When I play a video, why does the sound skip or stutter?

The sound may skip or stutter when you play files in RealPlayer if there are problems with the particular file you are playing, if there problems with your system's sound configuration, if your system resources are low, or if the sound card drivers are out-of-date. 
 
Solution 1: Try playing other files.

To verify that the problem is not just with the one file, try playing other files on the Internet. To open a test video in a new page, click here. Play the video.

If the test video and other files play, then the problem may be with the specific file you were trying to play.

Solution 2: Close background programs.

RealPlayer may not be able to access the sound card if another program is using it. Temporarily disabling these programs may allow RealPlayer to play sound.

For instructions on temporarily disabling background programs on Windows, click here.

Solution 3: Adjust the RealPlayer hardware settings.

In RealPlayer's hardware settings, try lowering CPU usage in Playback Performance, then changing Sound Card Compatibility and Video Card Compatibility to most reliable. Click here for instructions.

Solution 4: Update older sound card drivers.

RealPlayer is designed to take advantage of the latest advances in driver technology. Older drivers can cause unexpected errors.

If the installed driver is more than six months old, it may not be compatible with RealPlayer. Please update the sound card driver on your system. Driver updates are usually available for free download from manufacturers' websites. The drivers are usually updated every few months. After installing the drivers, be sure to restart your computer so the configuration changes take effect.