Parallels 4 audio skipping/jerky playback with vista x64

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by dontdo_that, Dec 26, 2008.

  1. dontdo_that

    dontdo_that Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    I searched and found a few topics discussing issues with Parallels 2 and 3 and Vista, where audio/ video playback would be jerky, or have stuttering/skipping, similar to listening to a person speak with an intermittently operating microphone. No solutions were posted in any of these topics, and I have not been able to find any further information for Parallels 4., but this is the exact problem I am experiencing. I was wondering if a solution has been posted anywhere?

    MBP early 08, C2D 2.5, 4GB 4-4-4-12 Gskill 667mhz, 8600m 512mb. Vista home premium x64 and osx leopard 10.5.5.

    Thanks!!
     
  2. John@Parallels

    John@Parallels Forum Maven

    Messages:
    6,333
    1. Minimize hardware acceleration level in display properties.

    Right click on Desktop -> Personalize -> Display Settings -> Advanced
    Settings -> Trobleshoot tab. Put hardware acceleration level to zero.

    2. Set Color in Display Settings to 24 bit making hardware acceleration
    set to maximum.
     
  3. dontdo_that

    dontdo_that Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    Hi John, thank you for your reply.

    Unfortunately this didn't solve the problem. I set hardware acceleration to NONE in the troubleshooting tab. In the display settings, it was originally set to 32bit (highest), and i turned it down to 24bit like you said. I also tried it on 32bit, to no avail.

    Any other known solutions? Thank you for your help
     
  4. John@Parallels

    John@Parallels Forum Maven

    Messages:
    6,333
    Are you trying to use QuickTime, or WMP 11?
     
  5. dontdo_that

    dontdo_that Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    Winamp and Napster. My testing has been as follows, with the same skipping playback for all testing scenarios:

    Winamp: Play file on external hard disk connected via firewire 800 and USB 2.0
    Play file on MAC OSX networked drive

    Napster: streaming

    Youtube also has a little bit of skipping. The skipping also exists in VMWare Fusion (although that's irrelevant on a parallels forum)... i really hope its not a hardware issue..

    I can also try VLC Media player. I have yet to try WMP or Quicktime.
     
  6. John@Parallels

    John@Parallels Forum Maven

    Messages:
    6,333
    For quicktime
    Enable video overlay for Virtual machine
    - Shutdown VM
    - Open VM Configuration
    - Select CPU settings
    - Check Advanced settings checkbox at the bottom, System flags text
    field will show up.
    - Type in "video.overlay_noflip=1" without quotes into System flags
    - Click OK and start the VM






    Note
    1.This option may affect Windows Media Player playback
    (that is why it is disabled)
    2. Option will work for QuickTIme playback only in Window and Full Screen mode
    3. In Coherence we do not support video overlay at all, so it will not help in Coherence mode
     
  7. dontdo_that

    dontdo_that Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    Hello John,

    Thanks for your continued support. This does not solve my issue of jerky/stuttering audio in Parallels. My primary reason for wanting to play audio through Parallels is Napster, since Napster does not offer an OSX client. Is stuttering/skipping audio a known problem with Parallels 4 and Vista x64? I haven't been able to find any information on this issue.
     
  8. dontdo_that

    dontdo_that Junior Member

    Messages:
    15
    I failed to mention that I did try your solution and unfortunately it didn't solve the problem :(.
     
  9. John@Parallels

    John@Parallels Forum Maven

    Messages:
    6,333
    Please try to use browser, not client for Napster
     

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