Picture this all-too-common scenario. The new movie you’ve been wanting to see is finally available to stream at home. You grab your snacks and drink, you settle in, and you click on the movie — only to get a blank loading screen that just won’t go away. Buffering strikes again.
You might get mad at your TV or blame the streaming service for a second. But we all know who the real villain is. Let’s look at how your home internet can cause buffering and how fiber technology solves it.
When buffering is a good thing
Sometimes, you’ll notice a split second of buffering when you start streaming a video or song. That isn’t necessarily a problem. It means your device is pre-loading data, ideally to make sure your video and audio stream seamlessly. The faster your connection, the shorter that initial buffering time will be. In the case of fiber home internet, you may not see it at all.
When buffering is a bad thing
Think of streaming like a long car trip. You need to keep adding gas (downloading data) along the way to get where you’re going. And what happens if you use it faster than you add it? That’s essentially what buffering is. Your file is playing back data faster than it’s downloading, which can result in lower-quality streaming, server timeouts and other negative effects.
The cause and the solve
Buffering can have a few different causes, but you can probably guess the most common one: slow, unreliable internet service. The problem only gets worse when you have multiple devices streaming at once. That’s not great if your family is one of the many who rely on streaming for everything, from movies and music to live sports and local news.
That’s where fiber home internet comes in, with faster speeds, greater reliability, and more bandwidth than cable or DSL internet can offer. Some home internet providers, including C Spire Fiber, even remove data caps so you can stream as much as you want without slowdowns. All that spells a better streaming experience, with the highest quality of video and audio — and not a buffering screen in sight.
Want to learn more facts about fiber home internet? Check your address now for details.
