How To Stop Buffering When Streaming Online?

Asking how to stop buffering when streaming? You are at the right place.

Here you will learn how to stop or at least reduce buffering on videos and live streams.

The most common issue remains the network but luckily there are a lot of ways to improve it.

You will also learn how to get rid of consumers that you don’t really get value from and hopefully stop buffering.

Even if you are a streamer and your stream buffers a lot, we got you covered later in the post.

To get rid of the severe buffering when streaming online, you should address your network.

Once you ensure that there is nothing consuming your network, you should look for further troubleshooting.

Some of our methods apply to PC users, others to TV and console, but if one thing is for certain is that we have a solution for everyone.

We’ve also included essential tips and alerts to keep you informed throughout the post and help you avoid complications.

How to Stop Buffering When Streaming Online Videos?

We know that there is no bigger frustration than an interruption for buffering when streaming videos online.

Here we will provide you with methods that will not only reduce the buffering when streaming but will also boost your experience online.

Step #1 – Close Consumer Applications (PC)

It is highly likely for your computer to not be able to stream online video smoothly, due to performing several other tasks at this time.

It is possible that a lot of resources are consumed even if the applications responsible are running in the background or minimized.

By opening your Task Manager, you will be able to see the real-time usage of your CPU. If it is over 70%, on idle, then there is definitely something going on.

Check which processes are consuming the most of your CPU and click on End Process to stop them.

On idle, your CPU should be running at about 20% at most.

While streaming online videos, depending on the quality and CPU itself it should not be over 70% where lag is expected.

One last thing, before we continue would be to ensure that your RAM is not full.

The same way you check your CPU in the Task Manager go to the RAM tab and check how much is in use.

If you have under 4GB RAM and using Google Chrome as a browser, you might not be able to stream videos while having several tabs open.

Step #2 – Restart the Stream

Whether you’re watching a stream or broadcasting one, by performing a restart you can easily get rid of buffering issues that are just temporary bugs.

If you are trying to watch a 4K video, it might be buffering simply because your network speed is not enough.

For instance, 200Mb/s network speed should be enough for streaming even 8K videos without interruption.

To test and learn more about your internet speed, go ahead and look for an online free network speed test.

You will be provided with upload/download speeds.

If you, however, try to watch videos in HD or 720p and they are still buffering, then there is something wrong either with the browser you’re using or the current status of the network.

Note:

If you are a console or TV user, you can restart the application. If this does not work then plug your device out from the power outlet and wait for 3 minutes before you turn it on.

This will restart your console/TV and hopefully, the buffering issue will be gone.

Step #3 – Restart Your Network

There are several reasons for your network to be slow and a restart could be the easiest way to resolve the issue.

The best part is that you will learn how to get rid of buffering when streaming by restarting all network services, which is one of the fastest ways.

To restart your router, simply plug it out of the power supply for about 3 minutes.

This will ensure cleanly started WiFi and hopefully, your buffering issue will be gone.

We assume that at this point you’ve carried out a speed test, so if there are still issues with your network speed, we recommend calling your supplier.

Step #4 Lower Quality

Depending on your internet speed you might not be able to watch some videos without buffering. Here we speak of high-quality videos beyond 4K.

The regular network speed provided by suppliers over the world should be enough to stream 4K videos without any problem (when the network is at full potential).

On the other hand, we have the computer/device hardware and you might be experiencing lag, instead of buffering.

To ensure whether your PC/device is lagging, start streaming a video and set quality to full HD 1080p, then open Task Manager.

Does your CPU go over 70% (no other tasks)?

If yes, then your hardware might not be enough to handle HD. If this is the case, we shouldn’t even mention the experience when streaming 4K.

Start lowering quality one by one until you find a comfortable choice. Whether it is your PC, or network, by lowering the quality you’re reducing resource demand for both.

Step #5 Still Buffering?

While it is highly unlikely for your PC/console and network, all three to be in excellent condition.

In other words, not the cause, you might be having an issue with the app or OS.

Depending on the application or content media platform you’re using, try to find a dedicated tutorial online.

We recommend checking if the buffering issue can be found on other platforms and apps.

If yes, then go ahead and try applying our methods again as you might have missed something essential.

As a last resort contact your network supplier and try to explain, especially if you’re using a TV or console, where carrying out a speed test might be challenging.

How To Reduce Buffering When Streaming To Online Platform?

If you are an online streamer, and your stream is buffering a lot, the most common cause remains the network.

Most of the steps above will either help you improve your network or your device performance, so we recommend applying them anyways.

Another thing to try would be lowering the resolution you’re streaming in.

Most streamers stream in HD and if your network/machine is not good enough, you might have to go down to 720p.

Ensure that your device is not overwhelmed by other tasks or if it is capable of handling your workflow at all.

If nothing helps, try finding a guide that concerns the online platform you’re streaming to and issues related to it.

You might have configured your streaming software wrong.

Bottom Line

We hope that now you know how to stop buffering when streaming, and our post was helpful in one way or another.

To conclude we can say that the frustrating buffering could be caused either by a lack of resources or your network.

The network is easy to troubleshoot but if your device is not capable the only thing you could do is sacrifice quality. 

Either way, you now know how to approach such issues, and if you’re interested in more technical content don’t miss our blog!

Read Next: Learn how to test input lag on your TV.