Browse: Home / Quick Tip / Increase Buffering Speed Of Streaming Videos

Increase Buffering Speed Of Streaming Videos

By Chinmoy on July 22, 2009

This tweak I found needs you to modify your system.ini file to speed up video streaming from sites like YouTube, metacafe etc. The tweak is pretty simple and is explained step by step below.

Youtube-buffering-speed

Youtube

Do not change the rates(numbers) as you might end up screwing your PC.

  • Go to start->Run. [ windows key + R ]
  • Key in system.ini , press Enter.
  • Depending on your version of windows, you will get a file with different sections marked as [drivers], [386Enh], [mci],[driver32]etc.
    I am on windows 7 and my system.ini file looks like this:; for 16-bit app support
    [386Enh]
    woafont=dosapp.fon
    EGA80WOA.FON=EGA80WOA.FON
    EGA40WOA.FON=EGA40WOA.FON
    CGA80WOA.FON=CGA80WOA.FON
    CGA40WOA.FON=CGA40WOA.FON 

    [drivers]
    wave=mmdrv.dll
    timer=timer.drv

    [mci]

  • Add this code at the end of the [386Enh] section:page buffer=1000000Tbps
    load=1000000Tbps
    download=1000000Tbps
    save=1000000Tbps
    back=1000000Tbps
    search=1000000Tbps
    sound=1000000Tbps
    webcam=1000000Tbps
    voice=1000000Tbps
    faxmodemfast=1000000Tbps
    update=1000000Tbps
  • My system.ini file, after adding the above code becomes:; for 16-bit app support
    [386Enh]
    woafont=dosapp.fon
    EGA80WOA.FON=EGA80WOA.FON
    EGA40WOA.FON=EGA40WOA.FON
    CGA80WOA.FON=CGA80WOA.FON
    CGA40WOA.FON=CGA40WOA.FON
    page buffer=1000000Tbps
    load=1000000Tbps
    download=1000000Tbps
    save=1000000Tbps
    back=1000000Tbps
    search=1000000Tbps
    sound=1000000Tbps
    webcam=1000000Tbps
    voice=1000000Tbps
    faxmodemfast=1000000Tbps
    update=1000000Tbps[drivers]
    wave=mmdrv.dll
    timer=timer.drv 

    [mci]

  • Save the file, restart your computer.

This tweak is pretty old and increases the buffering speed of videos from video streaming websites like youtube, metacafe etc. Enjoy.

UPDATE:

[ Thankfully pointed out by Pallab, this tweak is a nonsense. It has no effect. See comments for more information. There is no such method to increase buffering speed of videos. LOL-ing on myself!!]

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Posted in | Tagged , , | 3 Responses

Chinmoy Kanjilal, the admin at Techarraz is a programmer and a technology, Linux and web2.0 enthusiast and evangelist from India. He has a fondness for intriguing software products, hardware hacks and anything Android. Connect with him on Google+.

3 responses to “Increase Buffering Speed Of Streaming Videos”

  1. Pallab
    Pallab July 22, 2009 at 4:39 PM | | Reply

    Erm..this is a fake tweak.

    Myth – “Adding (made up command) = (imaginary number) to the System.ini or Win.ini file improves performance.”

    Reality – “ALL System.ini and Win.ini so-called “Tweaks” are made up nonsense. They include made up commands that do not exist followed by imaginary settings – thus doing absolutely nothing. The System.ini and Win.ini files are provided in Windows XP for backward compatibility with 16-bit (MS-DOS, Windows 3.x) applications. They have no effect on any Windows XP settings or 32-bit applications which are stored in the Registry.”

    http://home.comcast.net/~SupportCD/XPMyths.html

    If you want to improve youtube speed use something like SpeedBit Video Accelerator. They work like dload manager – they split up the files and load them simultaneously this making better use of your bandwidth. Obviously the video wont load any faster than your internet connection speed. I had reviewed it earlier for my blog and it really did work.
    .-= Pallab´s last blog ..Online Security : Six Essential Tips =-.

  2. Custom term paper
    Custom term paper July 27, 2009 at 2:42 PM | | Reply

    so the streaming of videos cannot be increased right :)

    i liked that time plugin in your blogs sidebar, i would like to have one on my blog too. can u share how to get it ?
    .-= Custom term paper´s last blog ..Un astudentessa racconta la propria preparazione agli esami universitari a Bari =-.

  3. Mike K.
    Mike K. September 27, 2011 at 6:13 AM | | Reply

    Perhaps I am mistaken, but doesn’t this recommendation originate from a suggestion from microsoft support themselves? Why would they recommend for a clearly non-msdos problem, if msdos programs are the only ones effected by system.ini?
    /confused/

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-sound/slow-buffering-for-video-files/45be3062-74a9-4efd-a67f-a06b1801e819

Leave a Reply