How to Speed Up Video Playback (2X, 3X, or More)

While watching a movie, an online course, or a training video, you sometimes want to speed up video playback in the following situations:

• You don't have enough time to watch the whole video
• The speaker talks slowly
• some parts are borning
• Need to write a summary of the video in a short time
• ...

If you want to find the easiest way to change video playback speed, stick around this post. Here, you will learn different methods to speed up or slow video playback. Now, let's get started!

Speed Up Video Playback with EaseUS RecExperts

Known as a famous screen recorder, EaseUS RecExperts helps users complete almost any screen recording task effortlessly. Apart from that, it is also an excellent media player that lets you open various video and audio files with one simple click.

Supporting MOV, MP4, MKV, AVI, and more file formats, this 4K video player can open these common media files in a snap. It provides some other advanced features to enhance your watching experience. For instance, you can choose to speed up video playback or slow it down flexibly according to your needs. Now, click the button below to download and install it.

Now, follow the steps below to speed up video playback in EaseUS RecExperts:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts, and click "Recordings" on the lower left to open the media player.

Step 2. Click "Import" on the bottom right to load your media files. It allows you to import multiple files or a folder.

Step 3. Then, you can enjoy your audio or video file with different playback speeds, from 0.5X to 2.0X.

Speed Up Video Playback on Windows using Windows Media Player

If you are a Windows user, you must be familiar with Windows Media Player. It is the default media player on your PC and can play all common video or audio files as an FLV and  MP4 player for Windows 10, etc. You might ask if it supports adjusting the playback speed. Here, we can confidently answer your question: YES!

This freeware can speed up or slow down the video speed from 1x to 16x while playing. Now, check out the details in the following:

Step 1. Find the video file on your computer, then open it with Windows Media Player.

Step 2. Next, pause the video by clicking the "Pause" button in the middle. Right-click on the screen, and click "Enhancements" > "Play speed settings".

Step 3. Drag the slider the adjust the speed according to your needs (1.0X to 16X).

Step 4. Once done, close the popup window and hit the Playback. Then you can watch the video at your desired speed.

Read also: How to play MOV files on Windows 10

Change Video Playback Speed on Mac using QuickTime Player

For Mac users, QuickTime might be their first choice for playing media files. Similar to Windows Media Player, this program also allows you to watch videos at a faster speed. Moreover, it can also be used as a Mac screen recorder to do some screen recording activities if needed.

Here's how to watch a video at a faster speed in QuickTime Player:

Step 1. Find and launch QuickTime Player on your Mac.

Step 2. Click "File" > "Open File" to navigate and import the video.

Step 3. Hold the option key on your keyboard, and click the fast forward button to select your desired playback speed.

Note: You will see the speed start to increase in 0.1 increasement from 1.0X 1.1X, and then up to 2.0X.

Speed Up Videos on iPhone/Android via VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is an open-source video player for all operating systems. So if you want to watch videos at a faster or lower speed, you can use this freeware. Below are the detailed tutorials:

Step 1. Download VLC on your Android or iOS device, then open a video in this app.

Step 2. Tap on the screen to display the controls, and press the three dots.

Step 3. Next, choose the "Playback speed" option to adjust the playback speed. You only need to drag the slider or tap "+" to play your video at a faster speed.

Speed up Video Online via Video Speed Controller Extension

Sometimes need to watch online videos at a faster speed? Then how to complete it?

If you watch videos on YouTube or other famous sites, you can easily adjust the playback speed on the screen. However, not every online media site offers those features to allow you to change the playback speed. So, at that time, you can use a video speed controller Chrome extension, which makes it easy and quick to speed up video playback.

Step 1. Open the Chrome web store, and enter "Video Speed Center" in the search box to find the extension.

Step 2. Next, add the correct extension to your Chrome browser.

Step 3. Once added, you can play any video or lectures and find the video speed controller display on the video. So, the final step is to increase the playback speed.

Speed up Video Playback in PowerPoint

If you are playing a PowerPoint video and don't have time to watch it at the original speed, you may speed up the playback. Although the operation is not as simple as other tools, you can still do it. Now, follow the steps to start changing the playback speed.

Step 1. Go to "Powerpoint Options" > "Customize Ribbon" > "Main Tabs" > enable the "Developer" Tab.

Step 2. Access "Controls" > "More Controls" > "Windows Media Player".

Step 3. Create a new Windows Media Player instance. Right-click on the Windows Media Player and select "Properties" or "Property Sheet".

Step 4. Click the three-dot icon and paste a URL. Then, open the Windows Media Player Options window under "Custom".

Step 5. Click the "advanced" tab and change the speed in the "Rate" field.

Speed up Video Player Ubuntu

When it comes to speeding up video playback for Linux Ubuntu, you can't miss SMPlayer. This is a free media player that can play all video and audio formats with one click. It doesn't need any external codecs. One of the most interesting features is that it remembers the settings of all files you play. SMPlayer supports the most known formats and codecs: AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, etc. Let's check how to change the speed of a video in SMPlayer.

Step 1. Launch SMPlayer and play a video you like.

Step 2. Click "Play" from the top list and choose "Speed".

Step 3. You will see a list of options like "Halve speed", "Double speed", "Speed-10%", etc., under "Normal speed". Click the one you need, and the change will take effect immediately.

How to Choose a Speed-up Video Playback App

Here are some standards you may refer to when choosing a speed-up video playback app. Let's check them together.

• Speed options: You need to choose a player that can not only speed up but also slow down the video playing. And it should support all the common speed options in the market.
• Video playback fluency: Make sure that the player you choose can play videos smoothly at any speed.
• File format support: Choose a player that supports the most common file formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, and more.
• Video playing mode: Choose the one that supports multiple playback modes, including small window playback, background playback, etc.
• Price: You'd better choose a free speed-change video player.

EaseUS RecExperts is a media player that meets all the standards above. Click the button below to download it to your computer now!

How to Speed Up Video Playback FAQs

1. How can I increase video playback speed?

First, you can use a video player to increase the video playback speed, like VLC Media Player, Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, etc. Just select your desired playback speed in the settings.

If you watch some online videos and want to speed up playback, you can rely on a video speed controller extension.

2. What is the best speed for lectures?

The best speed for lectures is 2x playback speed, as a new paper argues that 2x speed will have minimal costs to comprehension.

If you want, you also can change it to 1.5x, 2.5x, and even faster speed. It depends on your own conditions.

3. Is watching lectures at 2x speed effective?

No. A new UCLA study shows that students retain information quite well when watching lectures at up to twice their actual speed. But once they exceed that limit, things begin to get a little blurry, said Alan Castel, the study's senior author and a UCLA professor of psychology.

The Bottom Line

How to watch videos at a faster speed? The easiest method is using a video player, and you can try the built-in or third-party one. The video speed controller extension is also an excellent choice for those who need to watch videos online. Whatever your decision is, make sure to choose the right one based on your needs.