As a frustrated Chromecast owner, I’ve had to deal with a lot of buffering when I try to stream content. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share the solutions I’ve discovered that have helped me to reduce the buffering and improve my streaming experience.
| Tips: |
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| Buffering on your Chromecast can be caused by various factors. |
| Slow wifi, other processes running on your device, and unsupported apps can cause buffering. |
| To reduce buffering and improve streaming quality, try closing other apps and improving your internet connection. |
| Lowering the resolution of the video and streaming directly to the Chromecast can also help. |
| To improve the connection of your Chromecast, try plugging it into a power socket and ensuring the HDMI cable is connected correctly. |
| Disabling the “Use 50Hz HDMI Mode” can also help. |
| If your Chromecast keeps cutting in and out, reset it and ensure all cables are connected correctly. |
| If your Chromecast keeps pausing, try lowering the resolution of the video. |
Table of Contents
Why is my Chromecast buffering a lot?
Often, the cause of Chromecast buffering a lot is nothing to do with the Chromecast itself.
Rather, it is usually an issue with things such as trying to stream video despite having a bad internet connection, using an unsupported app or because the device is running low on ram.
Below are likely reasons why your Chromecast is buffering.
Your device is occupied with other processes
While mobile devices are very powerful these days, there are still things that can result in them slowing down including streaming to Chromecast.
If there are other processes running on your phone, it could be the case that they are causing phone’s cpu to be busy dealing with them. It might also be the case that they are taking up your phone’s ram.
It would help to try closing any apps that you are not using and to see if that allows your Chromecast to be less laggy.
Slow wifi
If you are trying to stream something from the internet, it could be the case that there is an issue with your wifi.
This would be more likely if it is laggy even when you are trying to stream things such as videos directly to your device.
In this case, it would help to see if you can improve your internet connection such as by moving the wifi router closer to you or by using an ethernet adapter.
Alternatively, you could try streaming at a lower resolution or you could download the content to your device before streaming it.
There is an issue with the device you are using
It might be the case that there is an issue with the device you are using and that there is actually no issue with the Chromecast itself.
This would be more likely if the video is choppy even when you are not streaming to the Chromecast and you are looking at it on the device.
In this case, it would help to try things such as lowering the resolution that you are streaming.
There is an issue with the connection
It could be the case that there is an issue with the connection of your Chromecast and your device. Possible issues could include:
- Charging the Chromecast via USB instead of from a power socket. It might be the case that the USB port is not providing the Chromecast with enough power.
- The HDMI cable is not plugged into the TV correctly or there is a problem with the HDMI port
- You need to restart your Chromecast and reconnect it to your TV as well as your device that you are streaming from.
You need to disable the “Use 50Hz HDMI Mode”
Some users have found success by disabling the ”Use 50Hz HDMI Mode”. You can do this by opening the Google home app and then going to your devices, then click the 3 dots on the top right then click settings.
You are trying to screen mirror the wrong things
Screen mirroring requires your phone to encode the screen then to send it to the Chromecast.
This is fine for things such as presentations, but it does not work so well for video because the video must be decoded then encoded for the Chromecast by your phone.
Instead, it is better to cast the video directly to the Chromecast.
Read more: Can I play Chromecast audio from my phone?
How to get my Chromecast to stop buffering
To get Chromecast to stop buffering, try the following:
- Disable any apps you are not using on your device
- Lower the resolution of the video you are streaming
- Restart your Chromecast. To do this, open the Google Home App, Touch and hold the device’s title, tap settings, more settings then reboot.
- Alternatively, you can simply unplug the Chromecast for at least 60 seconds which will reboot the Chromecast.
- Plug an ethernet cable into your device or move your device closer to the Wifi router
- Ensure your Chromecast is plugged in correctly and that it is plugged into the mains and not a USB port
- Disable the ”Use 50hz HDMI mode” You can do this by opening the Google home app and then going to your devices, then click the 3 dots on the top right then click settings.
- Stream directly to the Chromecast instead of screen mirroring by streaming directly to your Chromecast by using the settings in apps like Youtube
- When possible, download the content you want to stream in advance and stream the downloaded file
- Restart your Wifi router
- Clear the cache of your Chromecast on Google TV. Go to your profile icon and select Settings, then System, then Storage, then Internal shared, storage then Cached data. Select “Clear cached data for all apps,” then click Ok.
- Change your Wifi to be 5 Giga Hertz, you can find tutorials for this online. This allows your wifi to transfer more data per second.
- Factory reset the Chromecast. While the device is plugged into the TV, hold down the power button for around 25 seconds. The device would flash red, then white. Once it flashes white and your TV goes blank, release the button.
How can I improve the quality of my Chromecast?
To improve the quality of your Chromecast, it would be necessary for you to do things that will allow you to improve your internet connection such as to move the router closer to the device you are using or to use an ethernet cable.
Also, it would help to cast directly to the Chromecast instead of mirroring if possible.
Read more: Can you connect Chromecast to an old TV?
Why does my Chromecast keep cutting in and out?
If your Chromecast keeps cutting in and out, it would be likely to be due to a bad connection. It would help to ensure that all of the cables are connected correctly.
It would also help to try resetting your Chromecast and reconnecting it to your device.
To reset your Chromecast, you can press and hold on the button on the back of it until it flashes yellow and then white. You can then release your finger and the Chromecast will reset.
Why does my Chromecast keep pausing?
It is also possible that your Chromecast is being choppy for any of the same reasons why it might be buffering.
It would help to try the steps mentioned above and it would be particularly important to try lowering the resolution of what you are streaming.
