Streaming videos is getting less and less choppy than in the early 2000's, but there are still a few issues that you need to iron out to keep everything smooth. Here are a few streaming technology details to make sure that your videos stay as smooth as possible without having to check your systems every time your favorite movie or TV show pauses.
Internet Performance And Streaming
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) boast speed as their most important feature. It's important, but it isn't the only issue; you need to worry about consistency as well.
Streaming technology is all about getting information to the source quickly. Instead of waiting for a long download to finish before playing the video, you're getting small snippets of information in order to see the video and hear the audio within a few seconds of receiving the information. This is how instant gratification is achieved, and it's done by having large bursts of speed with high accuracy.
When that accuracy fails, you're going to get a delay. This is true for all downloads, but it's especially problematic for streaming. With normal downloads, you might see a few seconds or minutes added to the download time. With streaming, the video will pause and stutter for a while, or stay paused until a few more seconds can be loaded. This is what happens during buffering.
How To Guarantee Consistency
As a customer, you can't actually guarantee consistency. You can, however, make complaints if you're dealing with consistency issues on a daily basis. First, you need to make sure that the problem isn't on your end.
If you're streaming on a TV, make sure that the connection from your streaming device to the TV is connected and functioning properly. Every device will have its own diagnostics whether it's a computer, video game console, or a dedicated streaming device. You also need to make sure that the cable is connected properly.
If you're using wireless internet, keep in mind that wireless loses a lot of data just as a normal part of how wireless technology works. Wireless signal can bounce off walls and pass through or "punch" through some transparent or translucent object, but every bounce and pass will reduce the signal a bit, and therefore the speed. Get a good line of sight with no obstacles, at least for testing.
If your home network is fine, make sure that the streaming service and internet service is working. This is as simple as contacting each respective customer service department and stating that you've checked your systems, and following any directions they have at least one time thoroughly.
Contact an internet streaming television business such as Ramita Technologies Inc if you need a better way to connect your TV to streaming, or if you'd like someone to help you speak with customer service with more tech knowledge on their side.
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