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Troubleshoot playback quality and buffering issues

This article was translated using AI, which may cause inaccuracies or not directly reflect the product interface. If you continue to have issues, please contact Customer Support.

If you're having trouble viewing a video, such as frequent buffering, low video quality, or dropped frames, you should try some basic troubleshooting. This might involve adjusting your browser settings or checking your network connection. This article covers different ways to troubleshoot these issues.

In this article

What is causing poor playback and buffering?

These are the most common reasons you may experience poor playback quality or buffering.

  • Insufficient bandwidth: Your current internet download speed (bandwidth) is not fast enough to support the selected video quality, causing the player to stop and buffer frequently. The Vimeo player requires network speeds of 500 kbps or higher to stream the lowest quality (240p).
  • Device processing limitations: Your computer or device may be unable to keep up with the video data transfer, leading to dropped frames (skipped video frames) and potential audio sync issues, especially if multiple applications or tabs are running.
  • Interference: Interference with the video player's performance can result from outdated browser software, an old cache, or browser extensions.

How to fix playback quality and buffering issues?

Basic Troubleshooting Steps

These initial steps can often resolve temporary connectivity or browser issues:

  • Disable any browser extensions, plugins, or add-ons.
    • Third-party programs can sometimes cause issues during playback. Try disabling any active extensions one by one to find the culprit, or open the video in an incognito or private window for testing.
  • Restart your router and modem.
    • Try disconnecting the power cord and then reconnecting it to perform a hard reboot and refresh your connection.
  • Update your browser.
    • Make sure you are using the latest version of your browser for peak performance.
  • Close excess browser tabs or applications.
    • Keeping too many applications open can make everything run slower, especially video playback.
  • Clear your browser’s cache.
  • Try disabling/Enabling Hardware acceleration.
    • Try changing this option within your browser settings, as it sometimes conflicts with older graphics cards.

Check Player Quality Settings

To fix frequent buffering or low-quality video:

  1. From the video player, select the gear icon in the lower right corner.
  2. Ensure the quality is set to Auto.
    • When in Auto mode, the Vimeo player will automatically adjust to the best quality of video for your current Internet connection and processing speed. This is the recommended default setting.
    • If Auto is not available, switch to one of the lower quality options (e.g., 540p or 360p). The video should start playing at a quality that your connection can support, reducing buffering.

How to check the bandwidth and the source file?

To fix unexpected low quality or buffering:

  1. Check your bandwidth with an online speed test.
    • We recommend using trusted HTML5 tests like https://testmy.net/download to get an estimate of your download speed.
    • If your speed is consistently low, we recommend getting in touch with your Internet Provider for more information.
  2. Check your source file (if you are the uploader).
    • If there are any quality issues visible in your source video, try re-exporting the file at a higher quality and re-uploading to Vimeo, as small issues can become amplified during compression.

How to send debug results to Vimeo for analysis?

To fix persistent, hard-to-diagnose issues or dropped frames, contact our Support team and be sure to include the following information:

  • Detailed description of the problem you’re experiencing (e.g., buffering, dropped frames).
  • Your results from this speed test: https://testmy.net/download
  • The URL of the page where your videos are embedded, including any necessary login credentials (if applicable).
  • The Debug Key/Payload associated with your playback session.

To get the Debug Key:

  • Desktop browser:
    1. Open any video you’re having trouble with, press play, and watch the video.
    2. Once the issue occurs, press "d" on your keyboard to open the debug panel.
    3. Click the blue Copy Debug Key button to obtain the unique ID associated with your playback session.
      an image of desktop browser showing the debug key and to copy debug key.

⚠️Note: If you aren't seeing the option to copy a debug key, please make sure that your browser is not sending a “do not track” request.

  • Mobile browser (If the playbar is enabled):
    1. Start watching the video and wait for the issue to occur.
    2. Tap the playbar settings gear icon.
    3. Tap the small (i) icon.
    4. Tap Copy Debug Payload to paste the debug ID to your device's clipboard.
      screenshot of mobile browser showing Copy debug payload.

Once you've copied the debug information, paste the entire key into your support ticket and send it our way for analysis. 

⚠️Note: The debug key will be comprised of random characters, which will then be used to access playback information in our system.

Once you’ve gathered this information, contact us, and we’ll look into your issue. 

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