# NetFlix Repeatedly Pauses in TiVo HD Playback



## dbyerman (Sep 12, 2000)

I've got two Series 3 TiVos running 11.0h.

For at least the last year, I've had one recurring and very frustrating problem in using Netflix streaming on TiVo. The TiVo software doesn't seem to be too smart in "ratcheting down" video streaming quality. I occasionally utilize Netflix streaming on my XBox and WDTV, and both will automatically drop down to a lower level of video quality when there are network congestion issues. The TiVo will simply pause, sometimes repeatedly (10x per hour). The pauses usually last 10-15 seconds, but they are very disruptive.

Two questions: 1.) Is this a known issue? Am I the outlier here? I have very high speed Internet so I suspect the problem is Netflix uploading, and not my downloading. 2.) Is there any way to manually reduce video quality if HD is auto-selected? Often, I'd rather watch a lag-free video at lower quality than an HD quality stream that lags repeatedly.


----------



## ewilts (Feb 26, 2002)

It's a known issue and well documented. Not everybody sees it but a lot of people do. 

The Netflix application can also crash in the middle of streaming so you have to go back out a few menus and back in again.

All this can happen if you're wireless or wired although it's worse for wireless users than wired users.


----------



## dbyerman (Sep 12, 2000)

If it's a known issue, is there a workaround? It would be nice if you could push a button (say the down button, or slow mo button) to instruct the TiVo to manually drop down on video quality...


----------



## mightyse (Nov 16, 2002)

I just restarted my HDtivo and see the same problem. Now I do have a LG internet ready tv with the netflix app. It is setup using a wireless connection to my router. I see no buffering issues when I use netflix from my LG TV. The netflix app is much cleaner, you can search, see recently played, new to netflix and your que. I can not understand why Tivo has not taken the time to fix this issue and update the interface. This is a OLD issue. and I mean old!


----------



## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

I can only guess that TiVo has decided that Netflix interface is good enough as is and spending time on improving it will not bring any new revenue so is a waste of time and money to improve it. Only other device I have access to Netflix streaming is a Wii, and I must say I'm quite impressed with that interface and have no issues with it other than HD streams are not possible of course.
P.S. For the most part the existing TiVo/Netflix implementation is pretty stable for me, but probably only because my ISP internet connection is very reliable.


----------



## turbobuick86 (May 3, 2002)

Can you run a Netflix movie or Pandora on your computer simultaneously so your data speed is halved to your TiVo. If Netflix doesn't see 5+mbps it won't initiate HD.


----------



## dbyerman (Sep 12, 2000)

> P.S. For the most part the existing TiVo/Netflix implementation is pretty stable for me, but probably only because my ISP internet connection is very reliable.


As I reported in my original post, I'm 99% sure that the problem is NetFlix uploading, and not my downloading, as my Internet speeds test quite reliably fast, both before and after I encounter this issue.

I just wish the TiVo would be smarter (like XBox) about dropping down to a lower speed if congestion occurs. Instead, the TiVo software preference seems to be to pause more often. I don't suppose this could be made user configurable in a future update?


----------



## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

dbyerman said:


> As I reported in my original post, I'm 99% sure that the problem is NetFlix uploading, and not my downloading, as my Internet speeds test quite reliably fast, both before and after I encounter this issue..........


Many people with good download test speeds (much greater than 5 Mbps) still have problems with Netflix. Others with speeds below 5 Mbps report good Netflix performance. Apparently there are factors that don't show up in speed tests that do affect TiVo's netflix performance. I recently upgraded my router to a more expensive, more recent, model and both my download speeds and Netflix performance improved substantially, although even with the old router my speeds were above 5 Mbps. Both old and new routers are 100 Mbps rated, so I have no explanatioin.

Note there are many reports of Netflix-capable devices other than TiVo that perform well with the same internet connection where TiVo does not. You can't blame the Netflix server for this.

Here's the biggest thread on Netflix problems, FYI:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=413339&highlight=netflix+issues

and another, not as large but more recent:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=414245&highlight=netflix+issues


----------



## stujac (Jan 26, 2002)

If the op has a PS3 you might want to switch over the Netflix chores to it. The PS3 Netflix platform is miles ahead of the Tivo version; both in terms of picture quality and interface.


----------



## turbobuick86 (May 3, 2002)

A few months ago, after having unchecked "find DNS server automatically" and entering the server addresses manually, Netflix stopped having issues. Coincidence? 

It's running so well, I don't want to go back to test.


----------



## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

dbyerman said:


> I have very high speed Internet...


Not if you see the same problem on the other streaming players. What speed are you subscribed for, and what do tests like speedtest say you're getting?

Is it wired or wireless? If it's wireless then try running it with a wired connection as a test.

What else is running on your network that could be causing congestion? Other computers doing a lot on the network (esp wireless) could be cause enough problems to cause streaming to stutter.

It's entirely possible your upstream ISP network is the problem too. A bit harder to diagnose though. Tools like speedtest and pingtest help.


----------



## ewilts (Feb 26, 2002)

wkearney99 said:


> Not if you see the same problem on the other streaming players. What speed are you subscribed for, and what do tests like speedtest say you're getting?
> 
> Is it wired or wireless? If it's wireless then try running it with a wired connection as a test.
> 
> ...


I think you're overlooking the fact for just about everybody that has streaming problems through the TiVo streams successfully using other devices. I have a PC connected to the same TV as the TiVo. One day the TiVo wouldn't stream at all with constant rebuffering. I switched to the PC and everything was fine. Both are hard wired (the TiVo directly to the router and the PC to a Gig switch that uplinks to that same router).

Although something upstream could have an influence, the fact that the TiVo fails and other devices work in the same household suggests that the TiVo is unable to deal properly with whatever else is happening.


----------



## turbobuick86 (May 3, 2002)

ewilts said:


> I think you're overlooking the fact for just about everybody that has streaming problems through the TiVo streams successfully using other devices. I have a PC connected to the same TV as the TiVo. One day the TiVo wouldn't stream at all with constant rebuffering. I switched to the PC and everything was fine. Both are hard wired (the TiVo directly to the router and the PC to a Gig switch that uplinks to that same router).
> 
> Although something upstream could have an influence, the fact that the TiVo fails and other devices work in the same household suggests that the TiVo is unable to deal properly with whatever else is happening.


Valid point, but in this case the OP also mentioned how well his xbox handled the interrupted stream. Sounds like both machines would like more bandwidth than they're getting.


----------



## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

No, I didn't overlook it. And I asked questions looking to better define what's going on with his network connectivity. Yes, it's entirely possible the Tivo client could do a better job dealing with network issues. And other clients might be doing it already. But that doesn't change the fact that something about the connection is changing and the client isn't getting the bandwidth it needs. So the question remains, what else is active on the connection (locally or upstream at the ISP). 

Netflix (and other bulk traffic services) depend on reliable DNS. Is the DNS configured properly? And is it resolving quickly?


----------



## dbyerman (Sep 12, 2000)

ewilts said:


> I think you're overlooking the fact for just about everybody that has streaming problems through the TiVo streams successfully using other devices. I have a PC connected to the same TV as the TiVo. One day the TiVo wouldn't stream at all with constant rebuffering. I switched to the PC and everything was fine. Both are hard wired (the TiVo directly to the router and the PC to a Gig switch that uplinks to that same router).


To respond to an earlier post, D/L speeds are definitely not the problem. Speakeasy Speed Test consistently reports back 20-50mb. This is a wired connection, straight to the router, to maximize performance.

I think the most important point is that my TiVo pauses when other streaming devices don't. XBox, Wii, WD HD Live... they all handle streaming better than TiVo. That's a true apples to apples comparison. Yeah, I've got those other options, I'd just prefer not to have to, as most of my TV watching tends to be on my... TiVo. (Naturally) The other devices all seem to be smarter about streaming too, dropping down to lower speeds more nimbly.

I think an earlier post has it right. TiVo figures this service is "good enough" so doesn't invest more money into marginal improvements. I think that's a shame, because that's not the kind of "can do" programming that got TiVo where it is (and what earned my loyalty nearly ten years ago).


----------



## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

dbyerman said:


> To respond to an earlier post, D/L speeds are definitely not the problem. Speakeasy Speed Test consistently reports back 20-50mb.


Why is the speed varying so wildly? A 30mb swing is hardly what anyone would call 'consistent'.

Yes, it would appear the Tivo could do a better job of fighting through your connectivity's problems.


----------



## hdnewbie (Oct 8, 2010)

I'm seriously disappointed with Tivo's netflix functions. They have an entire hard drive they could use to buffer up several minutes ahead of what the user is watching, but they only buffer up a little data (probably in memory) and pause every time the bandwidth has a momentary fluctuation.

This is just bad engineering. 

I can't recommend that anyone buy a Tivo.


----------



## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Troll... First post you have to slam the netflix interface, and you use that one MINOR function of a Tivo to say that nobody should buy a Tivo AT ALL?

BTW, I have had _mostly_ good experiences with netflix on Tivo.. and I'm even running it over a Wifi bridge... The only problem I've run into is that IT Crowd is at the wrong aspect ratio.. so I actually watched one episode at a friend's house on my iphone while they were watching a rerun of something... and I got the DVD from netflix.. Oh, and at least one episode of Top Gear doesn't play properly for me on tivo.


----------



## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

Yes, the Netflix client sucks. Streaming in general sucks. Streaming into a PC, PS3 or Xbox doesn't take advantage of their local hard drive either. Does that mean none of them should be purchased either?

If/when you engineer something better, well, we're waiting... Meanwhile the Tivo does a passable job as a netflix client.

Or are you connected to a pitifully slow internet uplink? One that's clogged up with a lot of other network traffic? In order to stream high-quality movies the client needs a lot of available download bandwidth. If you've got a slow link then it'll stop/start. If you have a lot of other traffic, same deal. 

Yes, I'd certainly like to have the ability to buffer up a lot of a movie in order to avoid any playback or quality issues. But I'd imagine there's licensing issues to consider, in addition to anything technological.

There's enough blame to go around here. And most of it isn't due to the Tivo client. Yeah, it's not the greatest client compared to some others. But that hardly makes it something to avoid purchasing. Or are you just a newbie trolling for attention?


----------

