TV Answer Man, I like to watch Netflix and Hulu but sometimes the picture stops and I get a wheel spinning in the middle of the screen. This might last for a minute or sometimes more before the picture comes back. Is there anything I can do to fix this? — Sherri, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Sherri, the ‘spinning wheel’ is an occasional occurrence when watching any live streaming service, such as Netflix, Sling TV, YouTube TV, HBO Max and Hulu. You will be watching a movie or TV show when suddenly the picture will freeze and a small spinning wheel will appear in the middle of the screen.
The cause of the spinning wheel? The Internet, Sherri. It’s not exactly an ideal infrastructure for delivering live video. If the speed of your home Internet network dips below the minimum requirement needed for a consistent picture, it can cause picture buffering (aka the dreaded spinning wheel). And if the streaming service has a temporary delay on one of its servers, that can cause it.
Fortunately, live streaming services have improved their delivery systems in recent years so it’s less noticeable than it used to be. (Home Internet services have also increased their speeds and efficiencies.) But it’s still a problem.
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If your streaming picture is consistently marred by the spinning wheel, you can try these four ways to fix the issue:
1. Change the channel or show.
Then, go back to your original channel or show. This will sometimes allow your original channel or show to ‘catch up’ with the data (programming) that’s being delivered to your home.
2. Reset your home WiFi network.
You can do this by unplugging your modem and plugging it back in. Your Internet service may be operating erratically, causing the dips in picture quality. The reset can put it back on course.
3. Upgrade your Internet plan.
Every streaming service has a minimum speed requirement to watch it. For example, some streamers will say your home Internet service must consistently be at 25 Mbps or you will encounter buffering (yes, the dreaded spinning wheel). However, to be safe, I advise you get a plan with speed at least at 50 Mbps instead of one with 25 Mbps. That way, if your signal dips, you will still be above the required limit.
4. Delete and reinstall the app.
The live streaming app sometimes can get corrupted, creating a host of problems. A simple reinstall could eliminate the spinning wheel and ensure a more reliable stream.
Sherri, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
If you are getting the spinning wheel for more than 30 seconds over and over, there is little to be done to fix the problem. AT&T’s dsl and uverse have the problem because their internet modems generate speeds of 3.1 to 7.
That is much too slow to watch streaming services that require the 25 mentioned in the article. The only fix is getting fiber that generates speeds of 250-1000, which makes watching streaming similar to cable or satellite. The picture quality on most streaming services is not quite up to standards of Direct TV and probably cable despite having a 4K smart TV.
I have fiber but still prefer Direct TV over streaming because streaming requires 8-12 clicks on your remote to get to something to watch as opposed to 2-3 clicks on Direct TV.
Exactly why I still have Directv (satellite). Occasionally I’ll lose signal in a rainstorm, otherwise I have reliable service. With streaming, I just don’t need the hassle of being my own tech support person, when something goes wrong.
One other way to make this less of a problem is to hardwire your device to your router instead f using wi-fi
I concur with this assessment. For stationary devices requiring a high speed internet connection, connect via ethernet cable whenever possible. All too frequently the bottleneck is not the ISP delivery speed into one’s house, but rather the switching speed within one’s house. Remember that the wifi speed is divided by the number of devices connected by wifi. While the same is true for devices connected by ethernet, in most instances people have fewer devices connected using ethernet.
I noticed recently that the picture quality on youtube tv has been exceptionally awful. I checked the resolution settings and discovered that they no longer offer 1080p in the settings. 720p is as far as it goes, which looks like crap on an 8K tv. It better be a bug they’re fixing. 1080p is one of the few things besides their limitless DVR that gives them an edge over other streaming services.