Buffering has various definitions in different technologies, but it is described here in terms of IPTV streaming. In general, it means that when watching a live stream, the video will pause and resume occasionally. This problem is called buffering; IPTV buffering will speed up various tasks on your computer.
Caching can prevent latency when streaming video or slow performance when playing graphics-intensive video games on desktops. Caching allows data to be preloaded into a specific area of memory, called “cache”, so that the data can be accessed more quickly by the GPU or CPU.
Diagnosing the root cause of buffering is difficult, but this paper explains the underlying factors that cause buffering and provides solutions.
Causes of the IPTV Buffering or IPTV freezing
Internet Speed
Depending on the streaming quality, a minimum speed is required for the internet connection. Otherwise, the quality tends to be poor and there are frequent interruptions.
Home Network
Wireless routers are often quickly overloaded when many devices connect at the same time. When this happens, the bandwidth required for the flow is reduced, resulting in interruptions. In this case, you need a router that can handle large traffic loads.
CPU Usage
What is often overlooked is the activity that takes place on the devices that are connected to the internet. Watching video over the Internet uses computing resources. Therefore, if you have multiple programs running in the background of your system, you may experience problems with video playback. If you experience problems with video playback, it is advisable to close any unused websites or programs.
Stream Provider Overloading
If there are more stream requests than the provider’s servers can handle, the transfer of the video to the device will be delayed, ultimately resulting in the stream being paused or cached. In this case, users have no choice but to wait until the content provider’s demand decreases.
How to prevent IPTV Buffering
The main reasons underlying regulatory isolation can be categorised into three main sections. Internet speed, hardware processor and the server on which IPTV is transmitted. Fluctuations in internet download speed can cause buffering. Buffering can also occur if the TV or media box cannot handle high-quality input streams (for example, HD channels).
In addition, if excessive flow from users results in overloading the IPTV provider’s servers, this can also lead to buffering.
Things to do when you are facing unusual IPTV Buffering and freezing
IPTV users can apply this technique to overcome lag problems.
1. Restart the Wi-Fi
When Wi-Fi is sending and receiving large amounts of data and serving multiple devices at the same time, HD TV streaming may be delayed.Restarting Wi-Fi will refresh and cool down your device settings.
2. Restart the TV/Firestick/Box
Whether it’s a Shield Pro or Firestick, or an Android or Mag device, the set-top box runs background applications as well as processing, which is dependent on RAM. Prolonged use or overloading of background applications can overheat the CPU and GPU, causing IPTV applications to run slower. Rebooting the device can remove unnecessary processes. You can also stop background applications in other ways.
3. Check the Internet Speed
You can check your internet speed with some apps available in the Firestick app store and the Play Store. If your speed is lower than 40 MBps, IPTV may be delayed on HD channels and you can test with:
- Internet Speed Test App
- Analytics
- Fast.com (From any browser such as Firefox)
Uninstall or Close Background Apps
Many background applications on a Firestick or set-top box can consume a lot of data from the internet and should be controlled. Nowadays, all applications are static and are not constantly sending and receiving data from the internet.
Background process management applications are the most popular:
- Background Apps & Process List
4. Use a Premium VPN
Using a VPN can stabilize and improve your streaming speed while protecting your privacy. Since most ISPs use cable or VOD services, they don’t want to stream from customers outside their network, but have fewer resources to fill the demand gap. So they limit the speed and this is mostly done manually or with algorithms that detect your usage. With a premium VPN, they hide your login ID and give you the freedom to browse and stream.
Most Popular and well-known VPN
- ExpressVPN (Most Recommended)
- Nord VPN
- Surf Shark
Also, if you use the VLC media player or Smart TV app, you can look for ways to adjust your connection to reduce buffering.
If you’re still having trouble watching videos, there are a few things you can do to minimize the effects of the injury.
Some video providers allow you to start a video, pause it, and wait.
This allows the video to download a little further ahead and catch up, so you can watch without interruption for longer.
It can also reduce the quality of the video. This reduces bandwidth demand and increases the likelihood of uninterrupted video playback during playback.
Another optional approach is to download the entire video first before playing it. This approach may require more time, but increases the likelihood that you will be able to watch the entire video without interruption.
