Can't stream video/audio as well as other Vid/Audio problems

I'm not sure if my Macbook is about to bite the dust or not. I got it new in May 2007. So it's going on 4 years old. I can probably count the days I haven't used it on both hands within that time period. So, it's been through 4 moves, a lot of trips, dropped a couple times (a couple years ago) and just a lot of everyday use.

I recently upgraded to OSX Snow Leopard with the "Mac Box Set" I got from Apple. I thought that would help some of my problems, it hasn't. I've completely wiped the HD as well before i installed 10.6.

I also have a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 and I'm having some weird "Audio Driver" or firewire problems I'm blaming on my Macbook, as no one in any Focusrite forums or websites have reported problems with it on Snow Leopard.

So, here are my problems:

1. Most obvious problem, is streaming. I can't smoothly stream ANYTHING. Youtube, Silverlight (Netflix), Flash, nothing. It always gets blocky, audio cuts out, the video will freeze, and then my mouse will freeze for a second at a time. Sometimes when i switch windows while streaming or go down to the dock, the entire "animation" from OSX will pause for a second and once again, the mouse freezes for a sec and then the video streaming gets worse. I restart, and still, after a couple minutes, it gets horrible again. This happens without the Pro 40 connected and with it.

2. Audio only type problems when using the Saffire Pro 40. If I'm playing iTunes while using the Pro 40 for audio, if i move the mouse sometimes, go down to the dock, ect. The Audio completely cuts out. I then switch the bitrate through the Pro 40, and after a minute or so, sometimes less, it will cut out again, then i change the bitrate, and it works again for another minute or so. It will sometimes tell me the "Don't disconnect the Firewire cable while Saffire Pro 40 is in use" kind of thing. Once I go into the Audi Midi setup, and go back to using the internal speakers as the audio output, the audio from iTunes is fine. But like I said before, i still can't stream video clearly.

3. Airport/Ethernet issues. I was sure it was the cable company at first, then thought it was the brand new Cisco Valet Plus router, but many times, my network preferences say the Ethernet is not available, i restart, and there it is. Sometimes, my Airport just cuts out for segments at a time for 5 minutes or so. So i hardwired the router to my laptop, and still, having issues with the internet. It's been working better hardwired, but still, I have to restart a lot to make sure it can run through the Ethernet connection.


So, i know that's a lot of issues, i've tried to do troubleshooting on my own, I hope this is a "simple" fix, maybe firewire card, video card, audio card replacement? But i'm assuming it's the processor or something in that nature. I do know the fan's not running hot or too fast. It got bad for a while, then i cleaned out the vent, and it went back down. I do know the fan is running as well too. I have iStat pro and it doesn't say anything about overheating.

Thanks for helping.

- Chris

We may share some of the same issues

I myself have recently upgraded my 13 black mac book to 10.6.4 and its changed some of my configurations around. Mainly I cannot control. If you come across any thing that would help me id appreciate if you would share and I will do the same for you.

What's the specs on your Mac? I don't think it's going to be that simple. For one thing all those things are built into the logic board.

which specs do you need?

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook2,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB21.00A5.B07
SMC Version (system): 1.13f3
Serial Number (system):
Hardware UUID:
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

Intel GMA 950:

Chipset Model: GMA 950
Type: GPU
Bus: Built-In
VRAM (Total): 64 MB of Shared System Memory
Vendor: Intel (0x8086)
Device ID: 0x27a2
Revision ID: 0x0003
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution: 1280 x 800
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Built-In: Yes
Display Connector:
Status: No Display Connected

Intel ICH7-M AHCI:

Vendor: Intel
Product: ICH7-M AHCI
Link Speed: 1.5 Gigabit
Negotiated Link Speed: 1.5 Gigabit
Description: AHCI Version 1.10 Supported

ST9320421AS:

Capacity: 320.07 GB (320,072,933,376 bytes)
Model: ST9320421AS
Revision: SD13
Serial Number:
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Rotational Rate: 7200
Medium Type: Rotational
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
MacBook BlackBook:
Capacity: 159.9 GB (159,902,248,960 bytes)
Available: 81.07 GB (81,072,975,872 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s2
Mount Point: /Volumes/MacBook BlackBook
CK Productions:
Capacity: 159.69 GB (159,692,492,800 bytes)
Available: 68.74 GB (68,744,835,072 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s3
Mount Point: /

Thanks for helping.

Deja Vu

Not to piggyback on your topic, but I'm having pretty much the exact same problems you're having with my macbook, especially the streaming video issues. I've asked in other forums but got limited-to-zero responses, and absolutely no help whatsoever. I brought my computer to the 'geniuses' at the Apple store and they told me there was 'no problems', despite the fact that there clearly is because I am having them. A-holes.

My Macbook is only two years old, but I'm having the same streaming issues.
If I stream a video from any site, even if I let the video fully buffer, I get choppy playback, with lots of audio interference/static. If I change a window while a video is streaming, the static gets worse to the point where the audio is a garbled, unlistenable mess.
A lot of time, the audio in a streaming video will continue uninterrupted, while the video pauses and even goes back a few frames. Meanwhile, even though the audio is continuing properly and the video is frozen, the 'playbavk bar' at the bottom that follows the video, jumps forward significantly (i.e. I may be a minute into the video, but suddenly the cursor jumps from the '1:00 minute' mark to the ten minute mark, though the video is not playing and the audio is fine. This happens no matter what connection I use, be it through airport or a direct line in. I brought it to a friend's house, and tried their connection, and it still happens, so I'm pretty sure it's this machine.

I'm really just shooting the moon at this point, since the 'geniuses' at Apple seem to have never heard of such an occurrence and can't even give me a general idea of what might be causing this to happen.

Needless to say, I'll most likely go back to Windows in the future. At least the bull-crap it gives you can be worked around.
Nobody seems to know what's causing this, and Apple's official stance seems to be "deny it's happening and blame the customer".

Same problem

I'm having the exact same problem with a Sept 2006 Black-or-White MacBook (2Ghz intel core 2 duo). Video worked fine with OSX 10.4, but now I get about 20 minutes of good video and then the motion and sound get choppy. I found another forum that suggested repairing the permissions (via Disc Utility). This fixed the problem for the DVD Player, but not flash and silverlight. I've also notice that in activity monitor that silverlight takes over 100% of the processor time, so I installed a core temperature monitor and noticed that during video playback it gets up in the mid-to-high 80's (in Celsius).

If anyone can weigh in on this, I'd appreciate it.

1. Flash sucks.

2. If this is a NEW problem on your OLD (ie 2006-2007) machine, then the first thing I'd look at is replacing the HD.

3. You could also try a clone-nuke-pave-clone back approach (major league defragging).

I've tried everything I possible could except take it to a Mac specialist. I have a new desktop on the way, when I get it set up, i'll take this in and have it looked at. It's gotta be the HDD or the logicboard going bad. But the HDD is only 1 1/2 years old, but wouldn't surprise me if it was going bad. Just sucks though, i can't even bounce anything down in Garageband. I'm not even going to attempt to bounce in Logic 9.

I'm having the same problems. On a German Mac community together we came on the realization, that it is to blame on crappy FireWire- Chipsets.
There's nothing we can do about, except for changing the interface or the computer, period.
Ok honestly not period, but maybe if we get together and spam Focusrite for a driver revisation it will help.
Obviously I have more cut outs on Windows on my MBP, than on OS X.
On Windows, even my mouse freezes for seconds sometimes.

I posted this for any other persons who stumble across this forum on their search for a solution. It has nothing to do with old hardware like HDD or something, you haven't to upgrade anything.
I upgraded my MBP (2,4 GHz early 08) to 4 GB RAM and 1 TB HDD, and even got a new mainboard (in the context of the NVidia serial- issues), and that didn't help anything. The 1 TB HDD is a WD Caviar Blue and has 80 MBps of throughput, it's very fast for a laptop HDD.

There were some MacPro users on the forums, who had a Saffire too, they didn't have the problems.
Maybe a PCMCIA FW- card helps, I didn't try.

Same Problem

I've got the same problem with my wife's first-gen macbook1,1. Streaming has become choppy, especially the audio portion. Same whether the connection is wireless or wired. My newer macbook pro has none of those problems. I suspect a recent update is to blame, doubt I can get away with experimental reverts.

Same Problem - Video Streaming Issues

I have a 2008 Macbook pro 2.3 ghz running 4gb of RAM on OS X 10.6.8 and I am experiencing these same issues.

Mostly only with Video streaming. This seems to have only been a problem while running 10.6. It happens when the streaming is using Flash or Silverlight so I am pretty sure it is not specific to a plugin.

I installed a CPU temp monitor and I don't see my temp going up into out-of-the-ordinary ranges. Thinking about replacing the HD.

Has anyone tried going back to 10.5 or possibly installing a combo update?

Don't think it has anything to do with the graphics card as I can watch DVD and Mpeg movies until I am blue in the face and I don't get these issues.