Do you have an Amazon Prime Video membership to watch TV shows and movies, but your favorite program won’t stop buffering? Does the problem occur in all of your devices? This article will show why you are experiencing the buffering issue and what troubleshooting steps can help fix it.
Amazon Prime Video has an application for iOS, Android, PS4, smart TV, Xbox One, PS4, and other devices. For the first 30 days, you can join Amazon Prime for free and then choose to buy a subscription package to watch thousands of TV shows and movies.
However, users report upticks that while watching their programs, video buffers a lot. There can be a lot of reasons for the issue. Let’s explore the various cause for video buffering and find a fix for them.
Why does my Amazon video keep buffering?
If videos on the Amazon Prime app won’t stop buffering, it could be due to any one of the following reasons.
- You are experiencing internet speed issues from your end.
- Amazon Prime app or your device is running on an outdated version.
- Amazon Prime Video servers are down due to a glitch or maintenance.
- You are using an uncompliant HDMI cable with your TV to stream Amazon Prime content from another device.
- Wrong device configuration is causing Amazon Prime video to buffer intermittently.
How do I get Amazon Prime to stop buffering?
Amazon Prime Video won’t stop buffering? Try the following troubleshooting steps.
Reboot your device
Device restart can help solve different issues, including picture quality issues, buffering, freezing, and crashing.
If you are rebooting your TV, make sure to unplug its power cable from the wall and wait 2 minutes before powering it back on. The same goes for other devices. However, for Android or iPhone, force close the Amazon Prime Video app and then perform a reboot.
Troubleshoot internet issue
Slow internet speed is one of the most common causes of the Amazon Prime video buffering issues. Amazon recommends internet speeds of 3Mbps for SD video quality, 5Mbps for HD video quality, and 25Mbps for streaming Ultra HD 4k quality content.
Therefore, streaming will buffer if the connection is not up to your desired Amazon video quality mark. To troubleshoot internet issues:
- Power cycle your network equipment and the attached devices such as modem, router, TV, or smartphone.
- If the video still buffers, contact your internet service provider to troubleshoot the speed issues at their end.
- Alternatively, you can contact your ISP and ask them to upgrade your internet package compatible with the Amazon requirement for streaming the content at a specific resolution and video quality.
Update device software
Updating the device software can fix numerous issues with the installed apps. Therefore, it is a good idea to check for device updates regularly. If you are using the Amazon Prime Video app on your TV, go to Settings –> Support –> Software Update, and select the Update Now option.
Android and iPhone users can update their devices by going into the Settings menu and tapping on the Software Update option.
Use the compatible HDMI cable
You often use an HDMI cable to connect your TV to a streaming device and play Amazon Prime content. However, if you are not using a compatible HDMI cable, expect to experience annoying issues. Therefore, ensure that your HDMI cable is compatible with HDCP 1.4 (HD) or HDCP 2.2 (UHD/HDR).
How do you update Amazon Prime?
If you are using an outdated version of the Amazon Prime Video app on your device, you can experience buffering problems. Therefore, updating the Amazon Prime app to its latest version is necessary. The newest version may already have a patch to fix the video buffering, freezing, or crashing issues.
Update Amazon Prime Video on TV
To update Amazon Prime on your smart TV.
- Grab the supplied remote and Press the Home button on it.
- Next, head to the Apps section and choose the Amazon Prime Video app.
- Now press the Settings icon beside the app.
- Finally, highlight and activate the Auto Update feature for the Amazon Prime Video app.
Update Amazon Prime Video on Xbox One
You can update the Amazon Prime Video app on Xbox one by setting it up to automatically update apps and games. To do this, go to the Profile & system menu and select Settings. Next, choose the System option and head towards the Updates section.
Finally, enable the auto-update feature, and Xbox One will update your Amazon Prime Video app every time a new version becomes available.
Update Amazon Prime Video on mobile devices
To update the Amazon Prime Video on your Android or iOS devices, open the Play Store or App Store. Navigate to your profile section, and tap on the “Manage apps and device” option. Next, scroll and go to the Amazon Prime Video app. If an update is available, tap on the Update button next to the app.
How do I change the streaming quality on Amazon Prime?
Sometimes, your device is not compatible with the Amazon Prime video quality. As a result, you may experience buffering. To fix this, you need to change the resolution for the Amazon Prime Video streaming. You can do it in the following way.
- Launch the Amazon Prime Video app on your device.
- Go to the main menu and navigate to Settings.
- Next, select the Stream & Download option and choose Streaming Quality and Download Quality.
- Finally, adjust the video resolution to a lower level and see if that fixes the issue.
- If the issue persists, make a little more adjustment to the video resolution until you find the right one that resolves video buffering.
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