Playback Issues
Why is video playback so choppy?
If your video playback isn’t smooth as margarine, here are some things you can try:
- Try letting the video buffer before you view it.
- Close other browser tabs and windows. This can make a huge difference!
- Make sure you have either the latest version of Flash running on your computer, or use a browser with native HTML5 support.
- Switch to another browser to see if that helps.
What is video buffering, and how do I do it?
Buffering is a way of preloading the videos you watch so that fluctuations in your Internet connection don't cause choppy playback.
When you play a video, a light gray bar will advance in front of the playhead, showing you how much of your video has been buffered. Your playback should be smooth as long as you're viewing your video within the light gray buffer region.
If you're experiencing choppy playback, pause the video, allow the video to buffer for a few moments, then try playing your video again!
When you play a video, a light gray bar will advance in front of the playhead, showing you how much of your video has been buffered. Your playback should be smooth as long as you're viewing your video within the light gray buffer region.
If you're experiencing choppy playback, pause the video, allow the video to buffer for a few moments, then try playing your video again!
What browser can I use with Vimeo?
We support Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer. Whichever browser you prefer, please use the most up-to-date version available to ensure that everything on the site works smoothly — like butter! You can update your browser(s) here:
You've asked me to clear cache on a page or the browser. How do I do that?
To clear the cache in your browser hold down the shift button and reload the page. This method resets the information about the page that's stored in your browser.
In fullscreen mode, can I scale the video to fit my monitor?
You sure can! When your video is in full screen, click the icon in the play bar that looks like two little screens. This will toggle scaling on and off.
When scaling is on, your video will be scaled to fit the screen. When scaling is off, you will see the actual size of the converted file without any enlargement. (Note: This may or may not be the same size as your original source file.)
When scaling is on, your video will be scaled to fit the screen. When scaling is off, you will see the actual size of the converted file without any enlargement. (Note: This may or may not be the same size as your original source file.)
Do I need a fast Internet connection for HD videos?
Most residential cable and DSL connections should be more than adequate. If HD feels slow to load, try turning off any background applications that could be using up bandwidth. Or push the play button in the player and then pause to let the video buffer before viewing.
How can I start watching Vimeo videos in HD right now?
Visit the Vimeo Staff Picks Channel and watch any of the videos in full screen mode. You'll quickly see why HD is amazing.
The color of my video looks different on Vimeo than in my source file. Why is that?
Here are some common causes of color variation:
1. Player decoding variation. There is some normal variation in the way your video looks across different players and browsers. For example, your video will look slightly different on Safari (which uses Vimeo's HTML5 player and Apple's QuickTime decoding software) from what you see on Firefox (which uses Vimeo's Flash player, and Adobe Flash’s decoding software). These variations are part of the experience of online playback, and not in Vimeo's control. Solution: To minimize effects, make sure your browser and Flash are both up to date.
2. Hardware-accelerated decoding. Your video may look different depending on the hardware used to interpret your video. Solution: Try disabling hardware-accelerated decoding to see whether this affects your video's color.
If you're not quite sure what's causing your color variation issue, please contact us so we can investigate further. Please provide a link to the video(s) in question and a description of the places in the video where the color variation is especially apparent.
1. Player decoding variation. There is some normal variation in the way your video looks across different players and browsers. For example, your video will look slightly different on Safari (which uses Vimeo's HTML5 player and Apple's QuickTime decoding software) from what you see on Firefox (which uses Vimeo's Flash player, and Adobe Flash’s decoding software). These variations are part of the experience of online playback, and not in Vimeo's control. Solution: To minimize effects, make sure your browser and Flash are both up to date.
2. Hardware-accelerated decoding. Your video may look different depending on the hardware used to interpret your video. Solution: Try disabling hardware-accelerated decoding to see whether this affects your video's color.
If you're not quite sure what's causing your color variation issue, please contact us so we can investigate further. Please provide a link to the video(s) in question and a description of the places in the video where the color variation is especially apparent.
What is hardware-accelerated decoding, and how do I disable it?
All videos need to be decoded in order to be viewed. In other words, the data within a video file is interpreted and rendered as sound and images for playback. On Vimeo, videos are decoded using either your browser’s native decoding technology or Adobe Flash.
Hardware-accelerated decoding means that your computer’s hardware is used in addition to your browser or Flash to decode the video. Depending on your particular hardware configuration, this may affect the look or sound of video playback on Vimeo (and across the wide world of the Internet).
When troubleshooting playback issues, you may want to try enabling or disabling hardware-accelerated decoding. How you do so will depend on whether your browser uses Vimeo's Flash or HTML5 player. (FYI: Not all browsers or operating systems utilize hardware-accelerated decoding.)
HTML5: Visit your browser’s support page to learn how to disable hardware-accelerated decoding for that particular browser.
Flash: Follow the instructions here.
Note: If you aren't sure whether you are using the HTML5 or Flash player, read this to find out.
Hardware-accelerated decoding means that your computer’s hardware is used in addition to your browser or Flash to decode the video. Depending on your particular hardware configuration, this may affect the look or sound of video playback on Vimeo (and across the wide world of the Internet).
When troubleshooting playback issues, you may want to try enabling or disabling hardware-accelerated decoding. How you do so will depend on whether your browser uses Vimeo's Flash or HTML5 player. (FYI: Not all browsers or operating systems utilize hardware-accelerated decoding.)
HTML5: Visit your browser’s support page to learn how to disable hardware-accelerated decoding for that particular browser.
Flash: Follow the instructions here.
Note: If you aren't sure whether you are using the HTML5 or Flash player, read this to find out.
Which version of the Vimeo player am I seeing?
There are two different versions of the Vimeo player: Flash and HTML5.
The version of the player in use will depend on your browser, the type of file you are viewing, and whether you are viewing it on-site or as an embed. The following are general guidelines as to which player you’ll probably be using:
MAC
Firefox (any version): Flash
Safari (5+): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Opera (any version): Flash
WINDOWS
Firefox (21+): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Internet Explorer (11+): HTML5
Internet Explorer (older): Flash
Opera (any version): Flash
ANDROID (4+)
Default browser (any version): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Firefox (any version): HTML5
iOS
Safari (any version): HTML5
WINDOWS PHONE (7.5+)
Internet Explorer (9+): HTML5
The version of the player in use will depend on your browser, the type of file you are viewing, and whether you are viewing it on-site or as an embed. The following are general guidelines as to which player you’ll probably be using:
MAC
Firefox (any version): Flash
Safari (5+): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Opera (any version): Flash
WINDOWS
Firefox (21+): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Internet Explorer (11+): HTML5
Internet Explorer (older): Flash
Opera (any version): Flash
ANDROID (4+)
Default browser (any version): HTML5
Chrome (any version): HTML5
Firefox (any version): HTML5
iOS
Safari (any version): HTML5
WINDOWS PHONE (7.5+)
Internet Explorer (9+): HTML5
The audio is out of sync on the video I uploaded. How do I fix that?
The easiest way to avoid sync issues is to compress your video following our Video Compression Guidelines. Here are some common causes for loss of audio sync:
- Your source file is out of sync. Double-check to ensure the file you are uploading to Vimeo is perfectly in sync, and that you are following our recommended Compression Guidelines.
- Variation between decoding technologies. Your video may look or sound slightly different across different players and browsers. Solution: To minimize effects, make sure your browser and Flash are both up-to-date.
- Your video is encoded with a variable frame rate. Solution: Make sure you are using a constant frame rate.
- Your video contains multiple edit list entries. This affects videos edited with QuickTime technology. Solution: Use "Export" feature instead of "Save" or "Save As."
If you're not quite sure what's causing your sync issue, please contact us so we can investigate further. Be sure to provide a link to the video(s) in question and a description of the places in the video where the loss of sync is especially apparent.
And finally, we made it through this whole article without one cheesy *NSync reference. We deserve a high five.
Why can’t I play videos on Linux / Ubuntu?
In order to play Vimeo videos on Ubuntu (and some other Linux operating systems), you will need the following packages:
Chromium:
chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra
Firefox:
gstreamer0.10-plugins-good
streamer0.10-ffmpeg
If you’re using a Linux OS other than Ubuntu and this doesn’t do the trick, we recommend reaching out to the OS community for assistance.
Chromium:
chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra
Firefox:
gstreamer0.10-plugins-good
streamer0.10-ffmpeg
If you’re using a Linux OS other than Ubuntu and this doesn’t do the trick, we recommend reaching out to the OS community for assistance.
Why can’t I watch Vimeo videos through my private network, firewall, or proxy server?
If you have a firewall or anti-virus software enabled—or if you're connected to the Internet through a proxy server—you may need to whitelist the domains below in order to access Vimeo videos. This may also be necessary if you’re embedding videos on your company’s intranet or accessing them through a private network.
*.vimeo.com
*.vimeo.com
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Try searching:
Still stumped? Email us or visit the Forums.