Emporium

That is NOT what I asked. And just because Spectrum provided them, it does not make them good either. Even if they were WiFi 7, they can still be junk. My ISP provides me with a Hitron CODA-4680 cable modem/router. It's a piece of junk. I have put it in Bridged mode, and have my own pfsense firewall appliance as a router, and 3 enterprise class access points and a controller. What they gave me is now used as a dumb modem and all the rest of the equipment is unrelated to them. Test with Cable.. And for WiFi ensure you have 2 separate SSID (1 for 2.4Ghz and 1 for 5Ghz). The joining of both bands on same SSID and allowing cheap crappy routers to decide which you connect to is a bad choice, and one that leads to connection problems. If the router does NOT allow the separation of the 2 bands, then that is the first sign, that it is a cheap router. If you don't want to try anything proposed, or answer relevant questions, or you know better on how to fix the problem, then you are on your own.

Just as a test, can you run a cable to the boxes ? Maybe the new WiFi chips, have a compatibility issue with your WiFi. IF your router has bandsteering enabled (where you only see a single SSID on WiFi and router decides if you are better to connect to 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz band) disable it. This way you will get 2 separate SSID, 1 for 2.4Ghz and one for 5Ghz. That way, you can test with each one separately. 2.4Ghz may be more congested, but had a longer range. 5Ghz is less congested and faster, but "stable" range is shorter. On 5Ghz, with some routers, you "may" connect at high speed, but it can glitch regularly over longer periods of streaming. Routers provided by ISP are typically junk anyhow and often unstable for streaming.

You can easily test with a VPN if you want. Windscribe offers a VPN with 2GB/month (10GB/month free if you use your email to register). And no payment info required for this account. 10GB should be enough to validate if the issue can be overcome with a VPN. Choose a server that is relatively close to you (to keep latency at a minimum) and you should be good.

I don't use a VPN with my service and have no issues. Some ISP will throttle, agreed, but you don't always "need" a VPN. And like DU mentioned, some services do not even allow a VPN. I do have one service that I know with one specific ISP is needs a VPN. But with other ISP, it is not an issue.

Did you check my last comment to go into all apps and look for the "Settings" icon app which typically allows you to change the home screen settings ?

No issues here with my IPTV provider and multiple boxes including an xrs4500... Could be your provider, or your network. If you are on WiFi instead of wired, it can be even worse. Many cheap routers and modem/router units provided by ISPs are not very good at maintaining a steady stream without glitches and gets worse as the stream progresses. Can you "test" with an ethernet cabled to your router, to remove the WiFi from the equation ?

First of all, I strongly recommend using and SSD over a mechanical drive. Secondly, I recommend formatting the drive externally on a PC, and making sure to use the exFAT filesystem format (FAT32 which is the default on android boxes and old windows machines, has a file size limitation of 2GB, using exFAT, you don't have this limit). Then you have the usual, make sure that under PVR settings you have the destination location selected. Now if you streams glitch, this can stop the recording. The PVR function will typically not try to recover if the stream stops. What firmware and buzztv version are you running ? You can find it on the Updates screen.

I don't have my E1 in front of me, but it I recall (from memory), it you select the first icon (the 9 small squares) it will open the all apps screen. There I do believe there is a settings options. From the settings screen you should have something in regards to the "Home screen" to be able to change it.

I know you did, but these are not mobile versions... They are for FireTV and for AndroidTV version. These versions definitely get past the usual internal check for compatibility however.

OK.. So you can download and give this version a try: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/peacock-tv-llc/peacock-tv-android-tv/peacock-tv-android-tv-1-11-6-release/peacock-tv-stream-tv-movies-android-tv-1-11-6-android-apk-download/ I installed it on my U5, and unlike the version in Aptoide, this one installs, starts and you can go to login screen and even read all the "privacy and terms of use" links, and even try to connect using phone login. There is also this version which is designed for FireTV. Seems to be the same simlar to the version above, but posting both just in case. https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/peacock-tv-llc/peacock-tv-fire-tv-android-tv/peacock-tv-fire-tv-android-tv-1-11-6-release/peacock-tv-fire-tv-android-tv-1-11-6-android-apk-download/ I don't have a peacock account (and don't care for one) so I can't confirm that it logs in however. But you can click on the Sign In option and go to the sign in screen. The "choose a plan" option does not work (could b because of my VPN location) so just ensure to use a PC or other device to create a plan if you don't have one. And obviously, make sure you use a US VPN server. Post back the results.

I just installed the latest version 4.10.23, and installation works without an issue. However, peacock has decided to limit the app to a very small number of "compatible" boxes. So when it starts it just give the dumb message that "Sorry, Peacock is unavailable on this device. Please see we-are-idiots.com for supported devices". The issue is peacock's narrow minded corporate thinking. Unlike netflix which will work, with some restrictions, if not on an "approved" box, this app just doesn't work at all.

Length of cable should not make a difference unless it is of a poor quality or over 250ft. Anything less than 250ft, CAT5e or CAT6 with decent crimped ends should be able to easily handle gigabit speeds. Well 44m is better than 10 or 12. But still I don't understand why things are so slow on your wired connections, if you say you are paying for 150m internet, you should be getting very close to that. Unless they say "up to 150mbps", which is when the moon and stars are aligned I am paying for 200m service. And on wired connection I just checked on my Buzz Classic wired, I get 220mbps reported by speed test. On WiFi connection I get 84mbps (due to location), but I am fine with that. I tested using "analiti" app (from aptoideTV app store) and using Chrome to go to "fast.com" and "speedtest.net". Some of the older boxes, may be limited internally (due to PCIe bus architectures, etc.), but the Classic and even the X5 should easily be able to hit these speeds, especially wired. So if you are paying for 150m, then I would seriously question your Internet provider on why you speeds are so low, even using your laptop. BTW: You don't need to tell them about using an IPTV box, many ISP don't really like that too much and may purposely throttle your connection The fact that on your laptop, with a wired connection you only get 44m, then that should be enough.

First of all, most IPTV do NOT require 30mbps. Often 10 to 15 mbps is plenty. And there are some services that offer low bitrate streams which even 5mbps would be plenty. But the fact that you say you pay for 150M service but can only get 10 to 12 is an issue somewhere in your network. Is that 10 to 12, wired or wireless ? Do you have a PC you can plug directly into the netgear (wired) and see what speeds you can get from there ? Do all your devices (phones, tablets, media boxes, etc..) give you only 10 to 12 ? A wifi booster will not help if you can't get a decent signal close to the box. A booster is only to help extend the range if it speed drops off alot when you get too far from the main wifi router. But in your case, wifi seems to be slow everywhere. Would you be able to provide the model numbers of the Modem and the Netgear router ? IF you log into your Netgear (not sure what model you have), and you check for your WAN/Internet address... Is is something like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x ? Or something different ? (don't post complete IP, mask out the last set of digits at least). I know you said that the modem is pure modem, but just trying to check that you are not behind a double NAT.

Many ISP modems will ONLY issue a single address. And since your "wifi box" already had an address issued by the modem, if you decide to unplug the Wifi box and to plug your box directly to the modem, you WILL need to reboot the modem after doing so, otherwise you will not be issued an an address and obviously won't be able to do much. And depending on the technology you are using (cable, fiber, sat, etc..) the modem can often take up to 5 minutes to re-establish a connection. Having said that however, I would NOT do that for anything more than just a "test". Plugging your box directly into the modem will give it a publicly routable address, meaning it would be fully exposed to the internet. A "Wifi box" which I assume is a router, will typically get an external address on it's WAN port and then have a few LAN ports where it would issue internal IP addresses (via DHCP) and then using NAT it would route those devices to/from the internet. Being behind a router using NAT, your devices would not be exposed to the internet. Is your internet decent on any PCs ? IF you use a PC (ideally cable connected to the router), what speeds to you get during a speed test, or even going to fast.com ? Keep in mind that some Internet providers are blocking known IPTV providers, so in "some" cases (ISP and IPTV provider combo), you may not have an option but to use a VPN to bypass your ISP restrictions. Is the "modem" you refer to, truly just a modem, or some sort of "all-in-one" type of box ? And this "Wifi Box" you refer to, is this some router ? Model numbers of both ? Some cheap wifi routers can barely keep up with IPTV streaming demand and will require frequent rebooting. This is not related to the buzz box.

For BuzzTV 5 at least, like I said, when you are running it, you can long press the back button and it will prompt you to exit the app (the way properly written AndroidTV apps should work). I have not used the other app in ages so I can't comment if it has an option to properly exit the app, I honestly don't recall. So depending on which box you have and which OS version you have, here is the general method to force close an app. Select Settings. From the Settings screen, select Apps. Press the up arrow or down arrow button to highlight the app you want to close, and then press Enter button. Select to force Stop. This is not unique to Buzz boxes. Check many smart TV forums (like Sony) and you will see the same question and similar answer over and over. But the multiple pressing of the home button while in the home screen closes off all programs, and I typically just do it 2 or 3 times until it tells me 0 apps closed. And yes, it even closes the BuzzTV app, and if you relaunch the BuzzTV app, you will see that instead of streaming right away (like when it is in background), it actually loads up all your channels (ie: new connection). As Android evolved, the OS has gotten better and better at managing it's background apps, and a lot of the features we were accustomed to have been dropped. You Z8 is running probably Android 7 or 7.1 if I recall (it is pretty close to same gen as the old Buzz xpl3000). The Buzz 4000 series boxes (with possibly few exceptions) are running Android 9. And all the Series 5 boxes are running AndroidTV 11. So many features and options have changed.

On Android TV boxes you should not need to to manually close any apps. Android will typically swap them out if they are not active and close them if it gets short on memory. Short of going into "settings" "app" and opening up a specific app and force closing it, there is no other way. The double home press actually closes all background running apps. So the first time you double press it from the home screen, it will say "closing x apps". If you do it again and it closes apps again (and you did not manually start anything new) it is often because some apps are restarting after being killed. There are some apps which always want to run in the background. Some for good reason and others I call crapware. If you want to totally exit the BuzzTV 5 app, you can long press the back button and it will ask you if you want to EXIT the app. Some apps have that option (which I like), others don't. Now, are there any 3rd party apps out there which can show you running apps ? I'm sure there are. But often I find they end up using more memory than what they try to release

Like nbs said, it is typically a server issue. However it can also be a crappy network. Crappy WiFi, or even a crappy router (basic issue ISP routers are often pure junk), which can't handle a steady stream over long periods of times and they hiccup. Browsing web pages does not tax any decent router. But running a steady stream for hours, can often overwhelm many cheap routers, and cause the occasional freezing of the stream as it resets its internal stacks. To avoid as many glitches as possible, I have my own pfsense firewall appliance as a router (my ISP modem is in Bridge mode so acting as a dumb modem), and have 3 enterprise grade WiFi access points at home. And even then, all but one of my boxes is hardwired. Do I occasionally get a glitch or 2 ? sure.. But that is often just the server itself. There is no 100% perfect server out there. They all have their issues from time to time.

VPN will typically slow down any internet connection. And the effect is greater on the weaker boxes (entry level boxes, firesticks, etc..) due to the weaker CPUs. But unless you are going to be streaming high bitrate 4k on a entry level box, it should not affect IPTV viewing. You are correct in the greater latency, but if you select the server carefully, it may not be too bad. I often select a server in my city and does not affect latency much. But latency will only affect the speed of channel changes typically. Once a stream starts, latency has no impact. I know Vide0tron (in Quebec area) has been also actively testing various blocking on some streams and some services. In vide0tron's case, it is mostly a complete block of some streams, and mostly during major sporting events. A decent VPN does help. And you should experiment to see which server is the best for you.

What model box are you running and what firmware/software version do you presently have installed on it ? FYI: Firmware is specific to each box and not related to BuzzTV5. This post "should" have been created under the specific box thread.

OK. Sorry for the late reply, but I was outside prepping for our lovely winter Anyhow I powered up my classic, and installed 3 different M3U servers... My person collection of about 100 public channels with direct links I maintain. But no EPG, since I just don't have time to link them A popular free service, with over 1200 channels with about 48hr worth of EPG. My main IPTV service, with over 10000 channels, and 3 days of full EPG. All 3 M3U lists worked like a charm and no issues changing channels. Super quick to respond. OK, my 3rd one, did take some time to load up all the channels and EPG (but still under a minute), but once loaded everything was smooth as expected. If you press OK to bring up the channel list, do you see all you channels ? If you scroll down and then press OK on another channel, does it change to that channel ? If you just press the CH+ or CH- button, nothing happens ? What firmware/software version are you running on your box ?

Why would you want to switch if it all works ? When switching to secondary, before you back out of the menu, give it about 5 seconds. I did notice that sometimes if you back out too quickly it will do as you mention since it starts to stream just as you are switching from one screen to another, so it glitches. Other option is if you do find yourself with the small screen, then long press the back button, to exit the BuzzTV app, and then enter again and it should be full screen again and the backup player should be still selected and used. But I really don't understand why you would want to switch, if it works fine already

I use M3U on many of my boxes for many free lists and even one collection which I have put together for some locals which have direct online links (as a backup for some family). Have not experienced any issues on my B5, E5, Classic or X5 with them. Later tonight I will check again on the Classic and try one other larger one, in case it is maybe something to do with the size of the epg XML file. Have you tried to temporarily NOT use an EPG URL ? See if channel changes work as expected. Maybe there is something in the EPG that it gets hung up parsing.

And that is what had been said above. BuzzTV settings are backed up. But it is not a backup in the sense that if you you restore it, you will NOT have the backup of your other 3rd party apps (vpn, video players, speed testers, ets..) It is just the buzztv app settings and options. But before resetting your box, I strongly recommend to check and make sure you have the backup file(s) on your USB stick, and that it was not stored internally.

I have never used MicroSD for anything other than flashing a box. Even Class10 spec is so outdated, it only means the card has a minimum write speed of 10MB/s. Many cards can do a lot more, but nothing forces them to guarantee that. Not very high speed when you consider USB 3 real world transfer rates are around 80+MB/s and even USB2 is a little over 20MB/s real world. Also not sure MicroSD is the best option for TS, since TS just writes continuously, so unless you have a high endurance card, not sure it will survive very long even if it could be used. And MicroSD is a little more complicated with all the classes and features.. Class 10, U1, U3, UHS-I, UHS-II, V6, V10, V30, etc.... And even if you get a card with the highest spec, not sure the integrated MicroSD card slot is designed to take full advantage of it. You would have been better off with a USB3 drive honestly. Also, you should NEVER format any storage (USB, MIcroSD, etc..) as internal storage. Always leave it as "portable storage". Making it internal, will try to install some apps to the card and eventually when it fails or you remove it, you will be stuck in a situation where only a hard reset would allow you to truly recover. Formatting MicroSD as Internal (aka Adopted) storage was Android's attempt to help with devices that had low onboard storage, but it is a nightmare in my opinion. Unless you are really stuck with no other option, leave it as portable. Apps (like camera, recording, etc..) will be able to use it as portable storage and offload from the internal.

And if you go into settings with Remote/accessories, it shows that the remote is connected ? In the image above it says "connecting" not "connected". the BT is not connected and you are using IR only on the remote. You may need to re-pair the remote. My basement is about 20ft long, and there are no issues at that distance. My box is on a small shelf on top of the TV.