Why am I getting an error message when I try to watch?

Internet Connection: Live internet video streams are delivered via adaptive streaming technologies. Video is delivered at bit rates ranging from 400kbps to 4,500kbps. Most commercially available ADSL and cable connections should provide sufficient bandwidth for a quality viewing experience. In order to view a video cast to a large screen TV, a minimum of 5Mbps download speed is recommended. Note that streaming via mobile connections consumes a lot of bandwidth. It is recommended that you consume video content over wired or WIFI connections. Shared hotspots may not provide you with sufficient bandwidth to have a reliable streaming experience.

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 the Black Bear TV Support Center to help resolve the issue. If you have completed the troubleshooting steps and are still having issues connecting to Black Bear TV, 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.

• Internet Speed: The quality of your home or cell-phone network can affect how smoothly Black Bear TV videos play. The video player supports HD quality streams. We recommend a minimum dedicated connection of 4 Mbps or above to enjoy HD quality streams. If your download speed is below 4 Mbps, you may experience difficulties viewing video.

• 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.