There’s nothing worse than settling down to stream your favourite films or TV series, or tuning in to catch the latest sports action, only to find your stream is slow, lagging or the picture quality is below par.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and YouTube have been keeping us entertained for a long time now – in some ways replacing the traditional TV broadcasters. Yet, for many of us, the streaming experience is not always a positive one.
However, it can be improved if you follow some easy steps. Trial and error might just find your solution…
Get Connected
As well as watching the latest releases and the all-time classics on Netflix and co, more and more people are streaming live sports.
Companies like DAZN have emerged as content platforms across the sporting spectrum, while Amazon has even jumped on board by purchasing the rights to the English Premier League, Six Nations rugby, and so on.
Plenty uses their bookmakers as an ‘in’ to live sport as well, with many firms now offering live streaming on their website and/or app, such as leading name in the industry, William Hill, for example. So, punters can get involved in football or horse racing betting and watch the action unfold before their very eyes whilst also casting a few in-game bets if they feel like it.
However, if you don’t want to miss a pass, shot, tackle or jump, you will need to ensure your internet connection is up to scratch. Have you noticed that your stream buffers or the picture quality drops? More often than not, it’s due to your internet connection.
If you live in a household of streamers, ensuring your broadband runs at a minimum of 3 Mbps is highly recommended. There are lots of tools that can test your internet speed, and if you are falling below the 3 Mbps mark, you may have the cause of your streaming woes.
A Crowded Space
There’s no doubt that the ‘internet of things’ is aiding a new technological revolution, and we can now connect all manner of appliances – from fridges and coffee machines to heating and home security – to the net.
The problem is that these essentially ‘compete’ for your resources, and that will have an obvious knock-on effect on the quality of your streaming.
So, where possible, temporarily disable those devices that are using your internet in the background. That way, your video or game streaming will be as strong and reliable as it can be.
On a similar note, be sure to exit all applications on your computer, phone, and tablet before launching your stream too – keep your bandwidth as free as possible!
If All Else Fails…
If your internet speed is good and you don’t have many devices connected to your Wi-Fi, the reality is that the issue may be with your hardware.
Your router may be the cause, as some internet providers are using rather dated hardware still in their installations – replacing this may help.
Check that your streaming device, if you use one, is still up to scratch as well – you can do that by plugging it in a friend or family member’s house and seeing how it works on their system.
Restart your router too, and consider using an ethernet cable to connect your device to it. Yes, it’s old-fashioned, but data is transmitted far quicker when hard wired rather than wireless.
Hopefully, somewhere in this article, your solution to faster and better streaming can be found.