Which is best for streaming of online video between Ultra HD 4K and 1080p/Full HD?
I tried a laptop yesterday in the store, and I intend to use this laptop only for streaming online video. This was the first laptop that worked on a specific video site (I've tried several others, but so far only this laptop has worked, and it worked excellent; it is a gaming laptop with 16 GB RAM and SSD etc.).
I am thinking of ordering this model with even higher specs than the model I tried had. But I am hesitating regarding whether to have a version with Ultra HD 4K (for super sharp videos) or 1080p/Full HD. It's not that important to get super sharp videos, much more important is no interruptions during playback, which is approximately 2-3 minutes for each video. The model I tried in the store had 1080p/Full HD, and there were almost no interruptions at all.
Furthermore, the model I tried in the store had Thunderbolt 3 (8x faster), and 15.6" Full HD screen (1920 x 1080). I'm not sure this higher specs model (17") has Thunderbolt 3; would that make streaming videos less effective with more interruptions if it lacks Thunderbolt 3?
I think the frame rate will be much lower for Ultra HD 4K compared to 1080p/Full HD. Wouldn't that make streaming of online videos going slower for Ultra HD 4K compared to 1080p/Full HD? This website with online videos (the videos can't be downloaded, they are constantly buffered from the website) has receveived numerous complaints about interruptions during playback of the videos (the playbacked video interrupts in the middle of the video, or several times during the playback, to buffer more contents), and for me this has also been the case: many interruptions during the playback on my current low-spec laptop (although with 8 GB RAM and i7) when the video is buffering. With this gaming laptop I just tried this did not occur, almost no buffering at all, very smooth playback of the whole video.
I found now also a third alternative with double amount of video RAM and FHD display (instead of Ultra HD 4K). Would this third alternative be even better?
When playing online video, which is most important of video RAM and processor performance? I read now that this third alternative has a processor that doesn't get up to full performance because of the high spec screen (although I could change it to FHD instead of Ultra HD 4K), so it might not help that the video RAM is double the size of the other two options I choose between.
I am thinking of ordering this model with even higher specs than the model I tried had. But I am hesitating regarding whether to have a version with Ultra HD 4K (for super sharp videos) or 1080p/Full HD. It's not that important to get super sharp videos, much more important is no interruptions during playback, which is approximately 2-3 minutes for each video. The model I tried in the store had 1080p/Full HD, and there were almost no interruptions at all.
Furthermore, the model I tried in the store had Thunderbolt 3 (8x faster), and 15.6" Full HD screen (1920 x 1080). I'm not sure this higher specs model (17") has Thunderbolt 3; would that make streaming videos less effective with more interruptions if it lacks Thunderbolt 3?
I think the frame rate will be much lower for Ultra HD 4K compared to 1080p/Full HD. Wouldn't that make streaming of online videos going slower for Ultra HD 4K compared to 1080p/Full HD? This website with online videos (the videos can't be downloaded, they are constantly buffered from the website) has receveived numerous complaints about interruptions during playback of the videos (the playbacked video interrupts in the middle of the video, or several times during the playback, to buffer more contents), and for me this has also been the case: many interruptions during the playback on my current low-spec laptop (although with 8 GB RAM and i7) when the video is buffering. With this gaming laptop I just tried this did not occur, almost no buffering at all, very smooth playback of the whole video.
I found now also a third alternative with double amount of video RAM and FHD display (instead of Ultra HD 4K). Would this third alternative be even better?
When playing online video, which is most important of video RAM and processor performance? I read now that this third alternative has a processor that doesn't get up to full performance because of the high spec screen (although I could change it to FHD instead of Ultra HD 4K), so it might not help that the video RAM is double the size of the other two options I choose between.
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The wifi could certainly be the issue. Use ethernet rather than wifi to test the laptops.
ASKER
I will have to go on this wi-fi test because in the store I can only connect to the galleria's public wi-fi. The shop assistant wasn't very keen on that I even connected to internet, told me all the time there is no internet to connect to.
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ASKER
If I buy the laptop with Ultra HD 4K and it, for some reason, turns out to not work very well, would it then be possible to change the screen only on this laptop to a screen with 1080p/Full HD?
I doubt you can change anything after you bought it. But there should be no reason for it work less well. It just won't be any advantage for online streaming, and it will probably also cost substantially more.
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ASKER
This gaming laptop I found is the first one (I've tried several other, smaller regular, laptops) that worked excellent for streaming. And probably the reason for that is that the wi-fi is fast on it (it says that in the reivews of this gaming laptop).
Because I travel a lot I almost always use wi-fi, so it seems that the most important factor for me to be able to stream videos from this website is fast wi-fi capabilities in the computer.
Because I travel a lot I almost always use wi-fi, so it seems that the most important factor for me to be able to stream videos from this website is fast wi-fi capabilities in the computer.
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ASKER
It the main reason is speed of wi-fi, would this wi-fi powerline extender help anything?:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/powerline-adapters/tp-link-300mbps-av500-wifi-powerline-extender-review-3491664/
Would it be worth trying it out?
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/powerline-adapters/tp-link-300mbps-av500-wifi-powerline-extender-review-3491664/
Would it be worth trying it out?
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Any news hermesalpha?
ASKER
I just want to add that it doesn't matter if I need to pay for other premium features that I will not use if the wi-fi works so well on this gaming laptop. Because I've tried to many other computers, and this is the first that works with this site for streaming of videos. That has the highest priority for me: that it works without interruptions to play videos via wi-fi from this site. The site is this:
www.atg.se
I can't download the videos, only possible to play them online.
However, this gaming laptop is heavy, so if I could find a lightweight tablet with a good network card for the wi-fi connection (as I almost always use wi-fi and not fixed line) that would certainly be the best option. But so far, I haven't found any other alternative to this gaming laptop.
www.atg.se
I can't download the videos, only possible to play them online.
However, this gaming laptop is heavy, so if I could find a lightweight tablet with a good network card for the wi-fi connection (as I almost always use wi-fi and not fixed line) that would certainly be the best option. But so far, I haven't found any other alternative to this gaming laptop.
A tablet like an iPAD or and Android Tablet shouldn't have any problems with streaming Videos. Most of them come with built-in WiFi.
ASKER
I tried several times on the same internet connection in that store, and even tried first HP Spectre, then this gaming laptop, then Microsoft Surface Pro, then going back to the gaming laptop and then back to the HP Spectre. Always the same result: excellent, smooth playback without interruptions on this gaming laptop, always interruptions on these two other laptops.
I read a review now of this gaming laptop, and it says it has fast wi-fi as a plus. Could that be the main reason it worked so well for the streaming of videos (the connection was wi-fi)?