What to do when the video (especially the 4k Video) lags or stutters while played on windows 11? Try these fixes to solve the issue on your windows computer. When experiencing trouble with errors like “4k video not playing/stuttering” on your Windows 11 PC, it might be due to more than one reason. Below are the fixes for every possible reason that may cause such an issue.
Windows 11 is the most recent version of windows, and though it is a breath of fresh air compared to previous windows, it is not free of lags. There have been many complaints of Windows 11 users experiencing lag or stuttering issues (delay of a couple of seconds) while playing videos on your Windows device.
If you are annoyed by these issues, one may question the perks of using Microsoft’s latest Windows. It seems like Microsoft is still working on its way to delivering a lag-free OS, but it is still in the pipeline.
There have been both kinds of cases: facing lags only when playing videos using a particular application for the video player and facing lags across multiple applications of video players.
Usually, the 4k video is not playing or starts stuttering on your Windows 11 PC due to a lack of compatible hardware. Hence, Your PC is unable to run a 4k video properly.
However, lack of compatible hardware also includes the media player being out of date or needing to be re-installed, or there is some issue with the video you are trying to play.
Let’s jot down some possible causes of this issue:
- Outdated Graphics Drivers
- The latest updates need to be installed on Windows
- Playing video files with an out-of-date media player
- Improper System Configuration
- Corruption of video files
- Media player settings are incorrect
- Malware Infection In your windows
A point to note is that before trying any of these fixes, ensure that there is some problem to fix in the first place. Sometimes the video will lag due to insufficient resources. Firstly, ensure that you do not have too many programs running on your device. Hence first close any non-crucial programs.
Windows 11 prioritizes foreground processes, so the browser’s ‘Picture-in-Picture’ mode may cause a video to stutter. Try limiting your ‘FPS’ to 60 and play the video again to evaluate the issue.
If you are still experiencing the issue, don’t worry? There can be several reasons that may result in this issue. Fixing this issue is neither complex nor time-consuming, so try these fixes; however, you might need to try more than one fix listed below to solve and ultimately eradicate it from your device.
Top 5 Solutions To Fix Video Playback Problems
Below are some of the best practices you need to follow in order to get rid of the video lag or shuttering issues.
1. Ensure You Are Running the Latest Version of Windows
If you have not selected to update your device automatically, or some update requires your permission, etc., it can cause the new update to be pending or not able to install.
However, usually, windows can update itself if set on default settings. Updating windows is a very crucial though straightforward and quick process.
To ensure that your device is running on the latest Windows version, following these three steps will help you complete the process.
1. Firstly, check if you have any pending updates that need to be installed. To do so, simply click on ‘settings’ in the start menu under the ‘Pinned apps’ section. Or you can also type ‘setting’ in the search bar and press enter.
2. In the settings window, find the ‘windows update’ tab on the left sidebar and click to proceed.
3. Finally, on the right section of the window, you will be able to see the available updates (if any). If there are no updates available, click on the Check for ‘Updates’ button. Otherwise, click on the ‘Restart Now’ button to apply the downloaded updates to your PC.
Once restarted after updating, try playing the video to check if the problem is solved or persevere. However, if the problem persists, there is no need to worry; try the next fix.
2. Update your Graphics Drivers
An outdated graphics card can also result in lagging or stuttering of 4k video. Hence, in such cases updating it will solve the problem. Follow these four steps to update your graphic card.
- In the search option, type ‘device manager’ and click to proceed. Alternatively, you can also open Device Manager using a ‘Run’ command. To open Device Manager this way, press the ‘Windows+R’ keys together on your keyboard to bring the ‘Run’ command utility to your screen. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and hit Enter on your keyboard to open it.
- In the device manager, click on ‘display adapters’, which will expand the section.
- Right-click on the ‘primary graphics card’ and select the ‘Update driver option’ from the context menu. This will open a new window.
- Click on the “search automatically for drivers” option to let Windows search automatically for a driver and install it on your system.
Suppose you have already downloaded the driver package. Open ‘The File Explorer window and click on the ‘Browse my computer for drivers’ option and browse the file manually.
Restart your device once the update is downloaded and check if the problem is fixed by playing your video.
Related: How to Fix YouTube Videos not Playing on Safari Browser?
3. Change Power Plan Settings
If you are using a laptop or any other form of a portable computer, we can change the power plan depending on your requirements.
Playing 4K video needs high-performance mode on your computer; hence you need to ensure the correct setting on your device. To do this, you need to follow these four steps:
- Simply click on ‘settings’ in the start menu under the ‘Pinned apps’ section. Or you can also type ‘setting’ in the search bar and press enter.
- Select the system tab on the left side above Bluetooth & device in the’ settings’ window.
- From the right section of the window, scroll down to locate and click on the ‘Power & battery’.
- Then, click on the drop-down menu on the far-right edge of the ‘Power mode’ tile situated under the ‘Power’ section.
- Select the ‘best performance’ option from the drop-down menu.
Once updated, check again for the issue by playing the video. We hope this fix solves the problem. If your case is solved, then do give us a positive response; if not, don’t worry; we have another trick up our sleeve.
See Also: How to Fix Safari Not Playing Videos on Mac
4. Switch from Integrated Graphics Card to Dedicated Graphics Card
Before applying this fix, make sure your device has more than one graphic card installed, as this fix can be used on a PC that has more the one graphic card. Usually, all modern laptops or desktop computers have a minimum of two cards: an integrated graphics card that handles low-intensity undertakings and one dedicated graphics card that can manage even in the most challenging conditions.
Therefore, follow these steps if your device reaches the desired requirement and the fixes mentioned earlier have not worked for you. Even if you have tried everything, this will ensure you get the best possible video quality.
- Firstly, click on ‘settings’ in the start menu under the ‘Pinned apps’ section. Or you can also type ‘setting’ in the search bar and press enter.
- Select the ‘system’ tab on the left sidebar.
- After that, locate the’ Display’ tile from the right section of the screen from the list of options. Click on the ‘display’ option.
- Scroll down to locate the ‘Graphics’ tile present under the ‘Related settings section and click it.
- On the ‘Graphics’ settings, find the search bar present under the ‘Custom options for apps’ section and type the name of the video player you want to use to play the file. Alternatively, you can also scroll down the list to locate the app manually.
- Once located, click the concerned media player option to change the default graphics card. A few options will appear. Try clicking on the ‘Options’ button in the bottom right corner of the app tile. This will bring up a separate overlay window on your screen.
- Lastly, click on the radio button preceding the ‘High performance’ option to select the dedicated graphics driver instead of the integrated one.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button to apply the changes, and it’s better to restart now.
Check for the issue again. You will be able to experience the perfect playback of your 4k video.
See Also: How to Save Instagram Reels to Camera Roll on iPhone
Conclusions
These issues are foolproof and will definitely result in a smoother video-watching experience. These fixes, as mentioned above, will for sure fix any issue if the problem is in your PC’s software. If the problem persists, though very unlikely, the issue may be in the hardware.
We recommend visiting computer repair services near you. We hope that this guide has helped you eradicate the issue of a 4K video exhibiting lag or stuttering on your Windows 11 PC.
