BBC Iplayer buffering and dropping out a lot?

Bruce GarnhamBruce Garnham Member Posts: 2
edited 6 March 2017, 9:48PM in Archived Posts
every prog I've watched on iplayer stops to buffer about every 20 mins and then an error comes up saying the item couldn't be retrieved or something like that. I then go back and choose resume and it starts again. it's not HD either.

I don't have this problem with 4od. I haven't tried other channels.
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Comments

  • TechnogranTechnogran Member Posts: 152
    edited 17 February 2013, 11:23PM
    I have also begun to have this problem as well. Haven't checked the other players as I don't watch anything unless its in HD, but after the initial 'buffering' at the beginning that the BBC iPlayer tends to do via the YouView unit, it used to then play through no problem (in HD) but now it gets about 5 mins in and then stops and like you, I then have to begin the item again to watch the whole thing.

    Not certain, but I think this began after the latest update. Strangely enough, I have watched a film on my Xbox 360 in HD which played fine, so can't really see it being my internet speed at fault.
  • Jesse1Jesse1 Member Posts: 275
    edited 5 November 2015, 10:30AM
    Hi Bruce. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing some issues. Have you seen this entry in our FAQ http://www.youview.com/support/kb/why...? It may help to solve your problem.

    If you don't believe the issue to be related to your internet connection and other On Demand players work as normal, you may need to contact the BBC directly http://www.youview.com/support/kb/im-...
  • Bruce GarnhamBruce Garnham Member Posts: 2
    edited 7 January 2015, 10:27AM
    Yes technogran, I feel its not my internet connection at fault too. I don't think I get these problems on iplayer desktop either so it does seem to point towards the BBC iplayer software on youview. I've updated the software for the youview box so next time I watch ipayer I'll see if thats helped.
  • steve2125steve2125 Member Posts: 1
    edited 6 January 2013, 5:15PM
    I have the same problem via my BT supplied Youview box. Tried to watch something from iPlayer last night and it stopped approx 15 minutes into it each time with the error mentioned above. All the other on demand content works ok. Don't think it's an iPlayer fault as I was able to go onto my smart tv's iPlayer and watch the film no problem straight after Youview failed. Also the TV played it in HD and Youview was only SD!
  • Jim Richardson1Jim Richardson1 Member Posts: 1
    edited 31 January 2013, 4:26PM
    I have this problem also ... all other players work fine ... at peak time my download speed is about 23 mbps which should be enough to stop buffering. If I connect up my old btvision box the content displays fine ... so I too guess it is the iplayer software on youview
  • TomWTomW Member Posts: 508 ✭✭
    edited 27 November 2016, 6:35PM
    +1 BBC iPlayer is fine on my Panasonic TV app and xbox360 which are both fed from the same Ethernet connection as the YouView box, so it's definitely not a broadband connectivity issue.
  • PPP QQQPPP QQQ Member Posts: 857
    edited 2 February 2013, 9:27AM
    I also often find I can watch catchup fine on smart tv but not YV. I only use YV catchup for 4oD, which is not yet on Samsung.
  • John WebbJohn Webb Member Posts: 83 ✭
    edited 2 February 2013, 9:51AM
    I have this problem and it is confined to Iplayer on the Humax box. No problem on a computer or my TalkTalk box.
  • PPP QQQPPP QQQ Member Posts: 857
    edited 2 February 2013, 9:59AM
    Jesse1 said:

    Hi Bruce. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing some issues. Have you seen this entry in our FAQ http://www.youview.com/support/kb/why...? It may help to solve your problem.

    If you don't believe the issue to be related to your internet connection and other On Demand players work as normal, you may need to contact the BBC directly http://www.youview.com/support/kb/im-...

    Hi Jesse. Is this still YouView's advice?

    Since the BBC is a YouView partner, and both the BBC and YouView as a whole have an interest in making sure that YouView boxes can deliver the iPlayer at a standard equal to that seen from other platforms, would it not be more effective for YouView Support to raise this problem with the BBC directly?
  • John WebbJohn Webb Member Posts: 83 ✭
    edited 2 February 2013, 11:50AM
    Jesse1 said:

    Hi Bruce. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing some issues. Have you seen this entry in our FAQ http://www.youview.com/support/kb/why...? It may help to solve your problem.

    If you don't believe the issue to be related to your internet connection and other On Demand players work as normal, you may need to contact the BBC directly http://www.youview.com/support/kb/im-...

    Sadly Youview pass the buck as soon as they can. What might seem a problem in the box to users is seen as either Youview or Humax or BBC or ITV etc. Same arguments as that computer fault is hardware or software!
  • PPP QQQPPP QQQ Member Posts: 857
    edited 2 February 2013, 12:22PM
    Jesse1 said:

    Hi Bruce. We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing some issues. Have you seen this entry in our FAQ http://www.youview.com/support/kb/why...? It may help to solve your problem.

    If you don't believe the issue to be related to your internet connection and other On Demand players work as normal, you may need to contact the BBC directly http://www.youview.com/support/kb/im-...

    Well, to be fair to YV Support, it really might be a BBC problem rather than a problem with the box. If so, only the BBC can fix it. But it does seem to me that YV Support could draw the Beeb's attention to the problem.

    "Dear BBC iPlayer Team Colleagues,

    We think we should let you know that a number of YV users report problems when trying to use the YouView implementation od the iPlayer. See YouView forum...etc"

    Yours sincerely
    YouView Support
  • Matt SpinkMatt Spink Member Posts: 2
    edited 3 February 2013, 7:38PM
    Ditto, only have issues with iplayer on humax box, not on xbox, smart tv or bluray player.
  • BlobbyBlobby Member Posts: 2
    edited 10 February 2013, 1:08PM
    I can also confirm that I experience this problem with iPlayer only on YouView. All other on demand players work perfectly.
  • Alex WrottesleyAlex Wrottesley Member Posts: 1
    edited 14 February 2013, 10:38PM
    And me. Just got youview this week on BT and every show on iplayer drops out periodically. Must be something these guys can debug surely?
  • Matt FMatt F Member Posts: 204 ✭
    edited 16 February 2013, 11:36PM
    +1, but I had this for a few days about a week and a half ago, and it has since stopped apparently. It may be that BBCi on youview interacts with the BBCi systems slightly differently than a PC on the iplayer site does; So the problem could still be down to the BBC, but still only appear on youview boxes. I agree Youview should intervene or at least communicate on our behalf as in a way they use BBC as a 'subcontractor' of sorts. But it does seem to have got better (for me anyway) so it all may be irrelevant in any case now or become so.
  • BoDBoD Member Posts: 69
    edited 17 February 2013, 9:30AM
    It would help if you stated who your ISP is, what download speed your connection can actually obtain.

    Different ISP use different routing and proxies. Example: Virgin Media use a proxy server for streaming services etc.

    Also, some of the devices listed in this thread don't do HD streaming from iPlayer. So if you are trying to watch a HD stream on YouView then that maybe a problem as well.

    Time of day will be an issue as well. So afternoon maybe fine but evening issues become apparent as the network clogs up.

    Never had a problem, thankfully, with HD streams on my YV.
  • Richard ScottRichard Scott Member Posts: 3
    edited 5 November 2015, 10:35AM
    Same issue. now broadband 40mbs peak bandwidth, average sustained throughput of 24 mbs.

    repeated buffering and crash outs whilst wife watching great British menu on humax dt1000.

    youview should not be so quick to pass the buck. iplayer is an integral part of the youview package and if the issues are not resolved will kill this product as not fit for purpose.
  • BlobbyBlobby Member Posts: 2
    edited 21 February 2013, 12:13PM
    A few days back i changed the iPlayer settings in YouView to stream the high def, rather than the standard def version of an iPlayer program. I didn't experience any problems streaming the program! It was the first time I have been able to watch a program using iPlayer on YouView (which i have been trying since mid-December).

    I haven't tried it since, and i don't know if it was just a coincidence, but it may be worth other people trying.
  • TanjaTanja Member Posts: 251
    edited 5 November 2015, 10:35AM
    Richard Scott said:

    Same issue. now broadband 40mbs peak bandwidth, average sustained throughput of 24 mbs.

    repeated buffering and crash outs whilst wife watching great British menu on humax dt1000.

    youview should not be so quick to pass the buck. iplayer is an integral part of the youview package and if the issues are not resolved will kill this product as not fit for purpose.

    Hi Richard, do you experience this only on iPlayer or on other on demand players as well?
  • Richard ScottRichard Scott Member Posts: 3
    edited 21 February 2013, 10:15PM
    buffering issues and sometime failing seems only to occur on the iplayer. 4od, 5 and milkshake seem fine. apple tv streams hd movies without any issues. pc iplayer seems not to have the same problem
  • John WebbJohn Webb Member Posts: 83 ✭
    edited 24 February 2013, 10:46AM
    I have just had Iplayer lock a short way into a program, there was no other traffic on my line. I now have a Samknows white box so will look later today if it has noted any faults. The box is two days old being a replacement for my trial box and it claims it is up to date on both Youview and Demand Players software although it has not doen the Feb update yet. A plus is that I was able to resume where it locked.
  • Old Welsh DragonOld Welsh Dragon Member Posts: 367
    edited 26 February 2017, 12:20PM
    What is a 'Samknows white box' ?
    I know all about the Samknows site, I use it often, but never heard of a white box..
  • John WebbJohn Webb Member Posts: 83 ✭
    edited 26 February 2017, 12:20PM
    You can volunteer to have your line monitored for a while and they give you this box which logs events and takes speed measurements at intervals. I looked as much as possible to check they are only taking statistics! I can look at parameters and see what has happened. I have to pay for the power to run the box and it does not give me much. It seems to be part of an EU project to monitor and hopefully BB services.
  • Old Welsh DragonOld Welsh Dragon Member Posts: 367
    edited 11 December 2016, 10:58AM
    John Webb said:

    You can volunteer to have your line monitored for a while and they give you this box which logs events and takes speed measurements at intervals. I looked as much as possible to check they are only taking statistics! I can look at parameters and see what has happened. I have to pay for the power to run the box and it does not give me much. It seems to be part of an EU project to monitor and hopefully BB services.

    Interesting...
  • BoDBoD Member Posts: 69
    edited 24 February 2013, 7:29PM
    Did some serious testing. I have two feeds - Virgin Media 60Mb & BT 40Mb. Using Youview iPlayer HD on either connection results in moments of buffering. So it's not ISP specific.

    Using iPlayer HD on my Sony TV on either connection and I get no buffering ever.

    So there is either a problem with the implementation of iPlayer on the the Humax box or a problem with the iPlayer hosting they choose to connect to though I think the former is more likely.

    PS Forgot to mention that a reboot of the YV box helped. Memory leak?
  • Matthew WhiteMatthew White Member Posts: 17
    edited 24 February 2013, 8:18PM
    I'm also getting buffering and in nearly every case disconnection issues in YV iplayer , i get the message this content is not currently available but if i restart the program its fine (though i have to skip to the point i last watched, a play from last point option would be good here)

    BT infinity 80mb down /20mb up
  • TunbridgeBlokeTunbridgeBloke Member Posts: 8
    edited 18 March 2013, 11:30AM
    I am also having this problem.
    I have sky's unlimited broadband, download speeds greater than 8mb.

    When watching BBC iPlayer on my youview box (no matter the time of day or night) it buffers within the first few seconds, then randomly it buffers, and sometimes it just drops the program.

    However using my Xbox 360 and iPlayer this never happens. Using my Popcorn hour box it never happens, only on my youview box.

    Its connected directly to the SAGEM Sky router.
  • RoyRoy Member, Super User Posts: 17,649 ✭✭✭
    edited 6 March 2017, 9:48PM
    TB, have you got the March update on your box? Several people have reported that this has alleviated a bunch of buffering issues.
    ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’ Wm Morris
  • TunbridgeBlokeTunbridgeBloke Member Posts: 8
    edited 20 March 2013, 1:56PM
    Amazingly this update has fixed my bufferig issues.

    Nice
  • james1james1 Member Posts: 1
    edited 1 April 2013, 8:27PM
    still getting this issue even with the March update - anyone else?
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