HOW TO SPEED UP YOUTUBE PLAYBACK

Any consistent YouTube user is likely well aware of one incredibly frustrating word: buffering. Depending on your network, you may spend more time blankly staring at the loading screen than you do enjoying content. Now, while you might suspect your ISP of limiting bandwidth while using the popular video-streaming service, even the fastest Internet connections can leave YouTube users out in the cold.

So, what’s the deal? YouTube uses what’s called Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP — known as DASH for short — to break down the entire video-content sequence into a swath of HTTP-based files that each contain a mere fraction of the full sequence. As the video plays, DASH selects which sequence to download and play based on network availability and performance. It’s a good deal of work, whether it’s a three-minute clip or a lengthy two-hour video. Although DASH aims to help speed up downloads and make them more efficient, it also tends to slow down operating performance while using even the fastest of Internet connections. That said, disabling DASH when using Google Chrome or Firefox, or opting for YouTube’s “Feather” beta or HTML 5 trial, can speed up video playback.

Disabling DASH in Google Chrome

Disabling the DASH functionality via YouTube Options, a download-able Google Chrome extension, offers a simple way to speed up up video playback within the browser. Best of all, installation is free and painless.  However, by using this extension, you’ll be sacrificing the bulk of playback options and opting for a barebones interface while viewing videos.
Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube Options download page within the Chrome Web Store. Click the blue Free button in the top-right corner to automatically download the application. Afterward, click the gray Add button located in the bottom of the resulting pop-up window to confirm the download, view the extension’s End User Agreement, and click Agree at the bottom of the yellow screen.

Step 2: Click on the blue Show all options link while viewing the extension’s main interface to bring up a more robust list of YouTube options. Afterward, check the bubble directly left of Disable Dash within the Playback section toward the bottom of the resulting page to disable DASH when viewing videos on YouTube. The extension will automatically save and apply the changes when finished.

Disabling DASH in Firefox

As previously mentioned, YouTube’s DASH functionality is often more of a nuisance than a convenience when using the website’s embedded player. However, disabling the DASH functionality via YouTube Center, a download-able Firefox add-on, provides a easy way to speed up video playback within the browser. Like with the Chrome extension we detailed, the installation is free and painless, but you will sacrifice playback options and be left with a barebones interface.

Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube Center download page within the Mozilla add-on store. Click the yellow Add to Firefox button near the top of the page to automatically download the add-on. Afterward, click the Install button at the bottom of the resulting pop-up window to confirm the download.

Step 2: Navigate to the YouTube homepage. Click the gear icon located to the right of the sign-in button to access YouTube Center’s settings panel. Next, click the External Players tab within the left-hand navigational pane and uncheck the box directly to the right of DASH Playback to disable DASH when viewing videos on YouTube. The add-on will automatically save and apply the changes when finished.

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Opting in on YouTube’s HTML 5 Trial

Not everyone wants to download additional browser extensions and add-ons. Thankfully, opting into YouTube’s HTML 5 trial is another viable method for downloading and subsequently viewing YouTube videos sans Flash streaming, while placing users on the cutting edge of Internet technology. Though the HTML 5 player is available on the five most popular Internet browsers — Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera — it’s still in development and prone to stability and occasional compatibility issues. Once requested, videos will play using HTML 5 whenever possible.

Step 1: Navigate to YouTube’s HTML 5 page and click the blue Request the HTML 5 Player button located near the bottom.

Opting in on YouTube’s “Feather” Beta

YouTube offers another opt-in option aside from HTML 5. Known simply as the “Feather” beta, the software aims to serve up YouTube playback with the lowest latency possible. To do so, YouTube limits the amount of available features while viewing videos, essentially stripping away typical options and making use of advanced Web techniques for reducing the total amount of download-able data. The recommended videos section is reduced to a mere five suggestions, the share boxes are gone entirely, and other notable components are tucked to the wayside. It’s similar to the typical YouTube layout, but with minor changes, and comes with an uptick in video playback speed.

Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube “Feather” beta page and click on the blue Join the “Feather” Beta button located at the bottom. Like with the the HTML 5 player, the beta is a work in progress. So not all videos are compatible with the software at this point.

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