AppleTV Constant Buffering at Night

[mstgkillr]

For the last few months I cannot use my AppleTV to stream iTunes movies or TV shows during prime-time evening hours. The movie or TV show will load and begin to play but almost immediately freeze and begin buffering. Netflix works flawlessly at this time and iTunes will work all morning and afternoon, just not in the evening.

I have tried everything that I can think of. I checked my internet connection speed (10 Mbps), multiple resets, changed Wi-Fi channels, etc... I've contacted Apple 4 times regarding this issue and each time they try a few things and then blame my internet provider. I think it is something on Apple's end of things.

Any suggestions?

 

[sandmanfvr]

Do you have cable internet? Cable internet is shared and at prime time, the date throughput to each house is lowered, as you have "up to" 10 megs, as I have "up to" 50. Also if you are comcast, netflix is now getting more bandwidth than other streaming providers. This may not be it, just guessing.

 

[Southern Dad]

I have a local monopoly cable company high speed internet and have the same problem. There are days I gets speeds that will make you think the tester broke. But during prime time, I slow to a much slower rate.

My cable company (owned by the municipality) says that there are 254 items on each node. In my area that is mostly cable boxes. Once everyone starts watching that high definition television during the evening hours… It's going to crawl.

 

[Dunk the Lunk]

For the last few months I cannot use my AppleTV to stream iTunes movies or TV shows during prime-time evening hours.

If you're just watching iTunes movies/tv shows, rather than a 'channel', why don't you just download them to your computer/NAS? That way you avoid any potential streaming problems and you have them backed up in case they are ever removed from the iTunes store (for example if there is a dispute between a studio and apple).

 

[alent1234]

If you are on wifi then use Ethernet cable

Itunes uses a cdn and wont have the problems of Netflix

And as someone said, download them. The quality will be better as well

 

[Southern Dad]

If you are on wifi then use Ethernet cable

I hadn't thought about the WiFi angle. I've always used ethernet for mine.

 

[alent1234]

i have close to 40 wifi networks around me. always get disconnects on almost any service at peak times

 

[sandmanfvr]

If you're just watching iTunes movies/tv shows, rather than a 'channel', why don't you just download them to your computer/NAS? That way you avoid any potential streaming problems and you have them backed up in case they are ever removed from the iTunes store (for example if there is a dispute between a studio and apple).

This to, why I went with an Apple TV as I am home sharing and my movies are now to be digital only, thus stored on my mac and then no issues.