# playback video is choppy

**URL:** <https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601>\
**Category:** Wowza Streaming Engine\
**Created:** [April 16, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601 "2009-04-16T14:06:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.wowza.com/system/32/447_2.png) [@system](https://community.wowza.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/1 "2009-04-16T14:06:30Z")

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I have a Mac running Wirecast and send the video via wireless internet back to the company’s Wowza server. I played back the video from Wowza server. The video is choppy: it play for a few seconds then freez a few seconds.

the video in Wirecast was set to output (flash, H.264 Video encoding, 720x480, 29.97fps, bitrate is 800Kbps. I didn’t send audio in the test.

The wireless internet most of the time can have 1Mbps upload speed.

What can I do to improve the video playback?

Thanks!

Emily

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/2 "2009-04-16T19:10:46Z")

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Emily,

I would try half that bitrate: 400kbs, and not much higher when you add audio.

Richard

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/3 "2009-04-16T19:26:55Z")

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It sounds like it is choking at 800kb/s, and that’s my experience too where the supposed up-speed, same as yours, seems adequate, but evidently isn’t. Lower bitrate means lower quality, but 400kb/s of h.264 video can be very good, depending on the input. In anycase, smooth playback is more important than resolution.

Richard

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/4 "2009-04-17T14:41:16Z")

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Have you looked at these options in the Application.xml:

Default:

```auto
<!-- suggested settings for video on demand applications -->
					<ReceiveBufferSize>24000</ReceiveBufferSize>
					<SendBufferSize>65000</SendBufferSize>
					<!-- suggest settings for low latency chat and video recording applications
					<ReceiveBufferSize>16000</ReceiveBufferSize>
					<SendBufferSize>16000</SendBufferSize>
					-->

```

I deleted the vod setting and uncommented the alternative settings. Better for you:

```auto
<!-- suggest settings for low latency chat and video recording applications -->
					<ReceiveBufferSize>16000</ReceiveBufferSize>
					<SendBufferSize>16000</SendBufferSize>
					

```

Richard

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/5 "2009-04-17T14:56:04Z")

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Sorry, VHost.xml (not Application.xml)

Richard

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Richard\_Lanham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Richard\_Lanham](https://community.wowza.com/u/Richard_Lanham)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/6 "2009-04-17T15:32:51Z")

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I’m not sure what else to do. Have you tried 600kbs?

Richard

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**Author:** ![Emily\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Emily\_L](https://community.wowza.com/u/Emily_L)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/7 "2009-04-16T14:18:35Z")

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We don’t need audio most of the time. Right now I just test video. If I lower the bitrate, do I still get the same quality of the video? I am pretty much satified with the video quality but it just didn’t playback continuously.

Thanks Richard.

Emily

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**Author:** ![Emily\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Emily\_L](https://community.wowza.com/u/Emily_L)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/8 "2009-04-17T09:30:03Z")

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Richard,

I would like to try to increase the buffer time. Can you please tell me what I should change in the configuration files? I don’t mind the delay. I need good video quality.

Thanks.

Emily

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Emily\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Emily\_L](https://community.wowza.com/u/Emily_L)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 9:48am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/9 "2009-04-17T09:48:13Z")

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Is Application.xml or VHost.xml?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Emily\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Emily\_L](https://community.wowza.com/u/Emily_L)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/playback-video-is-choppy/601/10 "2009-04-17T10:28:02Z")

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Thanks Richard.

I remember I saw one post said the default buffer time is 2 seconds. where can I find this line to modify it to a longer buffer time? I was thinking if I increase the buffer time in the server, when I playback the video, it may be smooth.

Emily