Why Chrome loads Youtube videos faster than Firefox?

ithehappy

Human Spambot
I am a Mozilla Firefox user, but lately when my broadband connection is slow I found that Chrome loads Youtube videos faster than Firefox. On Firefox it gets stuck, but with Chrome it keeps playing and the quality changes automatically from 480/360p to 144p when connection gets even slower. Why does it happen? I don't like Chrome.
 

gameranand

Living to Play
One reason that come to my mind is that it uses Webkit engine which is faster than other engines. Also its tweaked a lot to perform faster.
 

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
I am a Mozilla Firefox user, but lately when my broadband connection is slow I found that Chrome loads Youtube videos faster than Firefox. On Firefox it gets stuck, but with Chrome it keeps playing and the quality changes automatically from 480/360p to 144p when connection gets even slower. Why does it happen? I don't like Chrome.

The upgrade and downgrade of quality depending on the bandwidth is a new feature introduced by Google on Youtube a while back. I will quote my answer which I wrote on Quora sometime ago, so as to save time.

Google have been making changed in Youtube. but in the process making youtube worse with every "improvement" they make.

First they removed the pause video feature. And introduced a "feature" that lets buffer part of videos in "slices". Their aim was to let the video buffer dynamically according to the speed of broadband. For this to take effect they removed the ability to let user select the quality according to their choice. And now even if you want to watch a video in just 360p, Youtube automatically changes quality on the fly, many times taking it to higher quality like 720p. Needless to say, it makes buffering even worse.

Since they introduces this feature of buffering in "slices", it stops the buffering if you pause the video, and then automatically starts to buffer again, if you unpause it. This have been a major annoyance for those with low bandwidth. This also makes the video rebuffer when you rewind, since youtube "buffers dynamically in slices".

Just recently youtube also have come under flak, for making users to "activate" Google+ account, just to comment on a YT video. Well, Google is making youtube suck more and more! :(

The reason for why this "slices" technique works flawlessly in Chrome may have to do with the fact that the browser is developed by engineers at Google who also works on Youtube. So they might know of some secret that enhances this technique of slices on Chrome. :lol:

I think that, since I too face this problem of video getting stuck in Firefox, and because of which I have now started to download each video that I would like to watch. :(
 
OP
ithehappy

ithehappy

Human Spambot
Thanks a lot guys. I get my answer. Dynamic buffering is nonsense to say the least. So there's no way to have it on Firefox? I already tried different extensions, like Smart video and all, didn't work! As you said, Chrome automatically upgrades and downgrades the video quality depending the bandwidth, but Firefox doesn't do that, that's the problem. I generally download videos too, I prefer it rather then let it buffer, but while I'm gaming and stuck somewhere, I see those walkthrough videos, and as they are generally long and I just need to see a short particular section it doesn't make sense to download the whole video.
However for me opening other sites are not fast in Chrome, Firefox does the job pretty good imo.
Google is dragging everyone to their ecosystem. And I thought that nonsense is only done by Apple.
 
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powerhoney

Cyborg Agent
Holy sit. Is there any relation between your profile pic and your siggy?

What do you think!!! :wink: :wub:

Thanks a lot guys. I get my answer. Dynamic buffering is nonsense to say the least. So there's no way to have it on Firefox? I already tried different extensions, like Smart video and all, didn't work! As you said, Chrome automatically upgrades and downgrades the video quality depending the bandwidth, but Firefox doesn't do that, that's the problem. I generally download videos too, I prefer it rather then let it buffer, but while I'm gaming and stuck somewhere, I see those walkthrough videos, and as they are generally long and I just need to see a short particular section it doesn't make sense to download the whole video.
However for me opening other sites are not fast in Chrome, Firefox does the job pretty good imo.
Google is dragging everyone to their ecosystem. And I thought that nonsense is only done by Apple.

That's true!!! It's turning more and more evil as the days go by... :-x
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
First of all, Chrome uses its own flash player and therefore does not rely on the shared flashplayer that IE, Firefox and Opera, etc use. Therefore, it might be using a different caching method for it which might be more faster.

Firefox on the other hand is working on a HTML5 based Flashplayer alternative called Shumway which could potentially replace Flashplayer altogether and provide for much faster loading of flash applications in Firefox. However, it is still in development as of now.

Official site : Shumway
 

Vyom

The Power of x480
Staff member
Admin
Yes. You can try enabling HTML5 in Youtube, and see if that helps.
YouTube

I have enabled HTML5 too, to see if that helps on my firefox.
 

kisame

King of Heroes
I dont know about chrome loading youtube videos faster(never used it) but you can use below script to add many options to your youtube videos.Also, this script allows you to buffer full video even if you pause it.
Install Greasemonkey on Firefox and then install this script
Youtube Center
 
OP
ithehappy

ithehappy

Human Spambot
Tried YouTube center already, didn't do a thing! Haven't tried Greaemonkey though.

@Vyom: Yeah Flash could be the culprit, will try HTML5 when I come back home.
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
Yes. You can try enabling HTML5 in Youtube, and see if that helps.
YouTube

I have enabled HTML5 too, to see if that helps on my firefox.

Not all videos work on the HTML5 Youtube, for many videos, it will revert back to Flashplayer. Also its pretty buggy. That's why I stopped using it.
 
OP
ithehappy

ithehappy

Human Spambot
Okay, HTML5 enabled, just played a 15 mins video at 480p, didn't get stuck a single time. Could be HTML5, could be my ISP is back to normal now. Whatever...
 
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