xubuntu general video quality issues including Chrome

[badtlc]

I am having several issues as far as video quality. Let me start with the system:
-Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13 Ghz
-865g integrated graphics
-4GB Ram
-Latest Intel Graphics driver from their utility
-14.10 OS

In windows 8.1, all videos play fine and look excellent at 1440x900 resolution. Both firefox and chrome play 1080p youtube videos beautifully with about 30% CPU usage and reported hardware acceleration available for everything appropriate.

In Xubuntu 14.10, youtube videos are terrible looking and tearing all over the place and CPU usage is over 80% most of the time with frames dropped in FF at full screen. Even MP4 files look terrible. I spent hours last night searching and trying things. I tried using compton compositor or whatever it is. It seems to have fixed tearing but did little for image quality or CPU usage.

It appears hardware acceleration is properly enabled in Xubuntu as mp4 files in VLC or Parole use less than 10% CPU. I'd really like to figure out why I can't get nice, smooth 1080p playback in Chrome or firefox. Would someone be able to help me troubleshoot this? Compton seemed to break the system so I'd like to fix page tearing without using it, too, if possible.

Thanks.

[badtlc]

Am I leaving anything out that would make it easier for someone to help me? I'm sure I did because I am not getting any responses but I don't know where to start with all this after spending 12 hours yesterday trying to figure it out. I feel brain dead at this point.