Last Updated on June 28, 2024 by Team Experts
Over the past few years, access to entertainment has become easier and convenient. In the past, we were all dependent on television to watch our favorite primetime show, comedy sitcom, or blockbuster movie. However, now things have changed and most people prefer to watch their favorite shows and series on personal devices including laptops and smartphones. All thanks go to the internet without which we wouldn’t have been able to access entertainment from anywhere.
As time progressed, many streaming services came into existence. Netflix being the pioneer followed by Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Hulu, Sling, and many more joined the spree and gave us unlimited entertainment on the go.
However, with so much ease and convenience, things might turn out to be a little nasty. Whether you want to stream videos in HD resolution or standard resolution, you might come across the buffering icon on your screen. All your fun is ruined as soon as the round icon appears on your screen. You can get rid of this annoying icon that appears on your screen often. Just follow the tips given below and hook to your favorite show without any delay. But before anything else, we would like to shed some light on what is buffering and what are the causes.
What is Buffering?
While streaming audio or video some of the data is stored in the memory. It refers to downloading a certain amount of data before playing a movie or audio file. The data, stored in advance, allows seamless and uninterrupted audio and video buffering. While if the data is not downloaded and stored beforehand, it may cause a delay in streaming.
What are the Causes of Buffering?
I have high speed internet but slow buffering, buffering is a common problem in every household. The causes of buffering can be due to a server offering the video and your device. You might have a slow internet connection that is unable to load the video quickly. On the other hand, it can be due to the problem with the service itself.
In case you aren’t interested in switching your plan or service, you can follow the tips to solve the problem. Here are some of the ways to fix buffering issues without breaking a sweat.
Check Your Internet Speed
Sometimes you might not be getting speed as much as promised by the service provider. Check your internet speed through speed test tools available online for free. It will help you find whether the problem is with your service provider or your equipment.
If you are not sure what speed you should be getting, then look at your internet plan that you have subscribed to. In case, you are doubtful, just contact customer support and get all the details about your plan.
If the speed is much slower than the advertised one, the issue might be with the ISP network, phone line, or your router. Contact customer support to resolve the issues.
The speed of the internet might not be the same throughout the day. At different times, the speed might fluctuate. To find whether the problem is permanent or temporary, make sure to test the speed at different times of the day. If the speed is below normal, you should pursue a service provider. Talk to the customer representative and request them to fix the issue or send a technical person to your home. If you are good at negotiating, you can even get discounts on your plan.
Reduce the Video Streaming Quality
If you love to watch movies and TV series in high definition, you need to have more bandwidth. However, if the buffering problem persists for longer, you might need to compromise on video quality and adjust it to a lower resolution to fix the buffering issue.
Some streaming services allow you to manually configure the video settings by selecting a resolution, which includes 1080p, 4K, or 480p. On the other hand, some services adjust the video quality automatically depending on your speed and bandwidth. Now you will be able to watch videos on low quality rather than facing buffering issues.
To avoid buffering problems forever, you can check out Optimum Cable Packages that include 220+ channels, up to 200Mbps download speed, voice-activated remote, and much more. Watch your favorite channels without worrying about buffering issues anymore. Enjoy a bundled package including everything you need to get hooked to your favorite movies and TV shows along with surfing the internet and playing games online.
Close Other Apps and Services in the Background
Almost every device at your home is connected to Wi-Fi. That means every device is consuming some amount of data, whether they are in use or idle state. However, to resolve buffering issues, you need to close the applications running in the background and turn off Wi-Fi on idle devices.
Moreover, you also need to check your device while streaming videos. If you are downloading a movie from a torrent or an application is being updated in the background, just stop them for short period. The problem might not be faced if you are streaming videos on a streaming device, TV box, or smart TV. But if you are using your smartphone or laptop, closing applications in the background will fix the issue.
Wait for a While and Let the Video Buffer
If you want to stream video in 1080p or 4k, make sure to wait for a while and let the video buffer. It would help the video to buffer and store so that you don’t have to wait for the stream to be available.
Some software and video players also indicate how much video has been buffered on the seek bar. Watch for the seek bar and continue playing your video after enough content has been buffered and available for stream.
Check Your Wi-Fi Signal
If you are using Wi-Fi to connect your device to the internet, make sure that you are getting enough signals. Poor or weak signals might give you a headache while buffering videos. Make sure that you are getting strong signals on your device to stream videos without buffering issues.
