What’s the best Laptop’s resolution for smoothly playing full-HD videos.

If you have got an older laptop, chances are that it will struggle to play 1080p easily. Older laptops did have the necessary processing power to provide a smooth experience when playing 1080p as they had weaker integrated graphics, which is quite weak compared with modern standards.

Hence, when we receive the query, ‘how to play 1080p videos smoothly on laptop’, we understand that they are referring to older machines as most modern laptops can play it quite smoothly, thanks to the powerful integrated graphics, which provide enough horsepower for even casual games. So, let us understand why it happens and what you can do to resolve the issue.

Factors affecting Playback

Several factors affect playback quality in laptops, such as

Outdated Video Players

Outdated video players are one of the most common reasons for stuttering and jerky video playback in laptops. Older versions of famous video players did not have the required video and audio codecs to play 1080p videos smoothly since they were never developed with such videos in mind.

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Faulty Storage

Another common reason for choppy video playback is faulty storage. It is common for the hard disk in older machines to fail or even provide sub-par performance, which is detrimental to our objective. 1080p video playback requires a robust performing machine, which is often not the case with older laptops.

Unsupported File Formats & Codecs

This issue is similar to trying to play with older versions of popular video players. Most older laptops come with outdated codecs which require updating if you are to play modern video formats. In the absence of newer video and audio codecs, the laptop would try to play the file which would result in either a black screen or laggy video.

Corrupted File

While it is not a common occurrence, trying to play a corrupted file would also result in stuttering and poor video playback performance. The laptop would spend its resources trying to read the file and play it smoothly, however, in the process, it will deprive the video player of the resources required to play the video, worsening the experience.

Malware/Virus

Malware and viruses are prime suspects in hogging all the resources of a laptop. They take the CPU, RAM, and even disk space to fulfil their objectives, leaving hardly any resources for undertaking any activity on the laptop, let alone video playback.

Solutions

There are various fixes that you can try to resolve the issue of choppy 1080p video playback. Some of the easier ones include:

Update or Replace Video Player

The easiest step in resolving this issue is to update the current video player or switch to another player that is updated regularly. There are various options available for common use such as VLC, GOM, RealPlayer, and others. These players come with their inbuilt codecs which ensures a smooth 1080p playback.

Download the required Codecs

If you are comfortable with a video player, but the latest version is unable to play 1080p videos smoothly, then it is recommended to download the necessary video and audio codecs manually. However, the process is easier than it sounds, thanks to online free codecs such as K-Lite Codec Pack.

Downscale Videos

Another less popular option to resolve this issue is to downscale the video using another system if possible. Downscaling the video to at least 720p would provide you with a smoother experience on laptops compared to 1080p. However, it is not a popular option since it requires another laptop as well as video converter software.

Run a Virus Scan

You can try running a virus scan if the laptop performs slowly in all processes. There are free versions of popular antivirus software which you can use to try removing any malware or virus from your system. Once the laptop is clean of malware, you will come across a comparatively better video playback experience.

Upgrade the Laptop

If everything else fails, the only remaining option is to upgrade the laptop. Older laptops are comparatively easier to open and upgrade with the RAM and HDD being accessible with just the removal of one or two screws. However, you should undertake such upgrades only if you are comfortable opening it.

Conclusion

We are sure that we have been able to answer the query, ‘how to play 1080p videos smoothly on laptop?’. With the steps provided in this article, you can try troubleshooting the issue step-by-step and find the solution for experiencing smooth 1080p video playback.