1080p content plays choppy

[battery]

I've got a 1.8gh P4 with 512mb ddr and a geforce fx 5200 128mb video card. This beast of a computer handles 720p without any problems but takes it hard [plays a bit choppy] when i try and play 1080p

My comp should [if i close all other processes down and dedicate all the comps resources] be able to play 1080p smoothly, shouldn't it?
I'm sure this has been asked before, but how can i optimize my system for 1080p playback? is vlc the best program for my setup?

More detail:
WinXp Pro 32bit
using vga out at 1024x768
I've got another comp [ht p4@3.0gh with onboard garbage video and 2 gigs ram] that plays 1080p no problem.

Thanks in advance!
Newbie,
Battery

[jeroensky]

If it's choppy, then the machine isn't capable to play it with your Operating system and or configuration, or hardware. otherwise it wasn't choppy.
If your display device isn't fullHD then stick at 720P.
Try to run as less as possible programs on the background, Or try to update the onboard memory, or cpu/gpu, if you're shure the software configuration is ok.

maybe your 512 Mb memory is the issue, what'sthe speed of that memory(MHz). Possibly too slow. (but be aware what your motherboard supports as maximum frequency of memory cards, the speed of the slowest inserted memory card/bank is the speed where all memory cards/banks are working on).
So it can be possible that you've to upgrade motherboard,cpu&memory , it's depending on motherboard specs)

So remember, 1080p is only useful as output, if the device where you watch it on, is really supporting FullHD, and so not a HDready device that supports for example 720p

[battery]

the display that my computer is hooked up to is a 42" 1080p lcd display and the files i play are generally 1080p.
this computer is used mainly to hold my files. i use my laptop [Gateway P-7811 FX] to play the HD movies.
Even though my old crap computer can handle 720p, the 'PC'/VGA Port on my TV only supports a few 4:3 resolutions so when I play any HD movie I get a 16:9 picture within a 4:3 picture within a 16:9 display. I guess ill just continue using it to house my numerous IDE harddrives.

Thanks for your time!
[the ram btw is ddr @ 266mhz - crazy fast!]

[patch]

I've got a 1.8gh P4 with 512mb ddr and a geforce fx 5200 128mb video card. This beast of a computer handles 720p without any problems but takes it hard [plays a bit choppy] when i try and play 1080p
...
I've got another comp [ht p4@3.0gh with onboard garbage video and 2 gigs ram] that plays 1080p no problem.

Full HD video pushes CPU performance requirements. You CPU is not up to it.
See viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42328
and viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9647&p=182727