Windows 10: Audio static, skipping frames on some internet videos

I have a relatively new PC, gtx 1060 and intel i6700 cpu. About 2 weeks ago I started noticing a bit of static/popping randomly, usually when watching youtube/netflix etc. It's a popping/static that comes out of my speakers when I'm playing a video with sound and is real annoying, like if I am listening to music on youtube.

Also about 1 week ago, not sure if related, on online videos, mostly youtube I randomly get skipped frames on Google Chrome, or also on Firefox kind of a stuttering/frame lag. I reinstalled chrome and firefox, and updated my GPU drivers to no avail. Appreciate any help, thanks!

:)

 

Video playback a tiny bit jerky after PR 1.2 update

Look at this tread, another case...



Music videos won't play in PR1.2 - maemo.org - Talk



N770-Freak wrote :





"Actually my music videos do play, but video playback is not smooth (looks like frames are skipped). Audio is playing fine. "

 

audio skipping

anyone have problems with audio skipping? i have some mp3's i got from amazon and for some reason they skip or make a static sound every so often on the booklet...but not on my other machines. is it the Atom that is skipping? its not very regular at all.
very annoying. does it on headphones and on the booklets speakers.

 

Microsoft fixing Windows 10 'stuttering' bugs in Creators Update • The Register
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/all-games-stuttering-on-windows-creators-update.18791501/
This may apply...

This has been discussed on a thread on this site quite recently.

Try searching for stutter.

 

I couldn't find a thread about stuttering with online videos. Also here are my audio drivers, is it normal to have this many? I'm using two monitors. Tried disabling the nvidia one but no difference.





I can't edit my original post, so I'll add that the stutters/frame skipping DO NOT coincide with any audio crackling. When the frames skip, the audio just plays fine.

 

You might like to check your update history and see if an update was applied then, including driver updates.

And could you confirm you didn't upgrade to the Creator's build then?

After that, basic checks would be to post a screenshot of your task manager when that's happening showing anything of interest, the relevant column organised high to low by clicking on the appropriate tab. Check that no resource is being used to maximum capacity- disk, internet, CPU, RAM. The task manager Performance tab can help.

Then also close your browser and repeat the screenshot (= what's happening in the background).
Are you using ethernet or Wifi? Is there any difference when you switch between them?

It would be helpful to distinguish between downloading (internet) problems, decoding and rendering issues, the effect of possible driver updates, Windows updates, and any background activity or the effect of any other programs running at that time.

You can have more than one audio driver - your USB device needs a separate one of course. Exactly why you have those I don't know.

To edit a post see 'Edit post' just below it in the border.

 

I've been getting this horrid buzzing sound from my speakers like this PC buzzing/ Lag while playing Audio/video - YouTube, but not frequently or very long.

Did a little experimenting, when I had a Twitch stream open in one monitor, and the other monitor I have Amazon prime streaming. If I click "next episode" on Amazon to load a new episode, the Twitch stream would stutter for like half a second, and sometimes it would emitt the buzzing sound too.

It seems like it coincided with the spikes in wifi in the Task Manager. Yet, when I get frame skipping on youtube I have had no spikes in wifi, hard drive, cpu or anything else. I have a wdn4800 wireless adapter, other than that internet runs amazingly, can watch videos and play games with no problem. Still getting random burts of static sound, mainly from Youtube. Are there any tests I should run?

 

It sounds a bit like bursts of 50 or 60Hz breakthrough - mains frequency- the ones I can pick out from that style of music, that is. Not what's known as 'static' which is more white or pink noise.

As it's relatively new, suggest you contact the supplier.

You can try isolating the issue- does it ever happen if you simply play music you've downloaded (no internet)?
Does it happen if you use ethernet, not wifi?

 

Ok, it turns out I'm still getting issues if I download a video and play it with windows media player. Again, when I click Next Episode with Amazon prime the problem occurs, like 70% of the time, I just get this buzzing and it seems to lock up my mouse for a microsecond. It happens with chrome, and with firefox.

I tried recording internal audio with Audacity, but interestingly enough on playback, the buzzing doesn't appear.

Here is a screenshot of task manager https://s1.postimg.org/1ylyarl15b/pc_buzzing.png

Those spikes I marked with the red dot coincide with when I click "next episode"


Also there are a few "security update for flash player" a month or two back (maybe when the problem started) is it worth to try uninstalling the updates?

 

Now, as

- try disabling your internet altogether, then playing the same video. Any buzzzing?

Now it would be interesting to find out what those spikes in internet activity are related to.
Try leaving your task manager open at the Processes tab, click the Network tab, and take a screenshot when there's some buzzing.
PrtSc would be the fastest- then open say Paint and paste the captured pic into Paint.

I'm beginning to guess there might be some interference problem between your internet related hardware and your analogue sound.. some screening problem inside your PC.

(I suppose there's an outside chance of mains breakthrough via your PSU, but that's going back to old days and analogue power circuits rather than switching power supplies. It would also mean it's terribly marginal on load, which seems unlikely).

- seems to confirm the relationship with internet activity and buzzing.

Try this:
Have something playing from your disk- just some music, say, with no buzzing. Ensure there's no internet activity.

While that's playing, download something reasonably large.

I'd say it's getting near to the point where you go back to your supplier with the evidence.

 

Hi, have a look at
Windows 10 popping sound in speakers Solved - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums
- might help.

 

I don't think those helped. Anyway, I did some more experimenting and stuff. I tried all types of audio drivers including the one from the mobo site and the one from realtek but none of them solve this. I don't get the buzzing at all even if I'm doing a big download such as on steam. I also downloaded dpc latency checker, but it didn't show any big spikes.

These are how I can replicate the buzzing and half second freezing of system: Click "next episode" on Amazon Prime or on Netflix always produces it, strangely not by opening youtube or twitch videos. The buzzing also happens very rarely otherwise, in something like when I just started my computer and and watching some video, maybe due to HDD still starting up? In addition to the buzzing, again, audio just has small occasional crackles that are annoying when trying to watch videos.

About your previous post I'm not sure how to download things while disabling internet.
Here's my full system setup btw: System Builder - Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core, GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB GAMING, Zondda-B ATX Mid Tower - PCPartPicker

Are there any other ways I can test what software/hardware is causing this problem? May be the network adaptor? My brother will be home a little in a month, he's knowledgeable about building computers, so if it comes down to replacing hardware, I'd like to figure it out by then. I hope it's not hardware but I gotta figure it out whatever it is :/

Thanks for your help again by the way, I really appreciate people helping me figure out this issue.

 

- try disabling your internet altogether, then playing the same video. Any buzzzing?

- I thought you meant you downloaded the video in its entirety, then played it. "download a video and play"



So does the problem only occur when streaming video (viewing from an internet site) and never when playing one from disk? And only if streaming from two sources?

Your #5 suggests a buffering problem perhaps.

You could try a couple of simple things:
a. Try using ethernet not Wifi
b. Try downloading a file (simple download, not streaming a video) using your Wifi, and monitor as in #5 for any peaks.

Repeat that whilst simultaneously streaming a video.

 

Sorry I should clarify. I mean, I have a local video file that I play, and this doesn't on it's own seem to do any buzzing. Again I do almost everything online but I still haven't seen buzzing on local files.

Now when I click next video online on amazon, then I get the buzzing system wide, even the local file that is being played buzzes.

Unfortunately I don't have the option of using ethernet instead of wifi on my PC. I tried downloading a few different things, sometimes the wifi peaks, sometimes its full, sometimes its not, but I haven't noticed any buzzing or anything when I'm downloading even a large file.

I ran chkdsk /r, it reported back no problems. I also benchmarked my GPU and the results were fine. :/


Also: The buzzing happened again, it sometimes happens if I am just starting up my computer and logged in, while the HDD is probably loading etc. I immediately opened a local music file. Then I just started up Chrome and got a quick buzzing for like half a second. Do you think it could be the HDD?

Update: I restarted into Safe Mode with Networking enabled, and could not replicate the problem using amazon/netflix! Tried rebooting in normal mode with all startup/non microsoft services disabled but still get the problem. What do I do now?

 

That's a very useful although as you know completely non-specific pointer.

When you do a clean boot, as I understand you have, that's not the same as booting in Safe mode. E.g. your AV will be running, and a number of other drivers and services, and possibly other startups not listed by the task manager. In Safe Mode basic drivers are loaded, but other drivers are loaded when you clean boot.

So you need to consider a range of possible further items..

You can selectively disable further items using Autoruns (free from MS).
It looks like a process of elimination. Before using Autoruns (which you need to run as admin) make sure you have
- a current disk image (we always recommend the routine use of disk imaging e.g. Macrium reflect (free) ) just in case.
- a current System Restore point (don't rely on this- they can be temperamental

Keep a careful record as you try disabling different things.