Troubleshooting

Intermittent or weak internet connectivity are one of the most common causes of streaming issues. Frequent re-buffering or loading while viewing a stream generally indicates a slow or interrupted internet connection. We have several troubleshooting steps located in our Support Center to help resolve the issue. 

NOTE: If you have completed the troubleshooting steps and are still having issues connecting to BlackBearTV, we suggest that you reach out to your internet service provider who can help you determine if your router is correctly set up to communicate with the other devices on your network. 

Video streaming issues can be caused by many factors. By troubleshooting your internet or device connection, you may be able to play your videos again. Please try the following steps:

Internet Speed: The quality of your home or cell-phone network can affect how smoothly BlackBearTV videos play. The video player supports HD quality streams. We recommend a minimum dedicated connection of 4000 Kbps (4 Mbps) or above to enjoy HD quality streams. If your download speed is below 4000 Kbps (4 Mbps), you may experience difficulties viewing video. To verify your network connection on the web, we recommend visiting any of the following websites: www.speedtest.net or www.speedof.me

Buffering: To prevent a video from stopping to load, your network component "buffers" the video. This means, it downloads the video ahead of what you are watching so you don't have to wait for more of the video to be received by your player. When the streaming video catches up to the point where the file has been downloaded, there may be a wait. The result is the loading screen and a pause in the stream's playback. If the streaming video reaches a point where it has to wait until more information is downloaded, the video will pause and you will see a rotating arrow or spinning circle in the middle of the video player. Once the available video stream catches up, the video will begin to play again. Sometimes this is the result of a technical problem with the content provider or your internet service, but it can also be the result of too many devices in your location using the internet at the same time. However, most of the time, it is simply a function of your internet speed.