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Streaming TV shows and movies on Netflix has become a popular form of home entertainment. However, buffering can be a frustrating inconvenience caused by slow internet connections. If you are facing buffering issues, there are several settings in Netflix that can help you to fix them. In this article, we will explore them in detail.
What is Buffering and What Causes It?
When you view video content on your Mac, the machine pre-loads a certain amount of video into memory to play it without interruption. This creates a buffer between the viewer and the loading process. If you have a slow internet connection, video playback may catch up with the video currently loading, resulting in pauses while the content buffers. Alternatively, lower resolution videos may be loaded to enable smoother playback. YouTube is a good place to witness buffering where the gray line appears white at the bottom of the video timeline.
The Netflix Playback Menu
If you face buffering issues while watching Netflix on Mac via the Safari or Chrome browser, you can instruct the site to reduce video settings to decrease the likelihood of buffering. To do this, go to Netflix homepage and navigate to your account. Scroll down to the My Profile section and click Play Settings. There are four video quality options for you to choose from. Auto is set by default but you can select less demanding levels to improve your experience. Later when your connection is faster, you can switch back to Auto.
The Netflix Video Bitrate Menu
You can access a hidden menu on Netflix for more precise control over video quality settings. Start watching a video on the site, then press Ctrl + Shift + Option / Alt + S to bring up the menu. Choose your desired quality setting – higher numbers mean better quality. Hold down Shift key and click on the relevant number to select it. Finally, click Overwrite to make it your default video quality. You can change this any time by using the hidden menu.
Optimize Your Router
The other way to fix buffering issues is to ensure that your router settings are optimized for video content, especially if you share your connection with others. Check out the PC Advisor guide on how to get all the bandwidth on a shared network to make sure you haven’t overlooked any factor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I prevent buffering on any type of internet connection?
The quality of your internet connection plays a key role in determining whether buffering will occur. Even then, Netflix settings adjustments might still help. However, if there are other factors like network congestion, then you might not be able to prevent it completely.
If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, using the hidden menu to select lower quality video settings can help you save bandwidth. However, this also means that video quality will be impacted, which might not be desirable if you prefer watching in high definition.