Fuzzy Picture Quality on TV While Streaming

tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 17:29

I haven't had much of a problem watching Netflix, etc, until the last 2 weeks. Suddenly I have a fuzzy most of the time picture when I'm watching at night.

My TV is a pre-smart digital TV, about 10 years old.

I use my tablet in the TV room to cast onto the TV using Google Chromecast plugged into the TV.

I have TPG NBN wireless fixed satellite. I'm paying for 12-25 mbps but often get less than 12 mbps in the evening. I rang TPG last weekend to complain and they said they would investigate and nothing happened. They said they couldn't contact me and closed my case - but I didn't receive any messages from them.

The TV is in the next room to the computer room and modem. When I did a speed test one after the other in both rooms, the TV room speed was 3mbps slower.

Now I have a slightly fuzzy/very fuzzy/good for a couple of seconds, then it goes fuzzy again picture most nights on Netflix, iView, and Britbox.

I've been watching Sisi on SBS at lunchtime and get a good picture but my eyes are too tired for subtitles at night.

I don't watch live FTA unless there's something on ABC. I hate sitting through ads and there's nothing I want to watch on the commercial channels.

Last night I watched WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS ep2 on iView and when I tested my speed straight after, (forgot before) it was 18mbps. When I tested my speed the night before (Fri) it was 5mbps. Then I watched the first ep. Both nights, the picture quality was the same: slightly fuzzy/very fuzzy/good for a couple of seconds, then it goes fuzzy again picture.

Is it worth getting a wifi booster/whatever they're called?

I don't understand why the picture quality was fine before and it's usually good at lunch, but now it's suddenly bad in the evening.

I have no idea if my TV is high def, SD, whatever the technical terms are, 4k, etc.

Internet

Comments

  • djones145 on 19/06/2022 - 17:33
    +2

    specsavers?

  • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 17:38

    I don't think it's my eyes as at lunch today the guy's arm was ghosted and the ghost outline was out by about 1 cm from his actual sleeve for 2 seconds, then it disappeared and the picture was normal.

  • Porker on 19/06/2022 - 17:40

    Can you take a photo/video of the picture?

    • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 19:22
      -1

      Not now as I finished watching that ep

  • scrimshaw on 19/06/2022 - 17:40
    +2

    It's down to your network speeds, it's not the TV's fault, your Wireless NBN speeds are so poor that your High Def videos have to be dropped down to SD (standard definition) due to lack of bandwidth.

    The reason why it works well during the day but poorly during the night could be down to a couple of reasons — maybe network congestion, even the weather can affect your satellite signal strength.

    • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 19:22

      Thanks.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2022 - 17:44

    Can you force the picture quality instead of setting it to auto? That would be my first attempt at fixing it. It is also possible that it's outputting a signal your TV doesn't support, for example resolution or frame rate.

    If your internet isn't capable of streaming, then I'd try downloading the files you want to watch. This is my preferred method even if the internet is capable of streaming.

    • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 17:59

      How do I force the picture quality please? I'm not a techy person.

      can I play downloaded files on the TV or just on my tablet? The picture usually looks good on the tablet when I'm streaming but not as good on the TV.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2022 - 18:08

        I don't use iView, but usually there's an option in the settings that lets you force a bitrate or resolution. If the issue is that it keeps changing trying to match your internet, then at least this way it would stay the same.

        As for files, I would say most tablets would have no issue playing them. The Google Chromecast should be capable of playing most file formats, but I have not tested this personally.

        Edit: I loaded up iView and at the bottom there is a cog like icon. When you click it, the resolution menu pops up: https://ibb.co/jGXdWxJ

        • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 19:20

          Thanks :-) I just looked at iView on my tablet and I can't see that cog anywhere on my tablet/iView and I googled about 10 mins ago about downloading shows from iView and an article dated 2021 said you can't download from iView because of the licencsing deals, you can only stream :-(

          I just have the CC, the 30 secs back and forward and play/pause on my iView.

          • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 19:20

            @tulip99: I can try downloading from Netflix and see if Britbox has a download option, anyway :-)

  • 7ekn00 on 19/06/2022 - 19:38

    I don't understand why the picture quality was fine before and it's usually good at lunch, but now it's suddenly bad in the evening.

    It's called "congestion" and happens at peak times with crappy ISPs, best test is 6am (lowest usage time) vs 6-10pm (busy times) :/

    If it works fine at 4-6am and not well at 6-10pm, then the most likely is ISP network congestion! Only fix is a better ISP :/

    • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 20:34

      Not many ISPs to choose from here with satellite :-(

  • vince088 on 19/06/2022 - 20:32

    your connection speed is too slow for HD content as some people here mentioned

    • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 20:34

      Not much I can do about it :-((

      • vince088 on 19/06/2022 - 20:35
        -1

        yeah you can, upgrade to 50mbps speed connection plan or 100mbps

        • tulip99 on 19/06/2022 - 20:55

          Ha ha, not with satellite. 25mbps is the highest speed when I looked online 2 weeks ago, I think. I'm already paying $70 per month for unlimited 12-25mbps.

          • vince088 on 19/06/2022 - 21:46

            @tulip99: is Satellite your only option? no cable, nbn, lbn, opticomm or even 4g/5g wireless access?

            • tulip99 on 20/06/2022 - 08:25

              @vince088: Yes. It's called nbn fixed wireless but it's a small satellite dish on my roof. I looked at plans last night and I couldn't find any with higher speeds. The only alternative I think is to join Elon Musk's Starlink? which costs $139 per month.

              Last night I managed to cast from the computer room to the TV in the TV room and got a better picture but not quite as good as 2 weeks ago. I'll keep doing that and see if it continues to make a difference.

              I can only get a Telstra mobile phone signal at my kitchen sink.

  • bmerigan on 19/06/2022 - 21:28

    A wifi booster will not help at all, the issue is not the wifi in your house.
    Early evening is the time when the most people are using internet services thus the capacity is shared across a large number of people. If more people are online you get slower internet.
    I doubt there's anything you can do about it unless there's a better service you can pay for.

    • tulip99 on 20/06/2022 - 08:25

      Thanks.

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