it's 11pm and i can't stream bbc iplayer on virgin net

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

Soldato
Joined
12 Feb 2006
Posts
17,637
Location
Surrey
not a clue why this is ahppening but it's become so terrible. moved into this place over a year ago and i've never had a single issue watching iplayer, but last few months it just can't seem to load the program quick enough and i have to sit waiting ages for it to laod then watch. i thought maybe iplayer was being over run but it's 11pm now i can't imagine it can't cope. what can i do? trboule with iplayer you can't see how much you've downloaded

right now since writing this thread i've had it paused and I've managed to load 5 seconds
 
Try downloading something over plain old HTTP or FTP and see if that's any faster.

It's highly likely you're being traffic shaped. Some ISPs do throttle hard if things get busy.
 
Virgin ADSL or cable?

Iplayer isn't like youtube - iplayer will only buffer about 5-10 seconds worth of footage then stop. You could consider downloading the shows you want from iplayer then watching later, although then the spontaneous nature of it is somewhat destroyed.
 
cable i assume, though we have a phone with them too.

everything seems fine, just the iplayer. i know i can download, which gets ok speeds, but like today i come home from work, thought watch something with diner but nope all i get is 1 second for every minute i wait. home alone and pc has been off all day so can't be speed capped. i feel like virgin are purposefully making iplayer slow.

today is the worst it's ever been but i's regularly bad. it also happens with their news clips. i can start watching 5 seconds and then it freezes and starts from beginning but now it's loaded enough to continue most of the clip, sometimes it'll get all the way through, sometimes with another freeze and repeat again.
 
Last edited:
Your connection 9479 kbps
Your available bandwidth is 9479 kbps.
n/a
TV - HD 3500
Uses 36% of your available bandwidth.

passed
TV 1500
Uses 15% of your available bandwidth.

passed
TV 800
Uses 8% of your available bandwidth.

passed
TV 500
Uses 5% of your available bandwidth.

passed
Radio 128
Click to expand...
 
Mammalian said:
i feel like virgin are purposefully making iplayer slow.

today is the worst it's ever been but i's regularly bad. it also happens with their news clips. i can start watching 5 seconds and then it freezes and starts from beginning but now it's loaded enough to continue most of the clip, sometimes it'll get all the way through, sometimes with another freeze and repeat again.
Click to expand...

That would be because they are, that's what traffic shaping is. Regardless of if you are inside your download limit or not they will throttle certain types of traffic. If you happen to be in a particularly oversubscribed area for them, you'll get more aggressive traffic management.

The fact it only affects streaming video suggests that this traffic is being singled out and restricted. Possibly worth contacting virgin, though don't expect them to do anything about it. But you never know you might be able to bully a discount out of them if you threaten to leave because of it.
 
whereabouts are you based, as skid mentioned could be due to oversubscribing.

might be worth posting up your stats of your router, are you connected via ethernet cable or using wireless ?
 
ok it's happening again same as yesterday but now i'm waiting thought i'd post here.

trying to watch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012s1xj/Panorama_The_Great_Car_Insurance_Swindle/

but it's streaming so slow i have to stop for 5 minutes to let it get ahead then i watch a few minutes, then stop for 5 etc.

just done another bbc diagnostics test only difference is bandwidth speed is now 7712 kbsp

edit: been on phone for 30 minutes with program loading, it got a few minutes into program and then stopped working and restarted, and now it's working 100% fine, no stop starting, yet any way
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom