Questions about Internet TV

[Tommy T.]

Sorry... I was not sure where to post this... Thanks, Dave for posting this correctly...

We have been using the new TV and Amazon Firestick to watch all TV and movies. Sometimes there appears to be an "interrupt" with the online connection. Then I need to re-connect with the network, re-connect with ExpressVPN and also re-connect with the BlueTooth speakers.

Does anyone else here experience this? It does not happen often - maybe once or twice in a week - but it is a bit annoying. Sometimes we will be watching a movie and it simply stops and won't re-start. Other movies will show okay, even if the original one freezes...

We are still learning the technologies and details about internet TV and just the internet in general...

Edited December 11, 2020 by Tommy T.

[Dave Hounddriver]

12 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Perhaps this post belongs in another topic? So, mods, please move this if necessary?

It is simple, really.  Look to see if your post contains any reference to PLDT or to Upgrades of same.  If the answer is "Not a goldarn thing" then you start a new topic.  Please let me do it for you now.

[Tommy T.]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

It is simple, really.  Look to see if your post contains any reference to PLDT or to Upgrades of same.  If the answer is "Not a goldarn thing" then you start a new topic.  Please let me do it for you now.

Thanks for the attention and fix, Dave!

[sonjack2847]

I get the same with netflix sometimes so I would say it is an internet problem rather than a firestick problem.

[Gator]

Same with Roku on my TV in the USA, stops and sometimes won’t start again unless I switch my router off then back on. Seems to happen more when watching STARZ or Amazon and less with Netflix. Bluetooth sound bar reconnects by itself though. 

[Peaceful John]

Tommy I have something similar that happens to my Fire Stick and after months of trying to figure it out, I have it narrowed down to the Express VPN.  At first thought it was the PLDT signal (varying strong and weak continuously..... and the Fire Stick requires a constant strong bandwidth via the internet signal or it pauses or locks up), but then, I contacted Express VPN and they told me to switch to either Washington DC, Atlanta, or New Jersey.  So I did that and it seemed to solve the problem.  After a month or so it happened again, so I immediately switched from Washington DC to Atlanta and it fixed the problem.  I guess their stronger locations vary from time to time so it pays to contact their Tech's on occasion to make sure you have an updated list of their better US sites.  You might want to try it to see if it works for you?  Oh, and BTW....... Amazon and Fubo TV (maybe others), seemed to be able to detect when I was using Express VPN unless I was connected to the one of the stronger preferred sites I mentioned.......  Good Luck

john

 

[OnMyWay]

32 minutes ago, Peaceful John said:

Tommy I have something similar that happens to my Fire Stick and after months of trying to figure it out, I have it narrowed down to the Express VPN.  At first thought it was the PLDT signal (varying strong and weak continuously..... and the Fire Stick requires a constant strong bandwidth via the internet signal or it pauses or locks up), but then, I contacted Express VPN and they told me to switch to either Washington DC, Atlanta, or New Jersey.  So I did that and it seemed to solve the problem.  After a month or so it happened again, so I immediately switched from Washington DC to Atlanta and it fixed the problem.  I guess their stronger locations vary from time to time so it pays to contact their Tech's on occasion to make sure you have an updated list of their better US sites.  You might want to try it to see if it works for you?  Oh, and BTW....... Amazon and Fubo TV (maybe others), seemed to be able to detect when I was using Express VPN unless I was connected to the one of the stronger preferred sites I mentioned.......  Good Luck

john

 

I have some of the same issues lately, without VPN.  I think a lot of bandwidth is being sucked up by online schooling.

[hk blues]

I'll add my experience in too.

Once every 10 days or so my modem will disconnect from the internet.  I can then wait 2 or 3 minutes for it to reconnect or hit the off button and then turn on again and it will connect fine.  I am not alone in my neighbourhood with this problem but it's not happening at the same time to everyone - it's random.  My online employer actually send a message 3 weeks ago advising they were aware of an increase in internet issues.  I reckon it's far more common than most imagine because it fixes itself within 2 or 3 minutes and thus most users wouldn't even notice it had gone off - we notice because we are heavy users and online all day.  

The pattern seems to be 5 or so minutes before the hour more than any other time and late at night.  I'd say the late at night issue is well documented and nothing new but the just before the hour pattern is new - I put it down to all those kids logging on at the same time for classes.  I'm convinced OMW has hit the nail on the head.

Predictable, both Globe and PLDT et al have not considered that their already stretched systems have reached breaking point with the advent of online classes and more WFH.  Or, they have considered and haven't a solution.

[GeoffH]

Since Covid started more education is done remotely and more work is done remotely and there is significantly increased recreational use of available internet bandwidth in most places right around the world.  Even first world countries are struggling to keep up with increased use, (just one example) the Australian government negotiated with Netflix and other online video providers to get them to change the default video compression to reduce data usage so the network could cope.  And the national broadband network wholesale company provided 40% increased back haul bandwith to internet companies for zero cost.

And that's in a  first world country with first world infrastructure, in the Philippines where available bandwidth is already relatively limited I would have been surprised if there were not some issues.  In fact I'm pleasantly surprised how well my video chats to SWMBO are holding up.

[jimeve]

I paid for an IPTV service, I don't need to use a VPN but when I switch to live TV British it buffers and this goes on for an eternity, so it seems like. But when I use the movies section it's very good no buffering at all. And all the free stuff works good too.