A few channels buffer or skip ahead in the broadcast, rest seem fine...

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wha2doo

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I've noticed this for several weeks if not longer, but had held off on posting... Is there a reason why only a select few channels seem to buffer and/or suddenly jump ahead a few seconds (like it lost video frames)?

I'll be watching a game on US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers and it buffers every so often for 2-5 seconds. Other times it'll just "skip" ahead without buffering. Ie. Someone was batting with a pitch count of 1-0 and quicker than I could see, the pitch count showed 2-1 (somehow I missed 2 pitches even though it didn't buffer). Or someone's at bat, and next thing I see is the message "Commercial Break in Progress" (it's now between innings).

I'm connected via AT&T fiber (350+ Mbps) using a Firestick 4k which is less than 50% full and only Tivimate is actively running. I've restarted my network, the Firestick, checked for the best channels for WiFi, signal seems strong, etc...

What's odd is it's just a select set of channels such as US: MLB Network, US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers, US: FOX Sports 2 FHD 1080, and US:ESPN 2. I can watch the other ESPN channels without this issue. Also the normal, non-sport channels seem fine, though I haven't checked them as closely...

Any ideas?
 
Hi there 🙂

Sorry to hear about the trouble you've been having.

I’ve checked on our end and everything looks fine. You shouldn’t be seeing buffering or skipping issues like that, so it’s very likely related to your internet provider.

If you're with AT&T, they’re known to throttle streaming traffic,
especially during peak hours or major live events like football games or sports matches. Some IPTV apps or sources may also get deprioritized by their network.

One of the best ways to fix this is by using a VPN. A VPN hides your streaming activity from the ISP and helps bypass throttling.

I recommend trying NordVPN or Surfshark. Both work great with IPTV and are easy to set up on Firestick or Android TV.

Feel free to get in touch if you need help. In the meantime, try using a VPN to resolve the issue.

You could also contact AT&T to ask them to lift the throttling, but they often charge extra for that , and even then, it’s usually only lifted for a short period. Not really worth it, especially since IPTV only needs around 14–26 Mbps for smooth HD streaming.
 
Thanks for the response!

I had talked to an AT&T "tech" about throttling and was told no, not a concern. Of course maybe they have to say that, lol.. Even throttled, shouldn't I still be getting decent speed? I guess not for those channels displaying at higher resolutions (ie. 1920x1080 60fps)...

I was using ProtonVPN before I got fiber (sorry, I need to be frugal and it is free). Their free US servers have a higher loads but speed is still measuring around 50 Mbps. Checking the other two location options of Japan and Netherlands have lower loads but also lower speeds (one app shows an average around 25-35 Mbps).

I have tried several apps (Test NetSpeed, analiti SPEED WiFi, Internet Speed Test) and each seem to vary on results (ie. Test Netspeed: 61Mbps, analiti: 87Mbps, Internet Speed Test 52 Mbps, Firestick: 92 Mbps). Do you have a recommendation on the most reliable one to use? ...and the Firestick's doesn't go through the VPN does it? Update..did find Ookla's Speedtest that runs via the Silk browser - maybe this is the best one?

Again thanks, will report back on what I find out...just irritating that the continue to throttle when they say they're providing high speeds :-(
 
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Hi there ;)

Thanks for the follow-up and all the details.

From everything you've described, it still points strongly toward AT&T throttling your IPTV traffic. Even if your speed test results look fine, that doesn’t tell the full story. Speed tests won’t show throttling, because ISPs usually only slow down specific types of traffic like IPTV or video streams, especially during peak hours or major events.

This is actually a known issue. You can read more here:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/vp...ork congestion: ISPs,of service for all users.

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vp...Does AT&T slow down data,and not all the time.

Basically just search Google does at&t do throatling

AT&T is known to limit video traffic from certain apps and streaming sources, even if your connection appears fast. So regular speed tests won’t show what’s really going on.

We’ve personally tested Surfshark VPN on Firestick 4K and Firestick 4K Max, and it works very well. Smooth playback, no buffering, and consistent results.

If you're thinking of trying ProtonVPN, keep in mind it might not be the best for IPTV. Free VPNs often have speed limits or block streaming, which leads to poor results.

If you've ruled out the app and device, Surfshark is definitely worth trying.

Let me know if you need help getting it set up or have any other questions. Happy to help ;)
 
wha2doo said:
I've noticed this for several weeks if not longer, but had held off on posting... Is there a reason why only a select few channels seem to buffer and/or suddenly jump ahead a few seconds (like it lost video frames)?

I'll be watching a game on US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers and it buffers every so often for 2-5 seconds. Other times it'll just "skip" ahead without buffering. Ie. Someone was batting with a pitch count of 1-0 and quicker than I could see, the pitch count showed 2-1 (somehow I missed 2 pitches even though it didn't buffer). Or someone's at bat, and next thing I see is the message "Commercial Break in Progress" (it's now between innings).

I'm connected via AT&T fiber (350+ Mbps) using a Firestick 4k which is less than 50% full and only Tivimate is actively running. I've restarted my network, the Firestick, checked for the best channels for WiFi, signal seems strong, etc...

What's odd is it's just a select set of channels such as US: MLB Network, US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers, US: FOX Sports 2 FHD 1080, and US:ESPN 2. I can watch the other ESPN channels without this issue. Also the normal, non-sport channels seem fine, though I haven't checked them as closely...

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
I agree that there is an ongoing issue with buffering, looping, and jumping on various channels, too numerous to mention, largely on US: FHD 1080. I have a GB service in the PNW with a supplier that I can guarantee doesn't care what you watch and doesn't throttle ever. With or without VPN I have these issues where I do not have them on other vendors. This has been going on for a while, and it's not getting any better. I want Mobus to be my #1 service, but it's just getting harder. At the moment, US: COOKING CHANNEL FHD 1080 is virtually unwatchable. The videos were recorded within a minute of each other. Other service on the top, Mobus on the bottom.
View attachment IMG_0781.MOV
View attachment IMG_0780.MOV
 
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wha2doo said:
I've noticed this for several weeks if not longer, but had held off on posting... Is there a reason why only a select few channels seem to buffer and/or suddenly jump ahead a few seconds (like it lost video frames)?

I'll be watching a game on US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers and it buffers every so often for 2-5 seconds. Other times it'll just "skip" ahead without buffering. Ie. Someone was batting with a pitch count of 1-0 and quicker than I could see, the pitch count showed 2-1 (somehow I missed 2 pitches even though it didn't buffer). Or someone's at bat, and next thing I see is the message "Commercial Break in Progress" (it's now between innings).

I'm connected via AT&T fiber (350+ Mbps) using a Firestick 4k which is less than 50% full and only Tivimate is actively running. I've restarted my network, the Firestick, checked for the best channels for WiFi, signal seems strong, etc...

What's odd is it's just a select set of channels such as US: MLB Network, US: MLB Milwaukee Brewers, US: FOX Sports 2 FHD 1080, and US:ESPN 2. I can watch the other ESPN channels without this issue. Also the normal, non-sport channels seem fine, though I haven't checked them as closely...

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
I don’t use ATT but understand there’s something called Active Armor which could cause issues. Again I have no experience with that. Also if you’re using Tivimate and experiencing buffering try increasing the buffer size in settings. A very small price to pay for improved streaming is modestly slower channel changing. That doesn’t mean there can’t and won’t be some issues from time to time on Mobus but staff is quick to rectify these issues.
 
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