GoPro Footage Lagging on Computer: Reasons and Fixes

Why Are My GoPro Videos Lagging on Computer

Before learning how to fix GoPro footage lagging on computer, let’s first figure out the potential causes of this annoying problem.

GoPro cameras can record high-resolution, high-frame-rate video at large bitrates. Specifically, HEREO6/7/8 Black is capable of recording at 4K resolution, and HERO12/11/10 Black supports up to 5.3K resolution. Apparently, these cameras produce high-quality, ultra-clear video with more color detail.

However,  you may find the footage lagging, choppy, or stuttering when playing or editing these sharper GoPro videos on your computer. “Why are my GoPro videos lagging?” The primary reasons why GoPro videos don’t play smoothly  on your computer include the following:

Insufficient hardware configuration: If your computer hardware configuration cannot meet the minimum requirements for high-resolution video playback, you may experience lagging or choppy playback.

‌Video file size is too large: If you capture a long video at high resolution, frame rate, and bitrate, your GoPro video file will undoubtedly be large. Then, the computer may experience delays while processing this data-heavy file.

‌Inappropriate video player selection: The player you are using may not support some codecs or have other compatibility issues‌. Some HERO cameras can utilize HEVC to capture large video content, however, this codec is not supported by Windows Media Player.

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How to Fix GoPro Footage Lagging on Computer

When your GoPro videos experience lag while playing or editing on your computer, the following solutions should help resolve these playback issues.

#1. Transfer GoPro Video to Computer Before Playing It

When you attempt to play footage via a USB cable or directly from your GoPro’s SD card, it may result in choppy playback. So, the first thing you can try to avoid GoPro footage lagging on computer is to transfer the video from the SD card to your computer’s hard drive or SSD.

#2. Compress or Convert the GoPro Video

As mentioned previously, the inadequate computer hardware configuration is the main cause of GoPro video lagging on PC. If you don’t intend to upgrade your computer hardware, compressing or converting your GoPro footage is a viable and fast option.

In precise, you can downscale the video resolution and lower video bitrate and frame rate to reduce the file size for better playback, or convert HEVC to H.264 to fix codec incompatibility issues. To do this, two video processing tools are recommended for you.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a video editor without watermark that can handle various video formats and codecs, such as MP4, MOV, H.264, HEVC, AV1, and more. You can use this application to play and edit GoPro videos smoothly, and even reduce the file size of GoPro videos by lowering the resolution (like 4K to 1080P or 720P), frame rate, and bitrate and trimming videos.

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

If you want to convert GoPro videos with more customizable options, MiniTool Video Converter is a good option. It’s a free video converter without watermarks and supports a wide range of video formats and codecs. This application provides multiple output presets for you to choose from and also allows you to create a custom output format by selecting the video quality, encoder, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate.

MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

#3. Try Another GoPro Video Player

When you’re bothered by the choppy playback from your current program, try another GoPro video player, such as VLC. By the way, if you’re suffering from lag when viewing videos with the official GoPro Player, lowering the playback resolution may help.

#4. Use Proxy Media in Video Editing Software

If your GoPro footage lags while editing in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or CapCut, using proxy media (a lower-resolution version of the original media file) can make it load much faster for smooth playback.

#5. Close Other Resource-consuming Applications

Another way you can try to fix GoPro footage lagging on computer is to close resource-consuming applications. Open Task Manager and end task for these apps to free up some system resources so that the software handling GoPro footage can allocate more RAM.

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Conclusion

There are many reasons why GoPro video playback may be lagging on your computer. Understanding these causes can help you better resolve the video lagging issues. This post covers everything you want to know about this topic, and we hope these tips can clear up these playback issues and give you a smooth viewing experience.