Dropping frames playing x264. What am I missing?

Hey guys I have a MacBook with the following configuration:

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16ghz (4MB L2 Cache)
2GB 667 MHz DDR2
Intel GMA 950 (says "core image: hardware accelerated" and "quartz extreme supported")
Mac OS X 10.5.8

I have IronMan in 1080p x264 format (8GB .mkv file) and it's dropping a lot of frames, to the point that it's unbearable to watch. I've tried VLC player and DivX Player and it sucks to watch it on either.

I've tried watching on my laptop screen and on my Acer X213Hbid monitor, but it drops frames on both and is really glitchy.

Where has this gone wrong? Am I missing processing power? Am I missing RAM? Am I missing a better graphics card?

Thanks for the help!

Help!!

I'm am not familiar with all of the codec's out there but that one appears to be a blueray or some sort of HD-DVD I would say your hard ware is probably
up to snuff to play this relatively well.. but you may need to find an add-in if
there is one for OSX to play it properly .. as I have not found a MB with a
BlueRay player yet..

Have you tried re-encoding it with divx or xvid?

haven't tried re-enconding it.. how do I do that? I didn't want to lose any quality though..

i can play it fine using VLC and quicktime (with the x264 plugin), it just drops a lot of frames and is terribly glitchy...

I use all windows based converters it looks like Quicktime Pro 7 may do it .. and have not tried this but iSquint states it can do conversions the
download is still available but support and every thing else is gone they have
closed up shop but may be worth a try

Download iSquint for Mac - iPod video conversion app. MacUpdate Mac Video Software Downloads

with any conversion there is not only the possibility but the probability that
you will have some reduction in quality .. but would you rather loose a little
and be able to watch it .. or have the highest quality and have it unplayable?

Hope this helps at least a little bit.. sorry could not do more.

Well 1080p requires a high end video card or at least a 9400m and you have a built in intel chip. That is why, the intel graphics chip does not support high definintion, put in a regular dvd and see what happens that combined with cpu ram etc , not enough.

The interesting thing about that is, I own a first generation intel Mini with the GMA 950. It's always played 1080p HD without one dropped frame. Totally smooth. I later upgraded to 2GB DDR2 and a 2.16 C2D out of an iMac and it's even nicer. It's as smooth with 1080p HD as my Amd X2 with ATI x1950.

dtravis7 said:

The interesting thing about that is, I own a first generation intel Mini with the GMA 950. It's always played 1080p HD without one dropped frame. Totally smooth. I later upgraded to 2GB DDR2 and a 2.16 C2D out of an iMac and it's even nicer. It's as smooth with 1080p HD as my Amd X2 with ATI x1950.

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Interesting. I've been researching this for the last 35 minutes and every post I find is that everyone with the same specs and better even on pc laptops are having dropped frames. hes not running a high def movie from a disc hes running it from an mkv file which well. requires alot of resources.

rippingviper said:

Interesting. I've been researching this for the last 35 minutes and every post I find is that everyone with the same specs and better even on pc laptops are having dropped frames. hes not running a high def movie from a disc hes running it from an mkv file which well. requires alot of resources.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's the MKV as mine were mostly from Apple and the store and some free trailers they gave out to show off 1080p.

They were in MOV (Quicktime) format.