IPTV freezes during the match? Do these checks
Films and series play without a hitch all week, but the big game keeps freezing. That is a common pattern with a clear explanation. The checks come first on this page, because they work even when the match has already started; the reasons follow further down.
Have this ready
No tools needed. Speed matters more, because the game doesn't wait.
- The TV, stick or box you're watching the match on
- Access to your router, and ideally a network cable that reaches
- A second device to compare with, your phone for example
- If you can plan ahead: five minutes before kick-off
Quick checks, top to bottom
Each one is fast and crosses one cause off the list.
Pause other streams and downloads in the house
Ask the rest of the household to stop video streaming, gaming and updates for now. During a big match your stream needs the most bandwidth of the evening, and every other device on the network takes a slice of it.
Plug in a network cable if possible
Connect the device with a cable, or move it next to the router for the match. If the buffering stops, Wi-Fi was the problem. For a match that matters, this is the quickest fix with the most reliable result.
Restart the app
Close the app all the way, not just back to the home screen, and open it again. That frees up memory that fills up during a long broadcast without a break.
Still buffering? Restart the device and router too
Unplug both for a full minute. You lose about two minutes of the game, but it clears up most of the cases that an app restart alone doesn't fix.
Test the speed on the device itself
An HD stream needs around 10 Mbit per second, 4K about 25 Mbit. If your test shows less while the picture is buffering, your own connection is the limit at that moment, not the subscription.
Send us your findings
Buffering after all of this, on a cable and with enough speed? WhatsApp us the time, the device and your speed test result, so we can check it from our side straight away.
Why a match freezes when a film doesn't
Last night's film was fine, tonight's game isn't. Here's why.
A film or series downloads ahead of where you are watching. There is always a bit of picture waiting on your device, and when the connection dips the player uses that and you see nothing wrong.
A live match has nothing waiting. Every moment has to arrive as it is played, so a one-second dip turns straight into a frozen picture. During a film, the same dip would pass unnoticed.
On top of that, a big game pulls in a huge audience at exactly the same moment. That rush is sharper than a normal busy evening, when people watch different things spread over several hours. No reserve plus a sudden peak in demand: that is why live sport is the most demanding thing you can watch.
Cable beats Wi-Fi when the bitrate goes up
Why a cable helps more for sport than for other channels.
Sport is often sent at a higher and steadier bitrate than an average channel, so a ball in flight, a sprint or a quick cut stays sharp without blocky patches. That higher bitrate asks more of the stability of your connection, not only of its speed.
Wi-Fi is the weak point. Walls, a microwave, a baby monitor or a neighbour's network on the same channel all cause small, random drops in the signal. A film hides them; a match shows them at once. A network cable gives the stream a fixed path without those drops. Rather not run a cable through the house? A powerline adapter uses your electrical wiring to carry the signal instead.
What the buffering pattern tells you
Recognise one of these? The likely cause is underneath.
Films and series are fine, live sport buffers
That difference is normal and doesn't mean the subscription is poor. A film is partly downloaded before you see it, so it has something in reserve. A live match has no reserve: each moment has to arrive as it happens. A one-second dip that you'd never notice in a film shows up straight away in a match.
Only big matches buffer, other live channels don't
When a popular game is on, a large share of the country tunes in at exactly the same time. That loads your internet provider's network much harder than a normal evening when people watch different things at different times. Test your speed during the match: if it is clearly lower than usual, the bottleneck is at your provider.
Fine at kick-off, buffering after a quarter of an hour
Often the device is getting hot after a long session, or Wi-Fi is hopping between two access points in the house. Give the device space to cool and, if you can, move it closer to the router.
Buffering on Wi-Fi, smooth on a cable
Sport is often sent at a higher, steadier bitrate than regular channels so fast action stays sharp. Wi-Fi copes less well with that, because walls, microwaves and a neighbour's network on the same channel all disturb the signal. A cable gives the stream a clean path. No cable within reach? A powerline adapter in a wall socket is a good stand-in.
Every screen in the house buffers during the match
Each stream running at once uses part of your bandwidth, and on match night every screen tends to be on. Two or three HD streams together can fill a 30 Mbit connection. Ask whether everyone needs a separate screen, or whether watching together on one works better for this match.
If the checks don't solve it
You have now ruled out the usual causes.
A freeze in the middle of an important game is frustrating. In most cases, though, the cause sits in the network between your router and the screen you watch on, and not in the subscription.
Still buffering after every check? Then we look into it from our side. Send us the time, the device and your speed test result on WhatsApp, and we will work it out with you.
More guides that might help
Using a different device? Take a look at the full list of setup guides.
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