Whether you’re a live sports fan, news watcher, or Netflix binge-watcher, your TV’s likely the centerpiece of your home entertainment setup. But nothing kills the viewing vibes as much as a buffering screen that interrupts the latest episode of your fav show.
Ready to throw your TV out the window and start from scratch? You don’t have to, trust me! I dug into the user manuals and did the tech support legwork—here’s what you’ll need to know if you’re dealing with buffering problems on your cable, satellite, or streaming TV setup.
Buffering on a streaming TV setup
Cord-cutting comes with its share of upsides, like lower costs and having fewer TV remotes to sort through. But your home internet connection can occasionally be just as finicky as an old-school cable or satellite TV connection.
Whether you’re using your TV’s built-in apps or relying on a hardware streaming device, here are my top tips for troubleshooting streaming buffering on your TV.
Check Wi-Fi settings
Most homes rely on Wi-Fi these days, but Wi-Fi isn’t always a one-size-fits-all solution. Check that your TV or streaming device is connected to your Wi-Fi router’s 5 GHz network, which offers the fastest download speeds. Depending on your router, this network may be labeled with a “_5G” at the end of the network name.
Update your apps
Smart TVs and streaming devices work just like your smartphone, as software developers regularly push updates to ensure your Netflix or HBO Max apps offer smooth streaming experiences.
The update process varies by platform, but generally, you can check for updates by opening your device’s app store and checking the app’s listing. Here, you’ll see whether or not a new update is available for your app.
Consider an internet upgrade (if you’ve been skimping)
Internet bandwidth is like a pipe, and if you’re constantly dealing with buffering problems, you may be hitting the limits of your internet plan’s capacity.
That said, this’ll be the most likely scenario if you live in a large household and have a plan with download speeds below 300 Mbps. (If you live with fewer people or solo, your problem is likely elsewhere.)
Check out our internet speed guide for shopping tips on finding the right internet plan for your household.
Buffering on cable or satellite TV
Traditional TV providers have their share of advantages over streaming TV services: more add-ons, massive channel counts, and live sports without a streaming delay. However, they’re not immune to the occasional service hiccup.
Rest assured, you won’t have to stand tippy-toe on your recliner to adjust your antenna signal—here are my tips for fixing buffering problems with your TV.
Is your gear up to date?
Cable and satellite TV providers periodically refresh their hardware boxes to offer updates like better picture quality and improved reliability.
If you’ve been riding with the same TV box for more than a few years, consider checking with your provider to see if it’s out of date. Most providers will cycle out boxes for free, and many have local retail stores that make the exchange process a breeze.
Wait for weather delays
Mother Nature waits for no one, and that includes you if you want to catch today’s Detroit Tigers game on TV. Cable and (especially) satellite TV signals can be heavily affected by inclement weather that’ll disrupt your TV’s signal.
If your TV signal has been out for longer than usual, we’d suggest contacting your provider to confirm a weather-related outage in your area.
Check your line
Satellite and cable TV installers usually do a solid job getting your TV up and running, but everything from wires to connectors can break down over time. If you’ve already troubleshooted your TV hardware and you’re still experiencing buffering problems, consider having a technician come out to check your home’s outside satellite or cable installation.
Want to learn more about your TV? Visit our TV ports guide to learn how to maximize your TV’s picture quality and performance.
Why you should trust us
Our TV and internet experts have spent hundreds of hours testing and researching TV and internet troubleshooting problems as part of our regular streaming service, internet, and TV coverage. For this service guide, I drew from our existing tech support coverage to highlight how to fix your TV’s hardware and streaming problems.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
