A good channel list is only useful when the picture holds. Most buffering and freezing comes from the home network, so a few changes often fix it. This page explains what to aim for and what to check.
The speed to aim for
Allow about 20 Mbps for each Full HD stream, and 35 Mbps or more for 4K. Measure on the device itself, using its own network settings or a speed test run on that screen. A speed test on a phone that sits beside the router will say little about a television across the house.
Wired or Wi-Fi
A network cable is the most reliable link. If a cable is not practical, use the 5 GHz band of your router rather than 2.4 GHz, and place the router where it has a clear path to the screen. Walls, microwaves and neighbours’ networks all slow Wi-Fi down.
Settings that help
- Close other apps on the device while you watch.
- Restart the app after a long session, and restart the device once a week.
- Choose the Full HD version of a channel if the 4K version stutters.
- Keep the device’s software up to date.
When it still stutters
Work through the buffering checklist. If a whole group of channels stops at the same time, it may be a temporary fault on the service side, and support can check.
Questions about a stable picture
Does a VPN slow streams down?
It can. A VPN adds a step between you and the service, and the effect depends on the server. Our VPN article explains the trade-offs.
Will a faster plan from my provider fix buffering?
Only if the speed is the bottleneck. A quick test on the device shows whether your line delivers the 20 Mbps a Full HD stream needs.