Streaming a movie you’ve been dying to watch or binge-watching your favorite series is a great way to unwind. You must invest heavily to get the most out of your streaming experience, i.e., a big-screen UHD TV and the best sound system. You’ll also need a subscription to a streaming service and a blazing internet connection.
However, several factors can negatively affect your streaming experience, and here are ten ways to fully enjoy your binge-watching experience.
Avoid Regional Content Restrictions
Nothing is more frustrating than finding out you cannot watch a movie or series on your subscribed streaming service because of your location. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, etc., are available worldwide. However, each region has its library because of licensing and copyright agreements.
In this case, you’ll need to use a VPN like ExpressVPN, and Crazystreamers have a ton of guides on how to unblock geo-restricted content on Disney Plus.
A VPN tricks the streaming service you’re in a different place, allowing you to watch content unavailable in your current location.
For example, Disney+ has an extensive content library, but most content is only available in the US region. This means you’ll miss out on your favorite shows, films, or documentaries in another country for work or a holiday.
But you can use a VPN to connect to a server in the US to access Disney Plus as you would back home.
Kick Out Other Devices from Your Wi-Fi Connection
Every internet-enabled device in your home competes for internet connectivity, and the reduced speeds will cause buffering on your device.
Try kicking out other devices from your home internet connection if your streaming feed starts buffering. This can be tricky if you’re sharing the internet with other family members because it’s tough to decide who gets the priority.
That said, you can try a few things, like moving your streaming device, i.e., smart TV or computer, to a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi. If you’re streaming on a mobile device, download the titles for offline viewing, and you won’t have to complain about a slow connection while streaming.
Try the next step if this doesn’t work.
Check Your Wi-Fi for Leeches
It’s important to check your Wi-Fi connection for unauthorized access when your home internet connection slows down significantly. You might have a leech in your network if you don’t share an internet connection with anyone and your connection suddenly slows down.
Someone might hack your Wi-Fi if your security is slightly lacking and eat up your connection speed and, ultimately, streaming quality.
So check the devices connected to your router to kick out the freeloaders, and don’t forget to change your password.
Move Your Router
Changing your Wi-Fi router’s location can improve your stream’s quality. The Wi-Fi signal weakens because of obstacles and distance, so you must position the router well to get the best connection.
Move the router to a central position of your home or apartment and correctly position the antennas for a better signal (horizontal and vertical). Keep your router away from thick walls or inside cabinets.
Switch Wi-Fi Channel
Try changing your Wi-Fi channel from the standard 2.4GHz to the 5GHz frequency. The default channel on the 2.4GHz frequency is six and will cause a slow connection if it gets crowded. Switch to 5GHz to get more Wi-Fi channels to avoid congestion for better connection speeds.
Lower Your Resolution
Lowering your resolution is one of the tactics you should try if your stream starts to buffer. A high-resolution stream uses much bandwidth because the higher the resolution, the more data is required. Some streaming platforms like Disney Plus and Netflix auto-adjust the video resolution settings according to your internet speeds.
Others automatically set the resolution to 1080p or 720p, but you can lower it to 480p if your stream starts buffering. The streaming services have good picture quality at low tiers of resolution.
This simple solution can significantly impact your streaming experience if you’re watching on a mobile device or laptop.
A 480p pr 720p stream looks great on a small screen but is not as good on a 50” or larger TV. You’ll need to upgrade your internet connection if lowering the resolution isn’t an option.
Subscribe to a Faster Internet Service
If your ISP constantly lets you down with slow connection speeds, it’s time to give them the boot and switch to a new provider.
Most internet providers in the United States have plans starting around $40 with decent internet speeds of 50Mbps and above. These speeds are more than enough since you only require a 15Mbps connection to stream in HDR and 4K.
Switch to a better ISP if your current provider meddles with your connection speeds.
Delete Caches and Cookies
Every streaming device stores data in the form of cache and cookies to make it easy for you to pick up where you left off when streaming or browsing. Every streaming app stores caches and cookies that cause issues if left to buildup.
Many files become obsolete when the streaming app provides new data or when websites update their back end. The cookies and caches can take up much space to slow down your streaming device.
The easiest way to do this is to give your device a quick clean-up for s smooth streaming experience.
Halt Hardware Acceleration
Most operating systems use the hardware acceleration feature to share the burden of the streaming device’s CPU to the GPU. This feature is available on computers and might negatively impact your streaming experience if the device’s configurations aren’t correctly optimized.
In this case, the best bet is to turn off hardware acceleration to boost the streaming rates.
Use Newer Streaming Devices
The latest streaming devices have features to optimize the bandwidth and improve the streaming quality. Older TVs, routers, and mobile devices might lack the necessary components to meet today’s streaming demands. Switch to newer streaming devices to get the best streaming experience.
Wrapping Up
Online streaming has changed how we consume content as long gone are the days when people used to head to the movie store to buy the latest DVD. With streaming services like Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max, among others, your favorite films and shows are at your fingertips.
However, your internet connection and streaming device influence your streaming experience, so, everything has to be in order. Try our ten tactics to improve your streaming experience in the USA.
