How can I stop Apple TV from buffering?

Laszlo - I’ve been having the exact same issue and it only started a few weeks ago as well. Never had a single buffering issue before and all of my other devices work just fine currently, except the Apple TV. Our Apple TV 4K device is only a year old. Checked for software update, rebooted router, etc but nothing helps. @Apple please help! This is ridiculous.

1. I tried all of these things before posting here
2. Neither myself nor OP indicated they have an Apple TV
3. My other comment got deleted (thanks for reporting it) - I do not have a wireless network, my TV is hardwired
4. I am not running a VPN
5. Why are you so unwilling to entertain the idea that this might be an issue on the app's side? Given the flood of people here with the same issue, perhaps that might be the logical conclusion?

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I dont think its a bandwidth issue. It would have affected all streaming services. I dont see any issue as such on Netflix, not even loss in quality. Apple TV on the other hand ends up freezing every 10 seconds and I am about to cancel my subscription.

9n my Apple TV my Apple TV+ only started screwing up in past few weeks. Plenty of bandwidth and ALL other services are fine (Netflix, Disney, Prime, Bell Fibe app (crave, HBO, etc…). It is literally unbearable to even try watch any show, absolute garbage.

P.S there were no problems for pas several years and with 1/5 the bandwidth.

what gives, how can one even troubleshoot/resolve?!

I am also having the same issue on multiple devices. The past couple of weeks, Apple+ buffers every 7-10 seconds.

I am using the app on an Nvidia Shield device; actually multiple of them. My internet speed is 70 Mpbs and it is rock steady, which is more than enough for streaming HD content. Ping is 43 ms.

I also have no issues with any of my other services (Disney, Hulu, Max, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube), just Apple+.

Also tried it with and without a VPN on (in case my ISP was throttling Apple for some reason). Didn't make a difference.

Powered down and rebooted my devices. No improvement.

The service just appears to have gone to crap...

Phil 0124 - since Apple TV plus was

ADDED TO THE APPLE TV OPERATING SYSTEM SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF APPLE TV USER

COMPLAINTS OF BUFFERING on this Community Discussions site.

I've changed my Apple TV Settings,

Klein Tested , both, my HDMI, and

ethernet Cables, Router and TV ports AND switched cables from original port(s). My ISP finds no

trouble on their FTTC. However,

two of my neighbors, served from the same FTTC Pedestal as me, also complain buffering has become normal and ISP WILL NOT SEND

TECH TO TROUBLESHOOT FROM

THEIR TOWN NODE WE CAN SEE,

ACROSS OPEN FIELDS, a half mile

from our homes.

Buffering Complaints have posted to

'discussions.apple.com' for over four

months, exchanging possible fixes

like:

• Pay for More Bandwidth,
• Change 4K Video back to SDR,
• offload data from all apps except the app you're watching,
• turn off all settings you aren't using

ALL THREE OF We Neighbors USE ONE TV AT A TIME. Yes, the TV's are 4K and We have made all those setting changes.

It's my belief, for My service, that my

Apple TV Model A2843 (128 GB),

tvOS 17.0(21J354), Resolution 2160p UHD-60Hz HDR10 4:2:2 suffers Buffering

because Apple is constantly updating Apple TV plus programing

data in the Apple TV OS.

I'll add another 10-Mbps bandwidth

to see what happens since, neither,

Apple nor ISP will respond to this,

now 5 months buffering concern.

There are many ****** off Apple TV users; just search for 'Apple TV Buffering'.

I, just now, got a 'Start Apple TV Diagnostics' banner message in

the General 'About' menu, but when I clicked the message it disappeared.

My Apple 2.4 & 5Ghz Router is

always on 5Ghz. I Shut Down my

ISP-NID, Apple TV unit, Router & UHD TV, re-start each in the same

sequence. Then Buffering, sometimes doesn't bug me the rest of my viewing day.

I had a excellent conversation with

a Apple Service Rep a few days ago. He and I have much the same Electronics education and Field Experience so we touched on Every Likely Fault about buffering. He agreed to send our 'long conversation' to Apple

Engineering as a Customer Complaint about Apple TV plus,

possibly, eating Bandwidth and

causing Apple TV Buffering due to

Apple TV plus programming updates

Ya' got any other ideas for buffering

investigation?

Thanks for listening!

I'm another one having this same issue, and for all you people jumping up and down about bandwidth. That is not the problem at my house. Like everyone else I can stream every other service with no issue. Bandwidth at home is not the problem.

I have a theory on what the problem is, and its not directly the App, but most likely the infrastructure streaming the content. Last night we sat down to watch an episode of Constellation and it was virtually unwatchable due to the buffering. Once we finished I went to Amazon Prime and it streamed fine, I then tried another show on Apple TV+ (Documentary called Home) and it played perfectly without buffering.

I'm not sure if certain content is streamed from different locations, or the infrastructure isn't able to handle enough streams for certain shows, but it certainly feels like the problem is not App, but something else in the way shows are being streamed. Please fix it Apple.

Just thought I'd add to this post in case anyone at Apple TV is monitoring it. My daughter and I (separate households) are both having this same issue and it just began the past few days. Never an issue before. Seems to me like there's more going on here than a bandwidth issue. Does anyone know how to get actual support for this? I hope I don't have to cancel my subscription.

I’ve just signed up to a free trial, I’m on Virgin Media Volt M350 Fibre Broadband which tests above 350mbps. I have Amazon, Netflix, Disney and stream a lot of YouTube with no issues, Apple TV always stops playing, buffers but never starts playing again. I have to quit and go back into what I want to watch. Don’t think I’ll be extending past my free trial.

The Apple TV will only buffer, if your internet connection is not fast enough to keep up with the stream demands.

What kind of Internet bandwidth do you pay for exactly?

What kind of speed are you getting really? You can use the Ookla speedtest app from the App Store to test your bandwidth if available for your device or TV.

Apple TV content, unlike things like Netflix or Amazon will not automatically adjust its quality if your bandwidth is lower than required for the stream. Apple TV+ and other content in the Apple TV app may be in 4K or at least HD and require more bandwidth than what you have.

It's not actually a widespread issue with either the Apple TV box nor the Apple TV app on other devices. If it were there would be tons of posts here complaining about it, and yours is the first one I'm seeing. Also, I have no issue with my Apple TV apps or the Apple TV box connected to my TV with buffering to lagging.

I cannot believe that Apple doesn’t monitor these APPLE Community Chat Rooms. I therefore find it very difficult to understand why they don’t respond in some way. Either to acknowledge an issue and inform all what is going on and how to fix it OR to tell us that we are all doing something wrong at our end. The silence from Apple is deafening!

My assumption was you were using Apple TV hardware hence my answers to you. You have clarified that you are simply using Apple TV+ service and I'm assuming you are using it on another device such as a Smart TV, Roku box, etc..

If you are having difficulty with the Apple TV+ service my recommendation is to start by contacting the support of the device you are using, for example if you have an LG TV that has the Apple TV+ app within it's Smart TV apps then contact LG and see if they can assist.

Failing that you can call AppleCare and advise them you are using the Apple TV+ app and the device you are using and then see if they have suggestions. You can find the correct phone number for AppleCare by clicking AppleCare Contact Info. By the way being polite and patient goes a long way, we know you are frustrated so please try and treat the agent(s) you speak to the same way you like to be treated.

abhijith197 wrote:

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I dont think its a bandwidth issue. It would have affected all streaming services. I dont see any issue as such on Netflix, not even loss in quality. Apple TV on the other hand ends up freezing every 10 seconds and I am about to cancel my subscription.

Apple TV content, unlike things like Netflix or Amazon will not automatically adjust its quality if your bandwidth is lower than required for the stream. Apple TV+ and other content in the Apple TV app may be in 4K or at least HD and require more bandwidth than what you have.

Just because other services work, does not man you have no bandwidth issue. Other services may adjust their stream to your bandwidth. The Apple TV app does not do this.

I am having the same problem. Apple+ TV streaming over Roku didn't start excessive buffering until the day after I installed a mesh network. The principal node, next to our modem, is maybe 12' (or less) distant from our TV and Roku player. My provider promises download speed of 300 Mbs; speedtest after installing the network is easily 360Mbs.

Thanks.

A few weeks ago, Apple basically told me to unplug everything, wait and try again… they were supposed to call me back but did not. At the time after unplugging things were fine, then we’ve not been watching tv so much, but coincidentally in past two days Apple TV + is having buffering problems, again, and again all other platforms are fine. 😡