Video streaming services are in huge demand. It is projected that people will spend over $108 billion on video streaming in 2025.
There are plenty of great reasons people around the world are enjoying video streaming services. Unfortunately, there are still some issues that you can experience with them. You might have problems with content coming through at all or the video feed might be displayed too slow and fail to match the timelines of the sound.
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting yourself all hyped up to start bingeing your favorite series or sitting down to catch that all-important game – drinks and snacks in hand with a comfortable sitting position identified and perfected – and out of nowhere, your internet starts acting up. The buffering circle of doom has arrived and interrupted your viewing pleasure, and it always seems to occur when you would least like it to.
Not only are persistent buffering pauses irritating, but the video may also actually skip ahead a few seconds, causing you to miss important things – particularly if you’re live streaming a sports game!
While we’d all love to have the fastest internet speeds available, financially, that may not always be realistic for you. There are, however, various ways of improving or fixing your available internet speed to render the annoying buffering symbol obsolete and banish it completely.
Have You Tried Turning It on and Off Again…?
Okay, we are aware that this first step sounds mildly patronising, but it’s surprising how often this simple trick can solve all your streaming problems – restarting your Wi-Fi router is actually the easiest way to go about boosting the speed of your internet, especially if you’re watching the final quarter of an NBA live stream, and your internet decides to choose that exact moment – when there’s an all-important free throw about to occur – to slow down.
So, next time you’re having buffering issues, your first step should be to either unplug your router for approximately ten seconds before plugging it back in again, or pressing the ‘reset’ button (if available on your router). You may find this simple trick is your magic fix!
Too Many Devices
You may already be aware of this fact, but it’s worth stating nevertheless. If you are using a wireless internet connection that is linked to multiple devices in the house – kids’ smartphones while they watch YouTube and TikTok videos, a tablet perusing the sales, a gaming console – then your streaming allowance is going to be divided between these devices, meaning that none are able to achieve quality streaming services.
The sensible solution here is to reduce the number of devices wirelessly linked to your router and keep just one primary device connected, as it should mean that the internet streaming allowance on this device increases. Well, either that or check out what speeds you actually require for your home.
To Wire or Not to Wire?
While we can all celebrate the fact that wireless internet has become the norm, allowing us to roam, scroll, and stream at the same, no matter where we are, there’s something to be said for the steady security a wired connection offers.
Using an ethernet cable to attach your streaming device (television or laptop/PC) results in a much more secure and reliable connection, prioritising the device that is linked by a wired connection over devices that are connected wirelessly.
Resolution Woes
It’s understandable that you want to watch in the highest possible resolution but, sometimes, you need to make necessary sacrifices to ensure a smooth streaming service for yourself. Most streaming sites, whether for sports, films/series, or online videos, offer you a choice of resolution, with most people opting for the highest resolution available to them without realising the detrimental effect this can have on your internet speeds. If you have your resolution on the highest setting, try reducing it until your device stops buffering and offers you a seamless streaming experience.
Patience is a Virtue
If, for one reason or another, you are unable to carry out any of the aforementioned actions, then you will simply have to have patience. Pausing your video and leaving it to buffer for 30 minutes to an hour can occasionally have the desired effect, preventing your viewing constantly stopping-and-starting – so this is always worth a go!
Hopefully, you find one of these simple tips is the answer to all your buffering woes – happy streaming!