06-21-2010, 03:03 PM

My youtube has been loading incredibly slow even though my internet is not being used for anything else.

Here is my connection:


I have a 24" iMac bought roughly 1 year ago. 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3, 2.93 GHz intel core 2 duo with an ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card.

To give you an idea of how slow it is, the streaming can't keep up with a 360p video. It has to constantly load, then play, stop, load, then play again.

06-21-2010, 03:09 PM

My download speed is 16.37 Mb/s (4.86 times faster than your connection)...so I'm going to say your slow You-Tube downloads are due mostly to a relatively slow internet connection.

- Nick

06-21-2010, 06:14 PM

Youtube is a busy site, that's most the problem..

06-22-2010, 06:04 PM

I run 4Mb/s internet speed at most times, and it runs youtube videos on 480p just fine, 720p with I’ve found about a 5 second load time until it’ll play without stops, and 1080p relatively fine if you give it about a minute or so to load.

07-04-2010, 05:30 PM

So why can i sit right next to my iMac (on my girlfriends macbook) and load 720p videos on youtube without trouble?

07-04-2010, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Rune Lau

So why can i sit right next to my iMac (on my girlfriends macbook) and load 720p videos on youtube without trouble?

Your original post was over 10 days ago. Many things relating to internet download speeds can change a lot in 10 days.

So are you saying that your slow download speeds continue to occur? What happens if you and your girlfriend are sitting next to each other (each of you on a different computer)...and you both try to download the same video at the same time?

Hopefully I can also assume that both of you are connected to the same network...and can I assume that you are both connected via wireless or are you both using ethernet?

- Nick

08-12-2010, 05:55 PM

guys I have the same problem....I have a 24 Mbs connection, I open any webpage just fine but when it comes to streaming (basically from you tube but not solely) it;s a failure...even the lightest videos require time to load and stop and start and so on...

I read some tips from System Help but to no avail. Youtube advices to disable QuickTime from default streaming prog. Ok...I'm not that good in all that and i'm confused.

So, does any wise fellow give me a piece of advice?

The crazy think is that I need to watch youtube videos for a project and not for fun!!!

08-21-2010, 04:18 AM

@ Rune Lau and callipso

I'm in the same situation as you and I came here for info. Looks like no help, though.

Here's my problem: Videos on YouTube* which used to load in a couple seconds now take minutes to load. They load slower than the actual play time of the video. I have changed no settings on anything (that I know of), I have installed nothing new, I use my computer and the internet as I always have. This problem is recent and consistent.
*slow loading happens on all video sites (ie. vimeo) whether on the actual site or embedded somewhere else.
- MacBook Pro (intel) - Snow Leopard - Safari
- Daily/Casual user (not a techie but not ignorant)

If that sounds like the same problem you guys have, I wish us all luck in figuring it out. I took my Mac to the 'Genius Bar' at the Apple store once and they were very cool (you have to make an appointment).

Regarding the responses to your initial post, one person said "YouTube is a busy site". Someone else said, you have a "slow internet connection". Then, after 10 days of the exact same problem, another said "Many things... can change in 10 days". WTF?!?
I'm sure it's unintentional but, unless these people are trolls of some sort, their responses are surprisingly lazy and, frankly, pretty insulting.

Oh well.

08-22-2010, 01:15 PM

Have you tried using a different browser? Safari moved very sluggish for me after the new version came out. I switched to chrome and haven't had any problems since.

08-29-2010, 10:54 PM

Just got my MacBook Pro back from the Apple store. I took it to the Genius Bar. They couldn't figure out the problem right there so I left it with them. They ended up replacing my Airport card (?) $180.oo - Everything's loading normally again. Yay! (except for the $$)