YouTube freezing (not buffering)

[hexdsl]

Strangest problem.

I watch like, A LOT of YouTube, As someone who doesn't own a TV Ariel or Dish I know YouTube well so I can say with all certainty that this problem did not happen with windows 7.

So, the problem: I go to a video on YouTube, it usually starts playing at 720P, the 'buffer bar' shoots on ahead of the 'play bar' (making up these words now but its going well I think) and then after about three minutes the video just stops. Not buffering, but stopped, I can click pause/play as much as I want but nothing happens. but, if I change the quality (up or down, doesn't matter) the video starts again instantly.

I like to work out while I watch YouTube so having to stop and change quality every five minutes is really getting to me. any help would be great.

btw: I use chrome.

 

[ARC1020]

You're not the only one, I've noticed this as well. Although, I never realised changing the quality made it restart, so I've been copying the video URL at the current time and pasting it into the address bar to get the vid working again.

It doesn't appear to be browser specific though, as it happens in Internet Explorer as well.

 

[hexdsl]

It's frustrating. I think IE and chrome use different versions of flash is that correct? If so it makes little sense that it effects both browsers. (sorry for short reply, am on phone)

 

[ARC1020]

I'm wondering whether it could be an ISP problem. Just out of interest is your ISP Talk Talk (Talk Talk, Tiscalli, Pipex, etc)?

 

[hexdsl]

Actually yes, it is but I doubt that could be it

 

[ARC1020]

Why not? If you look at the IP it's downloading from, it's not a YouTube IP, it's a Talk Talk IP.

If it was a Windows 8/YouTube problem, I would have expected more people in here to be having the same problem.

 

[Kelmorn]

Created an account here to thank ARC1020, and confirm the advice was correct.

My ISP is also TalkTalk and I've been having the same problem as hexdsl. A search led me to this thread, and after reading ARC2010's post I looked at my connections when using Youtube which showed that the video is coming from my ISP [link]

I used my anti-virus software's firewall to block the IP address, and the result was the video downloaded directly from Youtube with no problems.

Turns out there is a range of IP addresses that needs blocking (eg 62.24.154.***) which I'm finding difficult, but I've posted a question on my anti-virus software forum about that.

Now need to get my ISP (TalkTalk) to fix their caching process!

 

[ARC1020]

No probs. It seems as though Talk Talk were made aware of the problem and have since changed something their end, as YouTube has been working OK again here recently. Touch wood.

I also noticed that they've started caching some Akamai content too. Therefore, as BBC, Daily Mail, Windows Update, etc. use Akamai, these are also served from Talk Talk / Opal servers now (although BBC video content still currently comes directly from Akamai servers).

 

[hexdsl]

I solved all these issues with by using a VPN, oddly.