YouTube Video Quality

Jokester · 16 Aug 2013 at 19:23

This is beginning to do my nut in. I can't change YouTube video quality, selecting 1080p for example does nothing at all and it just continues in SD.

Windows 7, Waterfox 18.0.1

Been like this for a month or two I think now.

KIA · 16 Aug 2013 at 21:51

Same in Chrome?

Jokester · 16 Aug 2013 at 21:56

Yep, just installed it and it's doing exactly the same thing.

andy_mk3 · 16 Aug 2013 at 21:57

I get the same, the cog just spins

PapaLazaru · 16 Aug 2013 at 21:58

Even if you restart the video?

Working fine here, Win8 64 with Chrome.

Mr.Fantastic · 16 Aug 2013 at 22:03

This is why i use Greasemonkey with Youtube Center so i can select 720p as my default quality also i can put the video size to 1280x720.

Jokester · 16 Aug 2013 at 22:11

Interesting, I un-installed Chrome, then when I reloaded YouTube in Waterfox it said that it had to install Flash again. It now kinda works, but it's really slow, as in can take 30-60seconds to change between settings.

deanolfc · 17 Aug 2013 at 00:35

Try Chrome add on. Auto Hd for youtube. The cog just spins for me also until i applied the add on.

asim18 · 17 Aug 2013 at 05:58

As soon as you load a video page pause the video immediately, I'm talking within 0.5 seconds of the page appearing click anywhere on the video window to pause. Then select 1080p while it's paused. Then un-pause the video. Should start playing 1080p straight away. Works for me

Jokester · 17 Aug 2013 at 07:48

That seems to do the trick!

shadow_boxer · 17 Aug 2013 at 10:07

asim18 said:
As soon as you load a video page pause the video immediately, I'm talking within 0.5 seconds of the page appearing click anywhere on the video window to pause. Then select 1080p while it's paused. Then un-pause the video. Should start playing 1080p straight away. Works for me

This is what i tend to do and it seems to work ok.

iMacMart · 18 Aug 2013 at 12:47

I thought this was an issue with Sky fibre but after finding this thread I'm not so sure

MouthBoy · 18 Aug 2013 at 18:26

asim18 said:
As soon as you load a video page pause the video immediately, I'm talking within 0.5 seconds of the page appearing click anywhere on the video window to pause. Then select 1080p while it's paused. Then un-pause the video. Should start playing 1080p straight away. Works for me

This is the trick I have been doing for a few months now. Works for me. Just annoying a while ago I never had to do this and I could simply select 1080/720 and it would change within about 3-5seconds.

Rroff · 18 Aug 2013 at 18:31

Its a youtube problem - sometimes the pause trick works but not always - quite often what I have happen is:

Click 1080p, cog spins indefinitely, carries on playing in SD. pause and select back a bit, video stalls entirely and won't play in either SD or HD tho if theres other options it sometimes will play on those. Reload page it starts again in SD, repeat above steps and usually 2nd time it will start playing in HD.

Orcvader · 19 Aug 2013 at 14:34

As said, it's a Youtube problem. From what I've noticed it continues playing the SD cache that has already loaded, and then switches to the 720p/1080p one afterwards.

Sighn · 20 Aug 2013 at 23:13

^ I noticed this a few days ago. It will continue playing for a few seconds then seamlessly change to the selected resolution without hiccupping.

SmartVideo for Youtube exists for Firefox to allow greater control of playback.

opethdisciple · 21 Aug 2013 at 00:25

If you change the video quality after a video starts playing, pause it and start again and it will rebuffer with selected quality.