Fix buffering and playback problems

A speed test alone can't tell you whether a stream should play smoothly. Playback also depends on your Wi-Fi, the device's video decoder, the app, the route between your internet provider and our servers, and the bitrate of the title you're watching.

The steps below change one thing at a time, so each test tells you something.

Play the same channel or title again after each step and note whether anything changes.

1. Restart the streaming device and your router.
2. Try Ethernet, or move closer to the router on 5 GHz or 6 GHz Wi-Fi.
3. Pause downloads, cloud backups and other streams in the house.
4. If you use a VPN, turn it off and test again, or try a different VPN location.
5. Try a different supported app on the same device.
6. Try the same account on a second device.
7. For movies and series, compare an HD title with the one that had trouble.

Test at the time the problem usually happens. If Ethernet works and Wi-Fi doesn't, the fix is in your home network. If a different internet connection works on the same device and app, the route from your provider is the likely cause.

This applies to movies and series. Direct play means your device decodes the original file. Transcoding means the server converts it into something your device can handle. A device on a fast connection can still struggle with a video format, audio format or subtitle type it doesn't support.

• Set quality to Auto first.
• Turn subtitles off for a moment and compare.
• If 4K fails but HD plays, try a lower quality or a newer device.
• Keep the app and the device's software up to date.

Every plan has a number of streams or TV connections that can play at once. If a new stream won't start or you see a “too many connections” message:

• Stop playback on another device. A paused video can keep its session open, so press stop and close the app.
• Check for apps still playing in the background, such as a TV left on a channel in another room.
• Sign out of devices you no longer use.

Connection limits shows what each plan includes and how to add more.

If one movie or episode has trouble while everything else plays fine, it's probably the file, not your setup. Report it from your service page with the title and what went wrong: playback, subtitles, audio or quality.

If one live channel is down while others work, wait a few minutes and try again, then open a ticket with the channel name and the time.

One complete ticket gets fixed faster than several short ones. Include:

• The service (Paragon TV, Streaming Lite, Premium or Books)
• The app and its version, and the device model
• The title or channel, and roughly when it happened
• Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and any VPN
• The exact error message, and whether another device or network behaved differently

Never send your password. Open a ticket and a person on the team replies, usually within 12 hours.