What's the difference between lag and jitter?
I've noticed nowadays that games (and people) only use the term 'lag'.
Except, while playing BZFlag, I've noticed there's two notifications for latency (the proper term 'lag'); "Your jitter is too high (### ms), warning #/#" and "Your latency is too high (### ms), warning #/#".
I've noticed that sometimes, only the "lag" notification comes out along with the "jitter" notification nowadays. But I've remembered back then (around 2008), that only the "jitter" notification comes up.
I've googled up the two and their wikipedia pages and Jitter talks about difference between the interval that the packet's time measure starts, alongside frequencies while the other is about the time difference in receiving, processing and then return-sending a single packet.
There again, I could be reading the incorrect definition for that application of the term.
Is there a difference between "Jitter" and "Latency" (if so, what?), or are they the same thing?
Best Answer
A 'lag' is caused by a delay in the network, usually in multiplayer or MMO games:
- You move.
- Your PC sends this information (player moved to xyz) to the server (takes time)
- The server sends this information to everyone else (takes time as well)
- Everyone else finally sees that you moved.
The delay that happens between you moving (locally on your machine) and other players finally seeing your new location is dependent on the network speed. This is usually fast enough and the normal speed is the "latency" of the network, but if something is blocking your (or the other player's) communication with the server then this can delay these updates considerably (seconds) so they will see you "jump around".
'Jitter' on the other hand is caused not by blocking of the network but (most commonly) by blocking the CPU. A game is running a loop that continuously updates the screen. If some other background program is blocking the CPU for a longer period (e.g. seconds) then this loop will be delayed and you will see the game pause for short periods of time.
Note: Jitter is also used for another thing (not gaming related). It can mean small errors in transmitted or captured data or even data modified on purpose (e.g. as dithering). This usually is not a problem in gaming as network packages are checked (with a check sum) and bad packages are re-sent or discarded.
Pictures about "What's the difference between lag and jitter?"
Is jitter the same as lag?
What are the main differences between jitter vs latency? JItter is used to describe the amount of inconsistency in latency across the network, while latency measures the time it takes for data to reach its destination and ultimately make a round trip.Does jitter cause lag?
You can adjust your gameplay to allow for lag and make timely, accurate shots. However, jitter makes for extremely unpredictable game play that throws off your timing making it hard to play successfully.How is jitter different from delay?
How is jitter different from delay? Propagation delay is the time it takes for the first bit of a packet to travel from source to destination; jitter is the variation in arrival rate of data packets. So delay measure travel time and jitter measures packet arrival frequency.What is good jitter for gaming?
Jitter is a related measure. If it's too high, the game action can appear jerky. That won't necessarily cost gamers any battles, but it will make the experience less enjoyable. Jitter should stay below 30 ms for smooth play.Minecraft wait what meme part 267 (Little Alex)
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