update, I just tried to watch a livestream using Microsoft Edge with an adblocker installed and the problem still occurred where when the stream appears on my screen, the person doing the livestream is already talking, as I said before it's only about a 10 second delay but it's a little annoying that it does this and it's not always done this. Maybe it's a Chromium issue as Edge is now built using Chromium I believe? I'll try a completely different browser next time there's a live stream that's not built using Chromium just to rule that out, what non Chromium based browser does anyone suggest that I try?
 
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Orcvader said:
Just Firefox. Opera also moved to Chromium.

Just in case, try it with no ad blocker too.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll try Firefox next time, as for no adblocker I forgot to install one when I tested a livestream on Microsoft Edge and when the livestream started an advert played first so by the time I had skipped it, I'd already missed 10 or so seconds of the livestream. So next time there's a livestream I will try Firefox with an adblocker and without an adblocker to see if there is any difference in behaviour.
 
I have now tried watching a livestream on YouTube using Firefox both with and without an adblocker installed and under both circumstances I still am having the issue where once the livestream starts on my PC then the person doing the livestream video has already started speaking so it seems that it's not a Chromium issue. Therefore does anyone have any other ideas as to what might be causing this issue and what I could do to solve it?

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
Either:
  • Your internet connection is slow, so it takes time to build up the initial buffer
  • Your PC doesn't have the proper hardware decoding, which can delay the stream, although assuming you're using the inbuilt graphics on your 11th gen i5, this should not be the case
  • YouTube itself may naturally have this delay and the streamer is not properly compensating for it
I don't have experience with YouTube but I know Twitch does have roughly ~5 second delay, and the streamers I usually watch are fully aware of it. A quick search there's 3 latency options and perhaps only left the setting as normal instead of low or ultra low: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7444635
 
Thanks for the reply, of those three it's probably the first one as my internet connection is not the greatest. I have an Nvidia 3060 graphics card so I doubt it is that causing the issue, it would have been really helpful if someone in the official YouTube support forums had replied but as they totally ignored me I thought I'd try here, thanks again for your help Orcvader, I guess I'll just have to live with it then, unless someone else who knows about this sort of thing comes along and sees this thread and can give me some more advice so I'll keep checking back to see if I get any new replies.
 
Another double check
Not that I disagree with orcvaders latest reply
I am just always trying to test something by other means
If it can help rule out
Or confirm stuff

Have you tried watching the same livestream
At same time on a mobile device
One that's connected to mobile network
And not your home Internet?
To see if that also does it
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Another double check
Not that I disagree with orcvaders latest reply
I am just always trying to test something by other means
If it can help rule out
Or confirm stuff

Have you tried watching the same livestream
At same time on a mobile device
One that's connected to mobile network
And not your home Internet?
To see if that also does it
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Mcnumpty2323. No I haven't tried watching on a mobile device. I'll try that on my iPad next time there is one that I want to watch.
 
Orcvader said:
Just make sure the iPad is using 4G/5G as suggested intead of your home WiFi, assuming it's faster on there.
Click to expand...
My iPad uses Wifi only, and I never use 4G or 5G on my mobile phone as it's too expensive but I'll try the iPad to see if Safari will play it, I've had this Broadband speed for years and it's only in the last couple of months that I have had the issue.
 
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