How to Fix Delayed Video Playback Issues on Windows 11

Are you experiencing any Windows 11 video playback issues such as stuttering or delayed playback? In this video, I will be showing you how to fix delayed video playback issues on Windows 11. This will enable you to enjoy a smooth video streaming experience on your Windows 11 PC once again.

No doubt, many Windows 11 users are experiencing severe video lag across all their apps and video platforms. For instance, video playback is sometimes delayed by 5 to 10 minutes across all media players and streaming platforms. You will agree that this is a sad experience, especially when you are trying to watch your favorite Netflix series. To set things right, let me now show you how to fix delayed video playback issues on Windows 11.

Also read: Windows 11 Widgets Not Working: How to Fix it

How to Fix Delayed Video Playback Issues on Windows 11 Using Simple Steps

Knowing how to fix delayed video playback issues on Windows 11 is not a big task. Just note the methods and steps I talked about below, you will be good to go.

Install the Latest Graphics Driver Version

The first thing you need to do is to update your graphics driver to the latest version. You can use the “Device Manager” to automatically update your drivers or manually download them from your GPU manufacturer’s website. Follow the steps below to update your drivers.

• Launch the “Device Manager”
• Click on the arrow next to “Display adapters”
• Right-click on your graphics driver.
• Select “Update driver”
• Wait until your computer installs the latest graphics driver version.
• Restart your machine, and check if video playback is still delayed.

If you are still experiencing delayed video playback, right-click on your graphics driver once again and select “Uninstall device”. Restart the computer to reinstall the GPU driver. You can now go to your GPU manufacturer’s website and manually check for updates. You should ensure your computer is running on the latest graphics driver version.

Also, ensure that your media player and browser are updated to the latest version.

Also read: Windows 11 SE Features Reveals It Is Microsoft’s Answer to ChromeOS

Disable Hardware Acceleration

You should try and disable hardware acceleration if you are experiencing delayed video playback on Netflix or YouTube. Follow the steps outlined below to achieve that.

• Open a new browser tab
• Go to “Settings” and type “hardware acceleration” in the search field
• Toggle off hardware acceleration
• Refresh your browser and check if you notice any improvements

Close Background Programs

Computers with low specs often experience lag when running multiple programs simultaneously, especially when you are playing multimedia content. You should close all the unnecessary programs running in the background of your PC in order to free up some system resources for playing videos.

You can use the Task Manager to list and force-stop background programs. In another way, you can also clean boot your computer.

Windows 11 Prioritizes Foreground Processes

In case you do not know, it is important to note that Windows 11 prioritizes foreground apps and processes over background processes to save resources. For instance, Microsoft Edge automatically puts inactive tabs to sleep in order to reduce memory and CPU usage. Videos may sometimes stutter when you are using Picture-in-Picture mode on Edge. The focus goes to the foreground area. However, when you click on the Picture-in-Picture overlay and get the small video window back into focus, the video playback is smooth again.

You can now see that the new Windows 11 architecture prioritizes active Windows and apps over background processes. This will sometimes cause background processes such as video playback to lag. If you are experiencing video lag when playing online games with Picture-in-Picture mode enabled, cap your FPS settings to 60 and check if videos still lag when not in focus.

Conclusion

Windows 11 video stuttering is a common issue experienced by users, but there are possible fixes for it. Reading to this extent, you should have learned how to fix delayed video playback issues on Windows 11 and get your PC running smoothly again. Kindly tell us in the comment section if any of these methods worked for you.