Chrome & Vivaldi video play is slow on new install - Firefox and VLC video run fine

I’m 2 days into my first Linux experience (a non-coder/Windows defector, using Cinnamon off the back of the suggestion of Mr ExplainingComputers on YouTube). It installed and boots effortlessly on my 2008 Dell Inspiron (Mint wouldn’t) - all devices found and working glitch-free so far.

Having worked out how to install Chrome (tried both AUR and Flatpack versions) I’m getting laggy, slow motion style video playback from both Chrome and the pre-installed Vivaldi browser with YouTube and BBC iplayer content. These play fine in Firefox and movie files run fine in VLC/mpv players.

Can you please explain/advise a possible fix?
Thanks

Hi @TimH, and welcome!

I use Firefox, and would recommend it as it isn’t from the AUR, but the official repositories.

That said, it’s probably due to hardware acceleration not being enabled on Chrome. No, I don’t know how to do it, so I asked Google and it answered:

Enable Hardware Acceleration in Google Chrome

Here is how you can enable Chrome hardware acceleration:

  1. Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
  2. Select “Settings” from the drop down menu.
  3. Scroll down and click on “System” in the left sidebar.
  4. Find the option “Use hardware acceleration when available” and toggle it on.
  5. Restart Chrome to apply changes.

Original website

This thread might be useful; albeit from 2022;

Regards.

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Many thanks for your prompt responses. I think I’ve resolved it!

Chrome’s internal acceleration was enabled when I checked so that wasn’t my issue.

I’ve been running Manjaro via a USB cable boot most of the time - so I tried plugging the SSD into the SATA socket - that was better but still not fully up to speed.

Having read through the recommended 2022 thread I jumped here:

On that page (at point 4) this command set seems to resolve it:
google-chrome-stable --use-gl=desktop --enable-features=VaapiVideoDecoder --disable-features=UseChromeOSDirectVideoDecoder

Now I just need to work through the instructions below it to make the change permanent!

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@TimH

That would be my recommendation too. as Google Chrome is not fully Open Source.

Also given Firefox works OOTB.

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…erm … that would mean that hw-accel was not enabled and then you managed to get it going with those options. These are the kinds of options that will be required to have hw-acceleration on chromium browsers. Which flags precisely will depend on hardware and time, and subject to random changes.

For whatever its worth I have these all, but I havent double checked in a little while.

--flag-switches-begin
--start-maximized
--force-dark-mode
--ignore-gpu-blocklist
--high-dpi-support=1
--enable-parallel-downloading
--enable-accelerated-video
--enable-accelerated-mjpeg-decode
--enable-gpu-rasterization
--enable-oop-rasterization
--enable-quic
--enable-zero-copy
--enable-drdc
--canvas-oop-rasterization
--ozone-platform-hint=wayland
--ozone-platform=wayland
--use-gl=angle
--enable-smooth-scrolling
--enable-accelerated-video-decode
--enable-native-gpu-memory-buffers
--enable-features=UseMultiPlaneFormatForHardwareVideo,VaapiIgnoreDriverChecks,VaapiVideoDecodeLinuxGL,WebUIDarkMode,MarkHttpAs,StrictOriginIsolation,VaapiVideoDecoder,VaapiVideoEncoder,VaapiVideo,CanvasOopRasterization,VaapiIgnoreDriverChecks,PlatformHEVCDecoderSupport
--disable-features=UseChromeOSDirectVideoDecoder,HardwareMediaKeyHandling,OmniboxUIExperimentHideSteadyStateUrlPathQueryAndRef,OmniboxUIExperimentHideSteadyStateUrlScheme,OmniboxUIExperimentHideSteadyStateUrlTrivialSubdomains,ShowManagedUi
--flag-switches-end

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Hardware_video_acceleration

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Chromium#Hardware_video_acceleration

^ I note while posting this final link that suggestions have changed again :sweat_smile:

PS.

Also note that probably the most helpful place to actually check on your acceleration et al would be (in the browser location bar);

chrome://gpu