The streaming devices and high speed internet networks that we use today are far superior than ever before, packing in more features and better hardware specs and higher speeds, allowing us to run more resource intensive applications with ease. That being said, there are still some very common bottlenecks that the everyday Movie/TV sources can face. Below you'll find some common and easy to follow tips and tricks that should allow you to overcome any of the streaming hiccups or buffering issues that you may face!
WHAT IS BUFFERING??..
and WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
I'm sure if you're reading this article, then you've seen what buffering is and how frustrating it can be... but the question remains, why does it happen?
BUFFERING CAN OCCUR
FOR SOME OF THESE REASONS
-- High Traffic Source: not able to handle the output request from all the users trying to watch that Movie or TV Show!
-- Source of Content: sources might be more demanding in regards to what are network is currently putting out there! -- and lastly, Device Performance and Media Player Issues!
LET'S TROUBLESHOOT
SOME OF THESE REASONS BELOW
Choose a different video player or check the settings of the media players you use!
VLC and MX Player are available in Filelinked:
Some built in media players in the applications are not capable or compatible with all media formats.. or they simply work better with different apps or setups. We find that generally with a high resolution or larger file sizes, using an external video player is beneficial. Switching the player can sometimes help. If you're using an IPTV Service or app, sometimes going into the settings of the app, accessing the 'Player Settings' and changing it to 'Hardware Decoder' can help with your playback issues as well.
RESTART YOUR STREAMING DEVICES:
Restarting your device can help in resolving some playback and buffering issues you may come in contact with. You can do so by doing one of the following steps that we've listed below for the device you may have!
FIRE TV OPERATING SYSTEM
Or, you can restart your device by going into your Settings > Device > and selecting Restart from the Fire TV menu. (DO NOT select Factory Reset)
ANDROID BOXES: follow the steps in the images below...
MODEMS and ROUTERS
Power Cycling Your Modem/Router: Do so by unplugging your router/modem, disconnect the coaxial cable as well, wait a few minutes, plug it back in and reconnect the coaxial cable back.
Please Note: only unplug daily, if you are live streaming and maybe disconnect coaxial cable weekly. This process tends to be more common with modems and routers received directly from ISP's (your internet service providers) instead of third party routers/modems.
CLEANING UP YOUR DEVICE: It's quite alright to have a selection of applications on your device for your entertainment but sometimes we can go a little overboard as we tend to keep apps that we no longer use, and in doing so.. that can slow the processors speed, which can result in creating playback and buffering issues. The solution to this is to ONLY have apps on your device that you use daily, if not.. Uninstall Them!
Or alternatively you can navigate to the following on your android boxes and Amazon devices as well: Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications to see all of the installed apps. (remove the apps you don't/aren't using anymore.)
To Uninstall an Installed App: select the app in the list and then press the select button on the remote. Here, you can also see the version of the app, the amount of storage space used by the app, and some other information. Choose the Uninstall option. Press the select button on the remote to uninstall the selected app. The app and it's data will be removed from the device.
CLEARING THE APP CACHE: Clean the cache from your commonly used apps if there is an issue, the app's cache can be found in settings, underneath manage installed apps!
TROUBLESHOOT INTERNET NETWORK
Make sure your device is close to your router, and it's placed in a good path for the WiFi signal, and that your network is on the right WiFi Channel. Download an Internet Speed Testing Application onto your streaming device to make sure you're getting a good speed on your device. Something to also take note of is the Ping and Jitter reported back on these test that you run.. these also measure the stability of your connection.
Depending on what you're streaming, it is usually recommended to have a download speed of at least 15mbps with a ping/jitter under 30ms (the lower, the better). Analiti and Speedtest can both be found within the Filelinked stores to download!!
ACCESSORIZE YOUR DEVICE: Here are some items that you can buy, to try and get a better internet connection to your devices. (you don't have too, just giving suggestions)
You can also try a Powerline Adapter: Powerline networks are essentially a wired network with (mostly) hidden wires. You buy a basic kit, which comes with two adapters and two short Ethernet cables. You connect one of the Ethernet cables to your router and to the first of the adapters. Then you plug it into the nearest power socket. Then you would go to the room in which the device that you are boosting the network signal is in and plug the second adapter into the closest wall outlet. At this point, you can either run an Ethernet cable from this Powerline Adapter to the device.. or connect to the newly created WiFi Network from the Powerline Network.
If none of those options work above,
REPLACE your modem and router!