High Definition Videos are Choppy or Don't Play Smoothly on a Computer

Videos recorded in High-definition (HD), like AVCHD, XAVC, XAVC S HD, or XAVC S 4K, may play choppy when played on a computer. While playing HD videos, especially 1080i or 1080p, image noise and dropped frames may occur because they task the computer processor. Although some computers support 1080i and 1080p, these formats are best-suited for HDTV.

Solution

Check the following information to improve HD video playback on your computer.

• Close other applications running in the background. This will release some of the RAM or system memory used and shared by running multiple applications.

  • Increasing the RAM of the computer may help eliminate these issues, but isn't guaranteed. The minimum system requirement is 512MB of RAM, but 1GB or more is recommended.

• Depending on the recording mode, the following processors are recommended:

  Recording Mode	Recommended Processor
  1080p (PS mode)	Intel Core™ 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or faster
  1080i (FX/FH/HQ modes)	Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 Ghz or faster

• Check if your playback software supports HD or 4K playback.
  • We recommend to use PlayMemories Home™ software since it can play videos of up to 4K quality.
• If your videos are recorded in 1080i or 1080p, consider down-converting them to 720p. The 720p format is still HD quality and is preferable for editing and playback on a computer.