I’ve had a lot of issues watching online content on HBO Max, Netflix or Disney Plus online in Windows 10. Overall, they work, but sometimes the video and audio go out of sync requiring a restart or the audio goes out for a few seconds. I don’t have any issues with YouTube. I’ve tried Edge and Chrome, but with the same results. I’m curious to see if anyone else has had these issues. I thought video streaming wasn’t that resource intensive.
dftf
<p>If it's a lower-end device, it is likely the "Widevine" encryption causing high CPU: the vast majority of YouTube videos won't use any encryption, so you won't find an issue there. In Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, while playing such a video, right-click the top-bar (where the tabs are, but not on a tab) and choose "Browser task manager". Check in there how much CPU the "Utility: Widevine Content Decryption Module" shows as.</p><p><br></p><p>Make sure that you are running on "best performance" level: click the battery icon on the Windows taskbar, and make sure the slider is towards the right; at the left, your device's CPU is ran slower. Also check "battery saver" mode is off.</p><p><br></p><p>On a lower-spec device, it may also help to go to Start > Settings > Apps > Video Playback and tick "I prefer video to play at a lower resolution", as this will cause less CPU stress. (I think this setting only affects videos inside apps you get from the Windows Store).</p><p><br></p><p>Also check in your browser that "Hardware Acceleration" is turned on: in Edge, go to … > Settings > System. Same in Google Chrome, though click "Advanced" when in the settings to expand the list. In Firefox, go to "hamburger menu" > Options > General > scroll-down to Performance and make adjustments there.</p><p><br></p><p>Beyond that, try checking if an update for your graphics-card driver is available.</p>