Their advice is simple: check your router, avoid running too many devices at once, be aware of limitations with budget TVs, and skip the VPN if you want smoother playback.
With peak viewing season around the corner, more of us will be streaming online – and more of us will hit snags. Whether it’s your TV, mobile, or tablet, you are bound to eventually encounter some issues when using streaming apps.
Unlike traditional broadcasts, streaming relies on a longer chain of connections. That means buffering, glitches, and error messages can pop up for all sorts of reasons—anywhere between the broadcaster’s servers and your device.
But what troubleshooting advice do broadcasters provide? Based on viewer feedback, ITV and 5 have published online guidance with how to resolve the most common streaming problems.
Internet speed
With streaming quality improving over the years, ITV now recommends a minimum broadband speed of 10Mbps. That is also the recommended minimum for other streaming-based services. Speedtest.net is the most popular speed testing site; also available as an app on mobiles and tablets.
ITV recommends that you should run the speed test on the device you’re experiencing trouble on. If that’s not possible, run the test in the same position (or as close as possible) on a separate device (i.e. mobile or laptop) connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Internet speed may be affected by other issues, including:
Weak Wi-Fi or interference
Wi-Fi refers to the wireless signal between your router and your device. The further away you are from your router, the weaker the signal will be. If you do a speed test on a mobile device near your router, and then move further away and test again, you may notice how your speed drops. Solid walls, floors and concrete can reduce Wi-Fi signals in other rooms.
In addition, other devices may cause interference. Media industry regulator Ofcom notes that microwaves, halogen lamps and baby monitors may interfere with some Wi-Fi connections.
If you live in a densely populated area, especially blocks of flats, there’s greater risk of interference from neighbouring Wi-Fi networks. This may make connections even more tricky once you move away from the immediate area of the router.
Solutions:
- Reposition your router to a better place to improve signal strength in your home.
- Your internet service provider may be able to offer Wi-Fi booster kits (range extenders), which boost your Wi-Fi network into distant parts of your home.
- If you are streaming on a TV that is in a fixed location that is near your router, you could connect your TV directly to your router using an Ethernet cable. This is an ideal solution for big screens, where you’re more likely to want to get the best picture quality.
Problems with your router or internet traffic limits
Channel 5 points out that your router itself might be the problem. To confirm if it’s the cause, reboot your router (turn it off and back on again). The broadcaster also notes that network traffic shaping or throttling, where your connection may be slowed down by your internet service provider, could be an issue.
ITV speaks of “peak usage times”, when demand for the internet is at its highest. It advises users with problems to try running a speed test at different times of the day (e.g. morning versus evening) to see if peak usage times impact your results. ITV even recommends viewers to “consider streaming during off-peak hours when fewer people are using the internet”!
Are you running too many devices?
5 warns that you may have trouble streaming if too many devices are in use at the same time. Your internet bandwidth will be split between devices.
If multiple devices in the same household are downloading great amounts of data or are streaming TV or games, there might not be enough bandwidth for your device.
To see if other devices are causing streaming problems, 5 advises to “close all applications on your main device and disconnect all the others”.
Budget TVs
ITV highlights a problem with budget TVs. They typically have slower processors, limited RAM (memory) and basic graphics capabilities. This can make video playback more difficult, especially for HD or high-bitrate content. The broadcaster warns this can lead to slow load times, delayed buffering, and even stuttering playback.
It recommends viewers to check your device firmware is up-to-date. Updates often include performance improvements. However, if your device has limited memory, there’s only so much an update can do. So ITV suggests to try streaming on a different device to see if there’s a difference.
The same advice also applies to other devices: a cheap, entry-level phone may struggle with some streaming apps compared to mid and premium-level phones with better processors and more memory.
VPN
ITV and 5 are both in agreement: VPNs are a no-no. All major broadcasters warn that if you use a VPN, your connection may be blocked by them. ITV says some VPN servers may intentionally limit (throttle) the bandwidth for specific types of traffic, like video streaming, to conserve bandwidth and manage server load.
Clear your cache
Your device will have a cache (pronounced “cash”). ITV says that cached files and cookies “can build up over time and may slow down your device or cause issues with loading content, potentially leading to buffering. Clearing the cache and resetting the app might help improve performance.”
Here’s how:
- On web browsers: clear your cache and cookies (you can find this in the browser settings. Settings vary per browser, but are typically under Privacy & Security)
- On TV devices: within the app, select Settings > About > Reset
- On mobile: On Android phones go to Settings > Apps, locate and select the app, tap Storage & cache, and then choose Clear cache. On iPhones, you can’t clear individual app caches like on Android, but you can ‘offload’ an app, which will achieve the same thing. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Tap any streaming apps you’ve got issues with, and select Offload App. The app remains on your home screen, but you’ll have to tap it to re-download before you can get back in.
- Some, but sadly not all streaming apps on mobile have a built-in function where you can clear the cache by resetting the app. ITVX is one such app that contains a reset option. Within ITVX, select the Settings icon in the upper right and choose ‘Reset ITVX’.
But what if the streaming problem is with the broadcasters?
The big TV outage that affected some services in 2021 serves as a reminder that some problems are on the broadcaster’s side.
Downdetector monitors internet user reports to see if there’s a widespread issue with a streaming service. But be aware: it will also log complaints from users who instead of troubleshooting their own devices just go straight online to complain. On the graph that appears on each page (example of Netflix), look for spikes above the normal range for a streaming service to see if there is a more widespread issue.
Some apps are just buggy…
User reviews of apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play will tell you if others are experiencing the same problems. ITV, it has to be said, hasn’t had a great reputation. Prior to the launch of ITVX, ITV’s online streaming service was notorious for bugs and error messages. While some users still report issues with ITVX, it’s not to the same extent as before.
If there is a widespread problem with a particular device or programme, all major broadcasters will publish information on the help pages of their website/app.
By: Marc Thornham