When Crave TV keeps buffering while you are trying to enjoy a show, it can wreck your enjoyment of streaming content.
You can increase your ability to reduce buffering when viewing Crave TV in several ways.
Why does Crave keep buffering?
Crave keeps buffering due to insufficient internet bandwidth on your home network or a system issue on your streaming device.
We recently covered what to do when Crave TV is not loading; however, if it’s just buffering, that is the issue, then read on!
How to fix Crave TV Buffering
Method 1: Restart your Streaming Device
To access Crave TV, you will use a streaming device to access the app.
The most common streaming devices for Crave TV are:
- Smart TVs
- Streaming Stick such as Apple TV, Firestick, or Roku
- Games Consoles such as Playstation and XBOX
- A PC or Macbook Laptop
To perform a power cycle of the devices, unplug them for 60 seconds before plugging them back in.
This restart allows any updates downloaded in the background to install and start successfully and clears the system cache.
Clearing the system cache and any lingering apps running in RAM can help reduce the buffering on Crave TV.
By reducing the number of apps running in the background, you give Crave TV stream the content needed.
Method 2: Reset your Router
This is my go-to solution when I have buffering issues when viewing Crave TV.
How do I reset my router?
The easiest way to reset your router is to unplug it from the wall socket for 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
This action will “power-cycle” your router and provide more bandwidth to increase your ability to stream content faster on Crave TV.
Why does resetting your router reduce Crave TV Buffering?
Think of all the devices that are and have been connected to the router. I’m sure that in today’s digital world, quite a few devices are connected to the router.
Your router is like a mini-PC and will slow down as more tasks are added.
Having all those devices connected will reduce the bandwidth available to the Crave TV app and subsequently throttle your download speed, creating buffering.
Method 3: Disconnect other devices in your home from the internet
If you cannot reset your router for any reason, I will try and disconnect non-essential devices from the internet.
Is someone in your home watching Netflix? What about your phone? Is someone downloading on XBOX?
Every device you can disconnect from your internet connection will help stop Crave TV buffering issues.
Method 4: Close any apps that are running.
If you had followed our first step of restarting your streaming device, this step would have been completed.
Otherwise, please continue to close any running apps.
How does having open apps cause Crave TV to buffer?
Having open apps takes system resources and internet bandwidth.
The more those are used, the more likely Crave TV is to buffer.
Several users have reported increased performance when closing apps on LG TVs.
Method 5: Update your streaming device software/firmware before downloading
Whether you are using a TV, Streaming Stick, or Games console, updating your firmware or software to the latest version can help prevent issues from arising over time.
Sometimes, updates can be missed, or an installation can be interrupted and cause issues with your streaming device.
Old firmware or a partial firmware installation could cause Crave TV to buffer.
Ensuring you have the latest software on your devices gives you access to new apps and an improved viewing experience.
Method 6: Use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi
It is almost always true that you will get a better download speed when you use an Ethernet (Wired Connection) rather than Wi-Fi.
Wired connections transmit data quicker and with less interference.
Fewer variables can hinder the quality of the connection.
Wi-Fi connections are slower and generally have a slower response time.
The distance from your streaming device, along with the walls, floor, and ceilings, can all deteriorate the quality of your internet connection, causing Crave TV buffering issues.
I always use a wired connection when available, and you should, too!
Method 7: Upgrade your Internet Connection
Not everyone has access to high download speed through their ISP (Internet Service Provider), but for those that do, consider upgrading your internet connection.
It is pretty straightforward that a 100mbps connection will have a slower download rate than a 1gbps connection.
Method 8: Disable any Ad blockers or VPNs
VPNs and Ad blockers can negatively affect the streaming performance of Crave TV.
Your connection to a VPN will always limit the speed at which you can stream content.
Method 9: Upgrade your Router
This option will not apply to everyone, but the router could be the bottleneck in your home network, causing their Crave TV buffering problems.
If you have consistently upgraded your internet speed through your ISP but are still using an older router, you may wish to check your router’s maximum download speed.
It’s all good having a 1gbps connection, but if your router can only download at 100mbps, you’ve got a massive bottleneck and a solid explanation for why Crave TV is buffering.
Method 10: Check to make sure Crave TV servers are operational
When Crave keeps buffering, most issues will usually be with your network or playback device.
Before you go into the other fixes listed below, it is worthwhile to check that there are no issues or outages with the Crave TV platform.
Method 11: Contact Crave TV Support
If you have tried all the tips above and Crave TV continues to buffer, you can contact Crave TV support for further assistance.
Conclusion
We hope the tips outlined in this article have helped resolve buffering issues with Crave TV.
Let us know how it went or if you have any other tips in the comments below.
