Streaming videos is one of the most popular online activities and a great way to engage with the audience. However, the last thing one wants is to face buffering issues in the midst! This disrupts your streaming experience and frustrates you, unlike anything else.
Unfortunately, no matter how good your internet plan is, certain external factors affect your streaming quality. If you want to improve your video streaming quality and avoid buffering issues, then use the tips listed in this article.
The Importance of Internet Speed for Quality Streaming
Before we start discussing the tips to avoid buffering, let us first discuss the speeds required for streaming
If you are a Netflix user, then the table below gives a general idea of the speed required by different video qualities.
| 1 Mbps per second | For SD quality |
| 3 Mbps per second | For 720 HD quality |
| 5 Mbps per second | For 1080 HD quality |
| 15 Mbps per second | For 4K Ultra HD quality |
If you are a Netflix user, then the table below gives a general idea of the speed required by different video qualities.
| 3 Mbps per second | For the Hulu streaming library |
| 8 Mbps per second | For live-streaming |
| 16 Mbps per second | For 4K content |
7 Tips to Improve Video Quality
Some of the ways via which you can improve your video quality are listed below.
Check Your Internet Connection
It is safe to say that your streaming experience depends on the quality and speed of your internet connection. Thus, if your internet connection is unreliable, then you will not be able to stream smoothly. So, if you like binge-watching, we recommend you choose a provider that offers a pure fiber-optic internet connection.
If you are looking for a better internet provider, then we recommend you choose Grande Internet. It offers a quality fiber-optic connection and up to one gigabit of internet speed to stream content without buffering issues. If you want to know more about its internet plans and services, then contact its customer support team.
Check Your Router
If you feel that you have a good speed tier but are still facing buffering issues, then we suggest you check your router.
The mere reason is that if your router is outdated or not configured properly, it might cause network problems, and you will face buffering issues. So, please ensure that you have installed the latest firmware and restart your router to clear the glitches. Also, consider the placement of your router and ensure there are no obstacles in the path of the signals.
In addition, if you have a large household, we suggest you use a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh network to expand your Wi-Fi signals. This way, you can stream smoothly.
Turn Off VPN Services
Please check whether you are using a VPN or not! Most of the time, buffering issues occur because of a VPN connection. If you encounter repeated buffering issues, then we suggest you turn off the VPN service. Please know that VPNs are great for security, but they slow down your internet speed, and as a result, you encounter buffering issues.
Use an Ethernet Cable
If you want to improve your streaming quality, we suggest using an Ethernet cable instead of a Wi-Fi connection. The mere reason is that it is significantly faster than a Wi-Fi connection. One major reason is that wireless connections are subject to interference, which can affect your streaming quality.
Check Your Internet Plan
If you are still facing buffering issues, then there are chances that you might have chosen the wrong speed tier. Thus, we suggest you conduct a speed test, so you can understand the speed you are getting in real-time.
If you feel that you are not getting enough speed, then we recommend that you contact the customer support team of your ISP and upgrade your internet plan.
Reduce the Video Quality
If you are not getting enough speed and do not want to change your ISP, reducing your video quality is one simple way to minimize buffering issues. For instance, stop streaming content in 4K or HD and choose standard streaming options. The best part is that most streaming services, such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, offer different video quality options. Or you can even download the videos and watch them later.
Close Other Programs
When you are streaming, please ensure that no other programs are running in the background. You should pause all the updates because this tends to reduce your computer’s processing power and consumes a lot of bandwidth. As a result, your internet gets sluggish, and you cannot stream content smoothly.
All in All…
If you are already tired of buffering issues, we suggest using some of the simple fixes listed above. No matter how fast your internet is, buffering issues might occur for several reasons. Fortunately, you can eliminate it with some tips and improve your streaming quality.