Stutter is uneven presentation of movement or sound during playback, sometimes without a complete pause or buffering indicator. It can come from mismatched timing, decoding load, dropped frames or other media-processing conditions. Network delivery can contribute in some cases, but a steadily downloaded stream can still look uneven because of the playback or display path.
A practical example
A film may show an uneven camera pan while its buffer stays full and the sound continues normally. Comparing source frame rate, output timing and supported decoding settings examines a different problem from a programme that repeatedly stops to download more media.
A common misunderstanding
Do not treat every uneven motion problem as inadequate bandwidth. Establish whether the player actually waits for data or whether frames are being presented irregularly after successful delivery to the device.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach