Whether you're a streamer or enjoy immersing yourself in a personal video library curated over the years, customizing video playback settings on your Windows 11 PC can dramatically improve your multimedia experience.
Control video playback settings
The built-in Photos and Media Player apps (as well as the old Movies & TV app) and third-party apps – like Hulu, Netflix and Vudu – are built on Universal Windows Platform or UWP, using a video platform developed by integrated in Windows.
As a result, Windows 11 offers a number of settings that let you control how these apps handle video playback. You can change these settings to improve playback and save network bandwidth.
To access video playback settings, go to Settings in Windows 11. Click Apps on the left panel, then tap Video playback on section Apps opens on the right.
There are several options you can enable or disable based on your preferences. Adjust video based on lighting around me will adjust the video based on ambient light.
Also, optional Save network bandwidth by playing video at a lower resolution will play the video at a lower resolution to help save network bandwidth. This is handy if you're on a billed connection or using your phone's hotspot while on the go – and of course, when the Internet connection is slower.
Note: While customizing video playback settings can enhance your experience, you may experience issues such as choppy video playback or performance lag. Turn options on and off one by one to fix choppy video issues.
Configure battery options
When you are watching movies and videos on your laptop or tablet, especially when on battery, it is imperative to consider all the battery saving options for playing videos.
While you can choose to optimize battery options for video quality (mainly for desktops or when the laptop is plugged in), you can also optimize these options for battery life. In that case, you can specify not to adjust video based on lighting when running on battery. Additionally, you can play videos at a lower resolution to extend battery life.
Tips: Depending on your monitor and PC configuration, you can also take advantage of High Dynamic Range (HDR) settings to get brighter and more vivid images for supported games, videos and applications. You can configure these settings in System > Display > HDR.
Tweaking video playback settings on Windows is a simple yet impactful way to enhance your multimedia experience. Most people don't bother with these settings at the operating system level when dealing with video players and streaming applications, but adjusting these settings to your needs can ensure a smooth viewing experience. which and more effective.
