Improve buffering

[Biff]

How do I improve buffering?

[Dan7]

If I change from Fibe 50 to Fibe 100 will it help with streaming speeds and avoid less buffering ?

[BellPatricia · Accepted solution]

Hi there @Dan7,

Welcome to the Bell Community 🙂

Upgrading your Internet to a higher download speed may help with buffering. 

Can you share a bit more information with the Community regarding your set up; such as, what type of TV equipment/modem you have, and are you using a wired or a wireless internet connection? How many devices are typically being used at the same time? What type of streaming service are you using, Fibe TV app, or something else?

We also recommend checking out the helpful suggestions that @WelshTerrier posted above to learn a bit more about how you can troubleshooting and reduce buffering.

The Community is here for you if you have other questions.

- Patricia

[GaryC]

FibeTV box is garbage.  The Disney+ app keeps buffering nonstop.  I tried clearing the cache, and force stopping, and starting again to no avail.  Finally got fed up and turned on my PS5 and watched it via the PS5.  So the issue is not at all with my internet connection but solely this FibeTV box.  It does the same with the Paramount+ app too.  Again, no problem if I try running Paramount off an Amazon FireTV stick. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day.

There are many factors that affect buffering including the number of devices being used simultaneously, video quality, download speed, etc.

Which Fibe Internet package do subscribe to? Your bandwidth? Have you tried running a Speed test? Bell modem model?

Are you connecting via a wired or wireless network? Which devices are you connecting with?

Have you had a chance to view my earlier checklist that I put together with possible helpful suggestions?

Have you discussed your buffering issue with Bell tech support?

Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Take care.

[GaryC]

If you read my post, I clearly stated the issue is with the Bell FibeTV box.  It can't handle the apps, either because it lacks processing power or RAM.  It has nothing to do with any other reason other than the lack of functionality.  How is it that the PS5, laptop, or Amazon FireTV stick has no problem running or streaming the apps (at highest quality), but somehow the fact the FibeTV box cannot is somehow unrelated to it and it must be something else like the internet speed, bandwidth or modem?  If it had anything to do with bandwidth, modem or connection, the other devices would also buffer and fail to run.  The box glitches from time to time too.  The problem is the box and it's components and/or software.  Too many useless applications loaded into it. 

[EC99]

I installed FibeTv vip7802 1.5 years ago, and there has been no recent changes to network structure since then. This week I was prompted to do a firmware upgrade to 25.12.1.25120454.

Post upgrade I am getting significant buffering on the streamer. 

I factory reset the streamer, which cleared the issue. However it then required the upgrade again and the buffering returned.

I also noticed the new version has a UI bug where selecting a channel gives you the channel splash screen with the play button unselectable, as if the show was not playing at the current time. Restart button is selectable.

I installed an internet speed test on the TV and the streamer. I am getting 150+ Mb/s on wifi reliably even when buffering is happening. IP service is 3 Gb/s fibre and appears to be working fine.

Any suggestions on how to resolve this?

[EC99]

My problem report shows the issue wasn't there before firmware upgrade and starts post firmware upgrade. And it is repeatable through factory reset. There was no home network change, no interference from other networks (because they are far away) and no change on my wifi scanner to signal levels. The bell repair app had no issues to report. And, streaming to my phone from the same location has no issue.

This is a probably a vip7802 firmware update issue not a home network issue.

[Aptic]

I am glad others are starting to post their displeasure with the VIP7802.  It is an outdated technology that Bell insists on using.  Rogers is about to introduce its new UI and platform, Entertainment OS.  I was using this a few weeks ago while in the US, as Rogers will license it from Comcast, and it is incredible.  I can't imagine anyone staying with the VIP7802 when Entertainment OS rolls out.

[EC99]

I succeeded in punching through to tech support and got someone who actually took my problem report seriously and did not fost me off on a wireless complaint. 

After almost 1.5 hours with tech support, they pushed a Gigahub firmware upgrade out, and it seems to have resolved the vip7802 stuttering. So far anyway.

Ill continue to monitor to see if it's resolved.

If it's resolved this was a Gigahub firmware issue not a vip7802 firmware issue. And not, ahem, a network or buffering checklist issue.

Apparently there is some kind of interoperability issue with the new VIP7802 firmware and older Gigahub firmware, although what that might be eludes me.

We didn't get into the UI regression... 

[catlady13]

TV has started buffering frequently during the last week. Getting worse every day. Usually picture freezes and starts to buffer. More often when I turn the set on at first but sometimes also when I change channel or go to guide. Usually can unfreeze it by switching to guide. What is happening???

[BellPatricia]

Hello there @catlady13 

Thank you for your post.

Can you clarify which type of TV receiver you have and if this affects multiple receivers? What type of internet connection are you using (Wi-Fi/Ethernet)? To start, we recommend that you reboot your receiver and the modem. If you continue to have trouble after that please also check out the helpful replies above and try the additional troubleshooting suggestions. 

Let the community know how things are going. 

@BellPatricia 

[EC99]

Well the gigahub upgrade significantly improved the buffering problem, but has not completely resolved it. So I guess it's back to bell tech support. 

[BellPatricia]

Good afternoon @EC99  🙂

Thanks for reaching out to the Bell community, and for all of the troubleshooting you have done so far.

We would like to dig into this a bit more so I have sent you a private message. Please check your Messages within your profile avatar in the top right corner.

Unsure how to check or send a private message? See How to send a private message

@BellPatricia 

[SpencerL]

I have been having significant buffering issues on my VIP7802 and Fire stick app since a gigahub update about 3 weeks ago. Things were working well up until a few weeks ago for the 6-8 months I've had the service, and I've not made any changes to my network internally.

I've done multiple factory resets of the gigahub and the VIP7802. Those don't seem to help. My internet (3 GBps down/up) is fast - no problem with speed for sure.

I'm currently running the virtual test tool. When I ran it last time, it says that something needed to be addressed outside of the house and that I needed to call support but didn't provide any information about what it might be. The support person didn't have any indications on their side either, so not very helpful.

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm in west Ottawa.