How can I stop Apple TV from buffering?

Sounds like you already know how to optimize your Streaming Signal.

If Buffering happens again, purchase of new current standard Ethernet & HDMI cables may be useful.

Thanks for your discussion here. Other Streamers may learn from our problem solving methods.

I was checking my new TV so it seems AppleTV 4K will pulse up to 40 Mbps when streaming 2K media. When I went to 4K, it went over 100 Mbps at some points.

Prime video only pulses up to about 14 Mbps. It is hard to draw a conclusion when the stream is pulsing but AppleTV 4K seems to avoid the buffering, because it can recover quickly when streaming from AppleTV +. It seems Prime video, being hosted by AppleTV 4K, doesn't have that capability, but to be fair, I did not see any buffering there either.

Since this is just info, maybe I can find another, more recent thread.

As a streaming service Apple TV+ is rancid garbage. And yes I mean the app, even if you’re using an Apple TV, Apple TV+ is an app that runs on the operating system, it is not part of the OS but it’s good to know apples support employees are as full of s*** as their streaming service. I have a 1GBPS connection wired directly to my TV, I have 600 mbps throughput with 2ms ping speed, I can stream 4K gaming without a single hiccup. I have used multiple devices from Samsung tv to Sony tv to PS5 to an iPhone, a roku box, a windows pc. The buffering is so bad I can’t watch a show. Foundation is too terrible an adaptation to suffer through 10 prolonged buffering incidents in the first 4 minutes. Apple needs to fix their BS, this is the wealthiest company in the world and they can’t match the experience of my friends plex server on their hone broadband 2 continents over. An absolute joke.

I suppose I need to get the App and try that.

I discovered, during my setup of AppleTV 4K, the cable wiring can make a heck of a difference. While trying 3 different connection options, my system was buffering and stuttering along with audio problems. The stream would pulse as high as 400 Mbps.

Once I got the correct configuration, the pulse now goes up to 40 Mbps and the picture and audio are stable. I know folks using the App can't suffer from connection issues but maybe something else like that, is interfering. You might also try watching something from iTunes to see how your system handles that.

I normally use the physical AppleTV 4K device which works fine, but I have been trying to get the AppleTV App to run. The App will not work on my TV because it is a Google version so I can't install it there.

When I download it on Windows 11 23H2, it crashes when I try to play anything. It should be noted, the version is shown as "Preview", and a warning states it may not run as expected. The faulting module is shown as combase.dll in the Event Viewer.

Since most of the App users are probably using one on their TVs, possibly the same thing is going on with them.

I was able to play a movie I had purchased with iTunes, and it ran fine, although it wasn't the full 4K version.

This is just follow-on information which may help verify the situation.

I have this same issue continually. I’m about ready to unsubscribe to Apple TV. I’ve tested my internet many times and I have 13ms ping and 280M download rate. If I hit play it will stop buffering but the resolution is awful and it keeps stopping. Only program that does this out of prime, crave, Netflix, Disney, etc…

I'm Alerting those of Us using a 'CoAxial Cable Signal' from a 'ISP

Company CoAxial Service Box', On

or In Our Home.

Check Your 'CoAxial Service Box' to

'Confirm a BOND TO EARTH GROUND-WIRE(typically Copper but

Stranded Copper or Steel may be used according to National Electrical

Code) is in place and FIRMLY BONDED TO EARTH GROUND!

Earth Ground may be a Buried Copper or Steel Water Supply Pipe, or a Galvanized Steel Rod driven into the earth to NEC required depth.

Our ISP, Power Company, LandLine

Phone Company, AND Satellite TV Company, place the 'Earth Ground, from Their Service Entry to

one of those 'Pipe, Galvanized Stake, or other NEC approved 'Earth Ground' devices.

Remember TV Antennas atop our Roof, or Tower mount? Earth Ground

Bare Copper Wire(No Smaller in Diameter than Number-6 Wire) was

always in place for Electrical Safety.

People mounted TV Antenna in their

Attic too which were NEC Required

to be Bonded to Earth Ground for

Safety AND Reliable 'Atmospheric

TV Signal'.

IF EARTH GROUND IS DAMAGED OR

MISSING, A TV ANTENNA, or ISP ENTRY BOX is a Electrical Hazard AND must be corrected for Safety and 'Proper Signal Delivery'.

Such 'Missing or Damaged Earth Ground' may, as well, Diminish BandWidth delivery to 'Our In Home

Connected Devices'.

After almost Six Months of Signal

Buffering in My Home, THIS BROKEN

EARTH GROUND IS LIKELY AT FAULT because CoAxial Cable at the ISP Box, AND Inside My Home, uses

the Earth Ground as a Electrical Signal Reference.

I picked the wrong time to get my ISP to Dispatch a Technician to replace my Severed Ground Bond

though. It's been 6-Days, still NO

FIX. Last Service Rep did send my

Repair Request UP TO THE SERVICE

MANAGER though. I expect that's a

Person in my Town; I can see Their

'Local Network Distribution Building

NODE' across the two Farm Fields behind my Home.

Check your EARTH BOND if All Other

Measures Fail to Fix 'Loss of Signal

Buffering'!

Good Troubleshooting to You!

ChipDale

I will ask you, since this forum is in regard to the AppleTV device, and not the AppleTV app, which one are you talking about?

I can suggest one thing, if you are using an AVR, that you need remove the power from the AVR so as to let it reboot. If you are using the App on a smart TV, it may be the same situation.

If you have a 50 Mbps internet connection or less, I might expect your situation to be normal.

One thing I can remember with Netflix, some time ago, they were having problems with some access points coming into a specific area. If your ISP might be having such a problem with the AppleTV, you might check with them.

Do you have any way to monitor your bandwidth while streaming a video?

I was thinking more about seeing the bandwidth from the Router to the AppleTV. There are utilities, which you may have, which can control the Quality of Service bandwidth and may be limiting your situation.

Otherwise, there isn't anything I could suggest. Maybe go straight to Apple or some site where you can get technical help. The largest obstacle to solving a problem like this, is having information which only you could have.

Thanks for your discussion! Flow Charting is my method to find a method which works. As all other

Chart Steps failed, I examined my

Network Interconnect Box on Back Wall of my Home. THAT's when I realized: My A/C Outdoor Unit was

replaced in late May and my BandWidth buffering began around

that time. There it was! The 'Earth Ground Copper Wire Cable' was severed near the A/C unit!

NOW-to get it fixed! My ISP Local NODE is 3/4mile across two Farm Fields behind my Home. At least a

ISP 'did visit my home when I was

away' but apparently had incorrect

Repair Info from my call to Customer

Support. His Note on my front door

says: 'I found no cables on the ground'. So I've been ReScheduled

3-times but, still, NO SHOW over a

Week later. I know how to do the job

myself, but it's illegal for me to do

anything with ISP Equipment except

Troubleshoot their Network Interface

Device next to the TV.

I offer this advice to those dealing

with 'buffering issues': Whomever delivers your Service, look at their

'EARTH GROUND WIRE' connection.

Yes Earth Ground DOES isolate Lightning Strikes; it also Can Degrade BandWidth if that Ground Wire is Missing or Damaged because

it's Part of The CoAxial Circuit.

ChipDale

Apple TV Buffering- Same issue as everyone else. App buffers constantly. I have tried plugging and unplugging , deleting the app and redownlading it, calling Apple. The women I spoke to said to call Samsung Tv since it buffeted so much we couldn’t sign into

it.I have had the Apple for well over a year and only had this problem for the last couple of months. Everything else works perfectly. I use Roku for streaming. No problems with that. I have the Apple App on my bedroom TV and that works fine too. Any suggestions on what to do or who I can call would be appreciated.

My TV is wired into my router and my speed test is 278 mbps which is more than fast enough. Apple TV keeps jumping and skipping. We even turned off our WiFi from other devices. This is an issue with Apple. Our TV is also new and we run on demand UHD services with no issues. Any ideas?

I just solved my similar problem! Do you have an older AppleTV and a 4K TV?

I decided to see if upgrading to an Apple TV 4K would take care of the issue(I’m old enough to remember when that was an issue with computers!)

It worked like a charm!!

My Apple TV streaming constantly buffers. It started a couple of weeks ago. All other streaming services are working fine. I’ve done everything as posted on the forums and the problem does not go away.