Vimeo expert needed!

[George Simmons]

Can anyone help me figure out why Vimeo is so choppy on my PC? I've got an older model - 2.8 GHz Celeron processor with 1 G RAM and do not have any problems with any other video from any other site - just Vimeo. I did not have this problem in the past when there was only 512 MB RAM. I can't say for certain that this started when the RAM was recently upgraded but it had to be around that time. I've tried setting the HD on Vimeo to off wherever it's present and this helps a LOT but still doesn't eliminate the choppy. I'm on cable broadband. No problem on YouTube. Any ideas?

[Max-Paul]

George,

I just think that the servers or their pipeline is the cause. I really dont like to TRY to watch anything from Vimeo. I still get some pauses from Youtube, but with Vimeo, I get bored waiting for the next 10 seconds worth of video to load. So, it is not just your computer, I think everyone will chime in and say that their experience with Vimeo is the same.

[iresq]

I'll chime in but with an opposite situation. I find Youtube to be the service that hangs up frequently. I have not had this problem with Vimeo.

[ainsworth]

George;

Have you let the video play through a second time? If the video is smooth the second time you play it through it is not your computer. As the video plays through the first time it is being saved in a temp. file on your machine, so that eliminates your download speed.

I suspect that you get a smooth play through the second time so that would mean it is the hub that Vimeo is coming through to get to you, or it could be your home network loading up.

I have issues when websites come through Dallas to get to me rather than Houston.

Side note question; Have you thought about patterns for a spiral tree? I can only think of 2. 1 channel at a time on/off to spiral (duh), and 1 channel at a time leaving them on to build the tree. I'm not counting the reverse of the above as patterns. I also have been completely unsuccessful trying to build an animation picture of a spiral, so I guess I would have to build a small one to try it out. I had an email conversation with Scott Weber so I know how he did his if you are interested.

[JeffF]

ainsworth wrote:

I had an email conversation with Scott Weber so I know how he did his if you are interested.

Well do share. There seems to be a bunch of interest in this style of tree for next year so I'm sure lots of people would be interested... me included.

-Jeff

[ainsworth]

I was hoping that Scott would come onto the forum and talk about it, but I guess not.

His tree used 16 channels. He built a mega tree with 16 guy wires/ cables. As he wrapped the lights around the tree he attached them to the wires with zip ties. I didn't ask, but the way he talked about it, he did all the wrapping while the tree was up. His tree light strings have 2 turns through the full height.

Bruce

[George Simmons]

Thanks for the info Bruce. I saw where Scott had joined the forum and was signed in a couple nights ago and I was hoping also that he would chime in with some info. I figured it had to be done with vertical guy wires to maintain the shape and distance from the center pole. Looks almost like he has a radio tower for the center support, which would make sense. I also figured that it would have to be assembled already in place as opposed to raising with a pulley. I can't see how you could do it any other way. Definitely labor-intensive, but worth it. I'll be experimenting with trying to make a smaller Weber Tree during the summer. Should be fun.

[George Simmons]

iresq wrote:

I'll chime in but with an opposite situation. I find Youtube to be the service that hangs up frequently. I have not had this problem with Vimeo.

What puzzles me Dave is that it doesn't happen with my desktop at the office, nor does it happen with my laptop or with Sharon;s netbook. My home office PC is XP, Sharon's netbook is XP and my laptop is Vista. That's what got me wondering if the problem was some setting on my home PC that I needed to change. I don't know if I feel better or worse that some of y'all are having the same issues.

On another note, I don't believe I've played a video twice. I usually pause until the entire video downloads and then try to play it. If it's too choppy, I just close it and move on. I'll try the second play-through and report back if that makes a difference.

[jimswinder]

You may want to try and download all the latest Codecs for XP...they seem to update them quite often with all the new technology out there.

[ainsworth]

Sorry George, I didn't read your last post. If you pause until the video is downloaded then that is the same thing as playing it through twice. The problem is with the way your computer is processing the Vimeo videos. I have no idea what is different between Vimeo and YouTube, Jim is on the right track though new Codex may solve the issue.

On the Weber Tree, you are 100% correct, Scott has an old TV tower that he climbs up to do the connections. As far as being labor intense, that might qualify as the understatement of the year. HA ha ha. I can't wait to see if someone figures out an easier way to assemble one. Took me forever to build a scale model of one. Only way I could figure out how to test patterns.