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Preferences: Hardware

From the Menu bar, select Tools > Preferences: Hardware.

These preferences change how RealPlayer interacts with specific hardware devices (such as sound and video cards) installed in your system. In most cases the default settings will work correctly. Read the description for each setting carefully before changing any of them.

Option

Description

Playback Performance

CPU Usage: RealPlayer uses this setting to optimize the performance of clip playback. Adjust this setting only if your computer seems sluggish or has problems while playing content.

Enable full screen video controls: (Default: On) When enabled, the video image enlarges to fit the whole screen. Disable if your computer has problems displaying full-screen video.

Sound Card Compatibility

Click Settings... to modify sound card settings to overcome common audio problems with older sound cards.

Disable 16-bit sound: (use 8-bit only):	Use this setting if you have an older sound card and clips sound scratchy or distorted.
Disable custom sampling rates:	Use this setting if clips play at the wrong speed or sound scratchy or distorted.
Disable Direct Sound:	Using direct sound can improve sound quality but it requires more CPU capacity.
Playback Quality:	Moving the slider to the left (most reliable) increases error-checking but lowers the bitrate. Moving the slider to the right (best quality) increases the bitrate but decreases error-checking.

Video Card Compatibility

Move the slider to decrease (most reliable) or increase (best performance) the use of your video card's advanced capabilities. Older video cards or video drivers may not function properly with this feature. If your video is acting erratically, try setting the slider all the way to the left (most reliable).

Note: You will have to restart your computer after changing this selection before the change can take effect