What you actually need to stream properly

28 September 2026 · 6 min read

Streaming is mostly simple, and the handful of things that go wrong go wrong for the same few reasons every time. This is what actually matters and what does not.

Speed: less than you have been told

For a single HD stream you need roughly 15 Mbps. For 4K, roughly 25 Mbps. That is per stream — two people watching different things at once need both numbers added together, plus whatever else is using the connection.

Most modern home broadband is comfortably above this, which is why speed is rarely the real problem. If a speed test says 200 Mbps and the picture still stutters, buying a faster package will not fix it.

Wi-Fi is usually the actual problem

The number your speed test shows is the speed at your router. What reaches the television at the other end of the house through two walls is a different number entirely. In order of how much difference they make:

Use the 5 GHz band

Most routers broadcast two networks. The 5 GHz one is considerably faster over short distances and much less congested. If your network list shows something ending in “-5G”, use it for the television.

Move the router, not the TV

A router in a cupboard, behind a metal box, at floor level, is working against physics. Out in the open and higher up is worth more than most upgrades.

Run a cable if you can

An ethernet cable to the television removes the entire category of problem. If the router is in the same room, it is a ten-minute job and it is the single most effective thing on this page.

Devices: you almost certainly have one already

• Smart TV (Samsung, LG, Sony, Android TV)App installed from the built-in storeNo extra hardware
• Amazon Firestick / Fire TVThe most common choice; cheap and quick to set upNo extra hardware
• Android box or Android TVPlenty of app choice, good for older televisionsNo extra hardware
• Apple TV / iPhone / iPadWorks well, app choice is narrowerNo extra hardware
• Laptop or PCFine for testing; VLC plays almost anythingNo extra hardware
• MAG / Enigma2 boxOlder dedicated boxes, still perfectly serviceableNo extra hardware

If a device runs apps and has an HDMI port, it will do. The only reason to buy anything is if your television is old enough that it has no apps at all, and in that case the cheapest fix is a stick that plugs into the HDMI socket.

What causes buffering, in order

Wi-Fi signal at the television. Then other devices saturating the connection — a game console downloading an update will flatten a stream. Then the server you are connected to, which is the one thing you cannot fix yourself and the one worth messaging support about. Then, rarely, your actual line speed.