IPTV is a digital TV technology used to watch interactive television on a computer or TV. The TV broadcasting format is carried out using the IP protocol, which provides higher quality image and sound transmission. But for the technology to work, good internet speed is required. In addition to broadcasts, IPTV provides access to other useful and entertaining functions. But sometimes users encounter errors or problems when using this technology. Let's look at why IPTV is slow and how to fix it.
Why is IPTV slow on my computer?
If the television in question begins to slow down or show errors on the computer, then first check the router, downloaded programs and video player. In general, the following factors may be the reasons:
- Faulty or bad playlist, error in the player.
- Insufficient Internet connection speed.
- Poor signal quality. In this case, try connecting a cable rather than using Wi-Fi.
- The Internet channel is overloaded. There are probably too many devices connected to the router, which is causing speed problems.
- There are many heavy applications running at the same time, resulting in a lack of resources to complete a certain task.
Internet speed check
Stable streaming video
- for SD (480p) requires 2.0 to 5.0 Mbps;
- for HD (720p) – from 5.0 to 10.0 Mbit/s;
- for Full HD (1080p) you need more than 10.0 Mbps;
- for Ultra HD (2160p) or 4K no less than 25.0 Mbit/s.
Whenever the video freezes, we first check the Internet speed. You can use any of the services (SpeedTest.net, Yandex.Internetometer, 2ip.ru).
Important! The device on which the Internet speed is tested must be connected to the same network as the IPTV.
IPTV slows down on the set-top box
We looked at the reasons why IPTV on a computer slows down. But what if the problem also occurs on the TV? This is influenced by various factors:
- Check if all channels are slow. Maybe only certain people lag? Then the reason is hidden in the playlist itself. Change the link and check if it works.
- Make sure the problem is not with the router. Reboot it.
- Use another player, because perhaps yours has a malfunction, or it is simply incompatible with the set-top box you are using.
- The cache is clogged. Needs cleaning.
- Reboot your device.
Bad playlist or player
First you need to figure out how IPTV slows down, whether it happens constantly or periodically, the problem concerns specific TV channels or all of them at once. So, if we are talking about certain channels, while the rest are broadcast without problems, most often it’s a matter of the playlist. This usually happens when the user uses an alternative list downloaded from the Internet. If most of the channels show intermittently, there may be a problem with the set-top box or low Internet connection speed.
Lists of TV channels in M3U format can use the UPD protocol to transmit a video stream, which is famous, among other things, because it is not secure and does not guarantee delivery. So, with this option for transporting files, the broadcast does not always have the full content, some of the data is inevitably lost along the way and, despite the fact that the picture can be saved, organizing the transmission of the video stream without loss is impossible. Even with a good Wi-Fi connection speed, packets receive low priority and may be skipped during delivery, which is why IPTV freezes.
Why IPTV freezes on TV
Have you noticed that IPTV is freezing? The reasons are, in theory, no different from those described above. That is, it could be a problem with the Internet connection, an overloaded network, a faulty playlist, etc. If rebooting the router does not bring results, then try the following:
- In the router settings, check the box next to the “WDS Bridge” mode.
- The reason may be a system failure, then you will need to reset the TV to factory settings.
- Please try another player.
- Make sure your connection is fast enough.
- Increase the buffering value for the channel that is experiencing problems. The standard indicator is 32.
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IPTV is sometimes called Smart TV. The standard allows data packets to be transmitted over a high-speed Internet connection instead of an antenna, satellite or cable. A series of IP packets encoded to deliver streaming video are broadcast in IPTV. This system can be used to provide content on a private network, although this model is less commonly used due to complexity and scaling issues. Sometimes TV viewers who have switched to the new standard complain that IPTV is slow, so you need to understand the reasons for such failures.
What to do when IPTV slows down
Having studied the main problems due to which IPTV slows down or does not work at all, let’s look at solutions. They can be divided into three parts:
- If the playlist is faulty.
- If you have problems with the Internet.
- If there are problems with the set-top box or TV.
Bad playlist or player
Initially, you must determine for yourself how often IPTV slows down and on what channels this happens:
- If freezes are observed only on certain broadcasts, when others work well, then the problem lies in the playlist. This often happens due to the use of an alternative list that was downloaded from third-party online services on the Internet.
- Are the broadcasts interrupted? The reason is the Internet speed or the receiver.
- If most of the channels show intermittently, there may be a problem with the set-top box or low Internet connection speed.
Channels in the M3U format mainly use the UPD protocol, which is not very secure and therefore does not guarantee good transmission. In this case, the transfer of broadcast files is often incomplete. That is, the video stream suffers serious losses. At the same time, even a stable connection via home Wi-Fi will not correct the situation, because packets have low priority and are lost during transportation. This results in freezes when watching IPTV.
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How to fix the situation:
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- Enter the player settings. Let's look at the example of VLC.
- Find the "Source" section.
- Go to the “Network” tab.
- Open additional settings by checking the box next to the desired item.
- Near cache, increase the value.
In order for the image to be broadcast without problems, video files are saved in the cache folder, so increasing this value can help fix the problem, because it will increase buffering. The main thing is not to set the volume too high, otherwise it will put a load on the device and again create malfunctions during viewing.
Internet problems
How comfortable it will be to watch IPTV is largely determined by the speed and quality of the Internet connection. The recommended value is from 5 Mb/s. It is better if the speed exceeds this value, because usually several different devices are connected to the router at once, which take up part of the speed.
Additionally, do not forget about providers. Often they do not provide the advertised speed. To check the indicators, go to www.speedtest.net and click on the “Start” button. Compare the result with what is specified in the contract with the service provider.
Poor bandwidth has a negative impact on broadcasting - the image begins to slow down. And this is often associated with the use of Wi-Fi. The cable provides a more stable connection. Connect it directly to the set-top box.
Also pay attention to the network coverage area. Consider interference - walls, partitions, furniture, many devices connected to the router, etc. It is advisable to place the set-top box as close to the router as possible or use a wire.
Live broadcasts
The programs are broadcast on radio waves and transmitted over the air to an antenna on the roof of a house. It converts waves into electrical signals. Satellite TV works in a similar way, except that cable TV sends the signal directly to the home without radio waves.
If there are four main functional components of the IPTV network, it will not slow down:
- Reliable service provider with high-performance equipment.
- Access network from the edge of the service provider's network to the consumer's home.
- Home broadband network that distributes IPTV in subscriber networks.
- Middleware that converts distributed IPTV content into a user interface, usually a set-top box or STB.
- Storing programs so they can be selected and broadcast as needed. Some VOD services have a limited number of programs for accessing the Internet and low-speed equipment, which may explain why IPTV is slow.
- Preparation of programs. A television program must be converted to digital format, and sometimes additional A/D conversion processing is required so that it can be transmitted without buffering in MPEG2 format.
⇡#Low bitrate streaming
Some television channels can be watched online. As a rule, this opportunity is provided by television companies that are present in the above-mentioned “standard” digital TV package. There are many programs that unite dozens of freely broadcast channels behind a common shell (Super Internet TV, Online TV Player and others). Unfortunately, the image and sound quality of such broadcasting is very mediocre, so streaming cannot provide a real alternative to digital television.
⇡#macChange: I’m a cloud, a cloud, a cloud, I’m not a bear at all...
Another useful tool that may come in handy for those experimenting with IPTV is a small utility for changing the MAC address. Some providers provide their services linked to a unique network adapter identifier. For various reasons, sometimes it may be necessary to connect the network to another PC without a router. In this case, you can quickly change the MAC address using macChange by setting the desired parameter value. Just select the desired network adapter from the list and write a new MAC address value.
Setting up Smart TV in Kodi
Kodi, one of the most famous and popular media centers for Windows, Mac and other platforms, uses IPTV streaming. The advantage of the software is that you can watch streaming TV using software that does not require additional hardware such as a TV tuner.
Kodi supports third-party IPTV add-ons that can be used to access various TV channels. Some of the more well-known IPTV add-ons include Navi-X, iCloud, UKTV, Kodi Live, and Ultimate IPTV. To enable IPTV in Kodi, you need to install content from web sources.
The disadvantage of the scheme may be sources of potential danger of streaming on the Internet that lack protection:
- The Internet provider has direct access to everything that the user views and broadcasts on the network.
- Most ISPs don't want to deal with lawsuits directly, so they only stream authorized content for viewing.
The only way to secure browsing and identity in the above scenarios is to use a VPN. To install a VPN on your Fire TV Stick, you need to configure the “unknown sources” add-ons in Kodi. To do this, click on the “cog” icon at the top of the Kodi sidebar and select “System settings” to open additional options. Then select "Unknown sources" and the "Yes" button to confirm the choice.
Main types of failures
TV broadcast distribution over an IP network requires strict QoS constraints such as low latency and loss. Streaming content in IPTV is typically delivered at the IP distribution point using IP multicast and Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM).
While watching IPTV, the video stream is not sent to the device at the same time. Instead, it is sent in small packages. The broadcast stops because HD IPTV slows down, waiting for the next packet. This process is called buffering.
