# TiVo OTA NetFlix Bufferiing issues Please Help.



## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

Is it normal? This red screen of death this buffering wheel that stops what you're watching and tries to catch up.

Here's what I'm running: 22.47 Mbps., Motorola SPV5121 Cable Modem, Linksys N Router WRT160N V2, 75% signal, TiVo Series5 20.4.5.c-USA.

Any suggestions?


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

it is not normal.

is this a new development? it could be netflix getting overloaded, perhaps from the NE blizzard. or it could be something on the tivo backoffice side. Try rebooting everything and see if that helps...


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## ncted (May 13, 2007)

Nope. Not normal. Who is your broadband provider?


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

ncted said:


> Nope. Not normal. Who is your broadband provider?


Time Warner Cable is my ISP This TiVo OTA is New and New to me, everything else is working well. I don't have Hulu so I can't compare the two however before TiVo I was using my Samsung BD-F5700 Bluray Player to stream NetFlix and I don't remember this being an issue.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

jrtroo said:


> it is not normal.
> 
> is this a new development? it could be netflix getting overloaded, perhaps from the NE blizzard. or it could be something on the tivo backoffice side. Try rebooting everything and see if that helps...


No it's been acting this way since I signed up and plugged it in..


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

jrtroo said:


> it is not normal.
> 
> is this a new development? it could be netflix getting overloaded, perhaps from the NE blizzard. or it could be something on the tivo backoffice side. Try rebooting everything and see if that helps...


OK tried the reboot and no change also used, up up - down down - left right - left right - up up up up which takes me to a logoff screen and logged off and back on again, still no change.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Have you tried using another device with Netflix to make sure it's not their service or your ISP?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

im2blue said:


> Is it normal? This red screen of death this buffering wheel that stops what you're watching and tries to catch up.
> 
> Here's what I'm running: 22.47 Mbps., Motorola SPV5121 Cable Modem, Linksys N Router WRT160N V2, 75% signal, TiVo Series5 20.4.5.c-USA.
> 
> Any suggestions?





im2blue said:


> Time Warner Cable is my ISP This TiVo OTA is New and New to me, everything else is working well. I don't have Hulu so I can't compare the two however before TiVo I was using my Samsung BD-F5700 Bluray Player to stream NetFlix and I don't remember this being an issue.


Are you wired into the router and what does the 75% mean? It worked with your Samsung so it should work with the TiVo if they are accessing the internet using the same hardware. OTA is not an issue.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

JoeKustra said:


> Are you wired into the router and what does the 75% mean? It worked with your Samsung so it should work with the TiVo if they are accessing the internet using the same hardware. OTA is not an issue.


no I'm not wired to the router that's the point of a wireless router. 75% represents the signal strength from the wireless router to TiVO.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

im2blue said:


> no I'm not wired to the router that's the point of a wireless router. 75% represents the signal strength from the wireless router to TiVO.


Thanks, that explains a lot. Best of luck.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

HarperVision said:


> Have you tried using another device with Netflix to make sure it's not their service or your ISP?


Hello and thank you I am in the process of trying this now going back to Samsung BD-F5700, but I mentioned I didn't have this issue pre-TiVo. I'll let you know.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

JoeKustra said:


> Thanks, that explains a lot. Best of luck.


No it only explains what 75% is, it still doesn't explain Netflix buffering, but I sure someone with more knowledge about this issue will be able to help me get the solution that resolves this issue.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Run an ethernet wire and see how much better it is, or try moca. Tivo does not support using wireless for anything but guide data. So, sometimes is works and other times there is enough hard to find interference that causes issues. 

Hardwiring, at least for troubleshooting, helps resolve that as an issue or not.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

ncted said:


> Nope. Not normal. Who is your broadband provider?


Hello ncted, can I ask you you what model HDD you used to replace your factory HDD with? is this easy, does the HDD format itself, is this plug and play? Oh wait sorry, one problem at a time. let me resolve this buffering issue first.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

jrtroo said:


> Run an ethernet wire and see how much better it is, or try moca. Tivo does not support using wireless for anything but guide data. So, sometimes is works and other times there is enough hard to find interference that causes issues.
> 
> Hardwiring, at least for troubleshooting, helps resolve that as an issue or not.


I'll try running Cat5 cable to see if this helps, but if TiVo didn't support anything but menu/guide data then it wouldn't work at all would it?


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

im2blue said:


> I'll try running Cat5 cable to see if this helps, but if TiVo didn't support anything but menu/guide data then it wouldn't work at all would it?


Netflix streaming that is.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

They did not put in a hard code to prevent it, so some folks try and are luckily successful. But, a lack of support is well documented.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm pretty sure the buffering issue with netflix is a NETFLIX issue and NOT TiVo, I have/am posting these questions here in case some other TiVo users have/are experiencing similar issues with regards to Netflix streaming and can shed light onto my situation. Nothing more!


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

Well after awhile with netflix and jumping through just about all the same hoops I've already jumped through, Netflix is still buffering. only not as often. However, Netflix did say that they are sure we'll get to the bottom of it. If Netflix loads slowly or if you're experiencing buffering or rebuffering, blurry video, or frequent stops while watching a movie or TV show, you may have a weak or unstable connection to the Internet. Fortunately, we've got some great steps below that resolve most Internet connectivity problems on a range of commonly-used devices.

If you complete the steps below and are still having issues connecting to the Netflix service, we highly suggest you reach out to your Internet Service Provider. Your internet provider&#8217;s network can sometimes get crowded if a lot of people are watching Netflix at the same time in your area. During these peak times, usually in the evening, we will try to make sure that you can enjoy watching movies and TV shows uninterrupted, but you may notice lower video quality than usual. If this happens frequently, you may want to contact your internet provider to ask if the connection to Netflix can be improved.

If your Internet service provider is already providing a reliably fast connection, the problem may be caused by your Netflix settings or your home network configuration. To fix this issue, try the troubleshooting steps below.
What type of device are you using to stream Netflix?

Game consoles
Computer
Smart TV
Blu-ray player
Set-Top Box
Tablet or mobile device

Before you begin troubleshooting:
Are you using a public, cellular, or satellite Internet connection?

If your network supports streaming, and meets our Minimum Streaming Requirements, completing the steps below will resolve most connection issues.
Restart your set-top box
Restart your home network
Connect your set-top box directly to your modem
Improve your Wi-Fi signal

If you're having network connection issues while trying to stream Netflix, the steps above are a great place to start. If you've tried all of our suggestions, and you're still having connection problems, don't worry--there's still plenty of help available to you.


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## PCurry57 (Feb 27, 2012)

im2blue said:


> Is it normal? This red screen of death this buffering wheel that stops what you're watching and tries to catch up.
> 
> Here's what I'm running: 22.47 Mbps., Motorola SPV5121 Cable Modem, Linksys N Router WRT160N V2, 75% signal, TiVo Series5 20.4.5.c-USA.
> 
> Any suggestions?


It appears from your post that your connecting to your router via Wi-Fi. Considering the Linksys WRT160N is not a gigabit or dual band router it's potentially underpowered for streaming video especially if someone like kids may also be gaming. The 2.4 Ghz band trends to be crowded, though the channel numbers go 1-11 it's important to remember that these channels overlap. Channel 1 overlaps with 2&3, channel 6 overlaps with 4,5,7&8, channel 11 overlaps with 9&10. So when you have 12-30 neighbor SSID's you can't possibly get the throughput to reliably stream HD video.

Try streaming in the wee hours of the morning if the problem dissipates significantly (not necessarily going away completely) you would very likely benefit from upgrading your router to a gigabit dual band model, moving your HD video streaming to either wired or the 5Ghz band. 5Ghz N (300) well still overlap but only one subchannel be effected (i.e. 36&38). Typically the 5Ghz band easily attains near max throughout, dependent on construction materials and range.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

HarperVision said:


> Have you tried using another device with Netflix to make sure it's not their service or your ISP?





im2blue said:


> Hello and thank you I am in the process of trying this now going back to Samsung BD-F5700, but I mentioned I didn't have this issue pre-TiVo. I'll let you know.


That doesn't mean there isn't an issue NOW with your ISP and/or Netflix.

That's like saying....."but my light bulb worked yesterday when I flipped the switch, but today it doesn't so how can it be a blown bulb?" 



im2blue said:


> Well after awhile with netflix and jumping through just about all the same hoops I've already jumped through, Netflix is still buffering. only not as often. However, Netflix did say that they are sure we'll get to the bottom of it. If Netflix loads slowly or if you're experiencing buffering or rebuffering, blurry video, or frequent stops while watching a movie or TV show, you may have a weak or unstable connection to the Internet. Fortunately, we've got some great steps below that resolve most Internet connectivity problems on a range of commonly-used devices. If you complete the steps below and are still having issues connecting to the Netflix service, we highly suggest you reach out to your Internet Service Provider. Your internet provider's network can sometimes get crowded if a lot of people are watching Netflix at the same time in your area. During these peak times, usually in the evening, we will try to make sure that you can enjoy watching movies and TV shows uninterrupted, but you may notice lower video quality than usual. If this happens frequently, you may want to contact your internet provider to ask if the connection to Netflix can be improved. If your Internet service provider is already providing a reliably fast connection, the problem may be caused by your Netflix settings or your home network configuration. To fix this issue, try the troubleshooting steps below. What type of device are you using to stream Netflix? Game consoles Computer Smart TV Blu-ray player Set-Top Box Tablet or mobile device Before you begin troubleshooting: Are you using a public, cellular, or satellite Internet connection? If your network supports streaming, and meets our Minimum Streaming Requirements, completing the steps below will resolve most connection issues. Restart your set-top box Restart your home network Connect your set-top box directly to your modem Improve your Wi-Fi signal If you're having network connection issues while trying to stream Netflix, the steps above are a great place to start. If you've tried all of our suggestions, and you're still having connection problems, don't worry--there's still plenty of help available to you.


Well lookie there! 

FWIW, I do believe what others said about the issues may be related to using wifi with your TiVo instead of hard wired, so I'd try that first.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

Well, I'm still working on this buffering issue. I will hard wire this TiVo box but can't do it until I get 75' Cat5 cable the modem/router is across the house, almost in line of sight just too far for the cables I have on hand. I wonder if I hard wire my TiVo O)TA if I can slow down my ISP to say like 10Mbps and save some money. Anyone running 10Mbps without any issues?


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

PCurry57 said:


> It appears from your post that your connecting to your router via Wi-Fi. Considering the Linksys WRT160N is not a gigabit or dual band router it's potentially underpowered for streaming video especially if someone like kids may also be gaming. The 2.4 Ghz band trends to be crowded, though the channel numbers go 1-11 it's important to remember that these channels overlap. Channel 1 overlaps with 2&3, channel 6 overlaps with 4,5,7&8, channel 11 overlaps with 9&10. So when you have 12-30 neighbor SSID's you can't possibly get the throughput to reliably stream HD video.
> 
> Try streaming in the wee hours of the morning if the problem dissipates significantly (not necessarily going away completely) you would very likely benefit from upgrading your router to a gigabit dual band model, moving your HD video streaming to either wired or the 5Ghz band. 5Ghz N (300) well still overlap but only one subchannel be effected (i.e. 36&38). Typically the 5Ghz band easily attains near max throughout, dependent on construction materials and range.


 great advice THANK YOU! if need be i'll buy a faster router or at least one with higher throughput. I will try and stream early and see of the problem is less severe and report back thank you again.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

im2blue said:


> Well, I'm still working on this buffering issue. I will hard wire this TiVo box but can't do it until I get 75' Cat5 cable the modem/router is across the house, almost in line of sight just too far for the cables I have on hand. I wonder if I hard wire my TiVo O)TA if I can slow down my ISP to say like 10Mbps and save some money. Anyone running 10Mbps without any issues?


I am able to reliably watch Amazon 1080p/5.1 trailers on my Roamio with a 5Mbps internet speed. I do have an adapter on the Roamio to convert the wired to a wireless 802.11ac 5GHz link and a dual core Netgear R7500 router. A faster router and a strong signal helps.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

im2blue said:


> Well, I'm still working on this buffering issue. I will hard wire this TiVo box but can't do it until I get 75' Cat5 cable the modem/router is across the house, almost in line of sight just too far for the cables I have on hand. I wonder if I hard wire my TiVo O)TA if I can slow down my ISP to say like 10Mbps and save some money. Anyone running 10Mbps without any issues?


Try moving your Roamio to the router's location temporarily.


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## im2blue (Jan 2, 2015)

HarperVision said:


> Try moving your Roamio to the router's location temporarily.


\
well in theory that's a good diagnostic idea, but I don't have a 75' HDMI Cable. lol


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

im2blue said:


> \ well in theory that's a good diagnostic idea, but I don't have a 75' HDMI Cable. lol


Do you have a small TV or monitor with either hdmi or composite?


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

PCurry57 said:


> you would very likely benefit from upgrading your router to a gigabit dual band model, moving your HD video streaming to either wired or the 5Ghz band. 5Ghz N (300) well still overlap but only one subchannel be effected (i.e. 36&38). Typically the 5Ghz band easily attains near max throughout, dependent on construction materials and range.


+1

The 5GHz band works great for me, where 2.4GHz is hit or miss, mostly miss

If you do purchase a new Dual-Band 2.4/5Ghz router, I strongly recommend
the ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router

BestBuy sells the same router as the ASUS RT-N66R Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router

Or the AC model ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router
TiVo WiFi does not support the AC standard, so unless you have other devices that can use AC, this model does not benefit you, but would future proof you.


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## sarantube (Jan 21, 2015)

I am having the same problem. My router is running at 50mbps with >90% signal strength on my Tivo. I now use Netflix with my Roku 3 player and have no problems. Is there an issue with the Tivo OTA?


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

im2blue said:


> no I'm not wired to the router that's the point of a wireless router. 75% represents the signal strength from the wireless router to TiVO.


There is your problem. Tivo does not support streaming content over a wireless connection.

Connect the tivo to the router via ethernet or moca as directed in the instructions for streaming services.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

CoxInPHX said:


> +1
> 
> The 5GHz band works great for me, where 2.4GHz is hit or miss, mostly miss
> 
> ...


The AC routers actually work better with N clients than the N routers do. I have an N66U that I bought a couple of years ago, but the router to get today is the AC68U.


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## danlisman (Mar 2, 2015)

im2blue said:


> great advice THANK YOU! if need be i'll buy a faster router or at least one with higher throughput. I will try and stream early and see of the problem is less severe and report back thank you again.


Did you ever find a solution? New router? What did you get? I have similar problem, but can not isolate problem.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

danlisman said:


> Did you ever find a solution? New router? What did you get? I have similar problem, but can not isolate problem.


First, I think a real long CAT5 cable can be a good test to see if your WiFi is the issue. Monoprice has 100 foot cables pretty cheap. Also, the ASUS is a good router and I use several of their adapters. I have a Netgear R7500 router though. It has a switch on the back to kill the very bright LED and the USB ports are on the side, and an eSATA port on the other side. Not pretty, but it's dual-core and I use it with a wireless Mini and Roamio. The Mini works with the TiVo AN0100 and the Roamio uses a ASUS EA-N66r. I get 80+ Mbps from a wired Premiere and the wireless Roamio. But, like was posted, the ASUS is good.


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## el-such-n-such (Oct 18, 2005)

im2blue said:


> Is it normal? This red screen of death this buffering wheel that stops what you're watching and tries to catch up.
> 
> Here's what I'm running: 22.47 Mbps., Motorola SPV5121 Cable Modem, Linksys N Router WRT160N V2, 75% signal, TiVo Series5 20.4.5.c-USA.
> 
> Any suggestions?


I've come back to Tivo after being away ~4 years, and I have been impressed with most that I've found, except...

I have the same issue, the Tivo Netflix app suffers chronic buffering (and I'm ethernet connected to Comcast modem, all the way... no cheap router in the path...) I have a Mini, and that isn't any better!

I thought this was a bad switch, or an issue with Comcast, so I've been systematically replacing (2 and counting) ethernet switches and cables in search of the source. After finding no joy, I started trying other devices, connected to the same ethernet switches. Guess what, they work sooo much better. Panasonic TV, Sony DVD player, I even paid $15 for a usb-to-ethernet adapter for my original Chromecast to get it off of Wifi, and Netflix on it is superior to the Roamio OTA and the Mini!

So the other guys that *don't have this issue*: Do I own a lemon?
I dread trying to explain everything I've tried to a poor customer support person...

This is the second OTA I've owned, the first one died 60 days out...
But I don't hold that against anyone, customer service was great, just lost the shows and the subscriptions...

Any tips on insuring that my OTA is working up to to par?
(There's no hard drive in the Mini, right? So doing disk maintenance on the Roamio won't help with the issue with the Mini, or am I missing something.)

The Mini isn't recording shows while rendering Netflix, so it should have the computing cycles to run that app... Is the Roamio OTA just too constrained to do this well and record shows at the same time?

How often is the Netflix app updated on Tivo?

Amazon Video app on the Roamio is sooo much better than the Netflix app, it rarely buffers. So it looks to me like the Roamio is capable, it is just the Netflix app itself?

I can try shutting down the Mini to make sure that it isn't stealing IO cycles from the Roamio that affects the Netflix app...

If this gets solved, then I can continue to recommend Roamios to all my friends.

The way it currently works, I can't share a show on Netflix with company, it's a total turn-off...

Can anyone help?

TIA


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## Peter G (Jan 3, 2012)

I have TiVo Roamio, using it for OTA. I never have any buffering issues with Netflix. If you do, it is a problem with your internet connection. Is your OTA connected via WiFi or Ethernet to the internet? Have you checked network speed? Check all connections and try a direct connection to the modem or router to see if it is the intervening hardware causing a problem. 

Peter G


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## raqball (Feb 23, 2015)

jcthorne said:


> There is your problem. Tivo does not support streaming content over a wireless connection.
> 
> Connect the tivo to the router via ethernet or moca as directed in the instructions for streaming services.


Huh?

Almost everything in my home is connected wirelessly including my Roamio OTA.

I don't ever get buffering, never! On my Roku, Sling TV buffers but that's a Sling TV issue..

Do I have a magical Roamio OTA or something as I can easily and without issue connect to ALL the Roamio streaming apps while connected to WiFi...

Netflix? Yup and no buffering
Amazon? Yup and no buffering
YouTube? Yup and no buffering
Yahoo? Yup and no buffering
Vudu? Yup and no buffering
Web Video Hotlist? Yup and no buffering


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## HD_Dude (Sep 11, 2006)

raqball said:


> Huh?
> 
> Almost everything in my home is connected wirelessly including my Roamio OTA.
> 
> ...


Me too.

I have a place with no cable or FIOS or Comcast. It's just old-fashioned DSL. The speed, hard-wired, maxxes out at 2.4 Meg. Really slow.

But even so, my TiVos connect wirelessly to the router, which of course cuts the speed, and I still watch Netflix rock-solid. No issues at all.

Here's a couple of ideas for anyone having trouble.

First, use Vudu to test your internet speed on your TiVo.

Second, Netflix has test videos that show your speed and resolution. Search 'Test Patterns, Multipurpose Chart' for the 4K versions, or 'Example Short 23.976' for the HD version.

This will show you exactly what speed your TiVo is getting. Of course, you can also use the test videos for any other device that streams Netflix. They're pretty cool - I keep them in 'My List.'

Won't solve your problem, but if you're paying for 20+ Meg service...and the TiVo is reading like, 1 Meg...you know there's a bottleneck.

One more idea: I hard-wire everything to my LAN. But I use only CAT 7. Only did that when I went 4K, and for 4K Netflix, your entire broadband flow has to absolutely fly.

Good luck!


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## el-such-n-such (Oct 18, 2005)

Peter G said:


> I have TiVo Roamio, using it for OTA. I never have any buffering issues with Netflix. If you do, it is a problem with your internet connection. Is your OTA connected via WiFi or Ethernet to the internet? Have you checked network speed? Check all connections and try a direct connection to the modem or router to see if it is the intervening hardware causing a problem.
> 
> Peter G


Long story, short: I am NO LONGER having this problem. Netflix app is working without buffering!

Root cause was ONE of the following (likely), or a combination (less likely):

- Software update, I had to recently accept new terms of service, on the Netflix app so it has updated

- My OTA was missing recordings, full disk drive, and subscriptions were configured as "Keep until I delete". All subscriptions are NOW set to "Space needed", I turned off Tivo Suggestions, and cleared low priority shows to get disk usage below 70%.

I have not tested the Netfilx app on the Mini as yet, but I will post after I'm sure that this problem is in the past for me.

Hope this hopes someone else.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

That makes sense. If you press the Info button on the remote while watching a HD Netflix show you can see that they adjust the picture quality as they go along. I think the first few seconds are usually "384" moving to 480 moving to, in my case, maxing at 720 since I have a 3Mbps connection. I never have buffering with a roamio basic using wired ethernet.


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