Systems and methods for variable rate playback are provided. Disclosed systems and methods of variable frame rate playback may reduce processor loading for presentation of multiple videos in a wall of video thumbnails, for example. The frame rate of the thumbnails may be dynamically changed based on different parameters. In an example embodiment, the parameter may include a video thumbnail position on a browsing page or the position of the video thumbnail as displayed on a video display. As an example embodiment of a default parameter, a seminal thumbnail may be set to the center thumbnail of a browsing page. Then, the frame rate of non-seminal thumbnails may decrease gradually relative to the distance from the seminal thumbnail. The frame rate may be dynamically changed based on a user behavior. The processor may enable real time decoding of the video thumbnail that a user focuses on, which may be determined, for example, by the position of a pointer, a selection of a thumbnail, and/or an entry of a particular video parameter as entered through a user interface.