TV data usage with Fios

[Pickstedt]

I recently bought my first smart TV with Google. Not really sure that I like this better than my old TV & Roku set-up. One thing I notice, that did not happen with the Roku, is the "circle of death" buffering when I want to access a streaming app/channel. Sometimes this goes on for so long that I have to give up and go to another app/channel. Why would one app load and not another?

I was poking around in TV settings to check that my wifi was connected (it is and the connection is excellent) when I found a data usage window.  I know that streaming, HD, UHD etc. uses a lot of data, but where is the data coming from? I do not have a Verizon mobile account, I am a Fios customer with internet, a TV plan and a box. According to what I read, my internet speed (300 Mbps) should be more than sufficient for streaming, it was with the Roku box. My concern is that I am going to get hit for this tremendous data usage that I was unaware of and why does the wifi/internet connection sometimes load  apps (Netflix, Prime) right away but (sometimes) just spirals the buffering circle on others (Max, Starz)?

[clem21 · Accepted solution]

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@Pickstedt wrote:

I recently bought my first smart TV with Google. Not really sure that I like this better than my old TV & Roku set-up. One thing I notice, that did not happen with the Roku, is the "circle of death" buffering when I want to access a streaming app/channel. Sometimes this goes on for so long that I have to give up and go to another app/channel. Why would one app load and not another?

I was poking around in TV settings to check that my wifi was connected (it is and the connection is excellent) when I found a data usage window.  I know that streaming, HD, UHD etc. uses a lot of data, but where is the data coming from? I do not have a Verizon mobile account, I am a Fios customer with internet, a TV plan and a box. According to what I read, my internet speed (300 Mbps) should be more than sufficient for streaming, it was with the Roku box. My concern is that I am going to get hit for this tremendous data usage that I was unaware of and why does the wifi/internet connection sometimes load  apps (Netflix, Prime) right away but (sometimes) just spirals the buffering circle on others (Max, Starz)?

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First, I'm not sure, but you should have unlimited data usage a t home. Second, if your 5G and 2.4G networks have the same name, your TV may be connecting to the slower 2.4G network sometimes. Also some devices like the TV may not connect to networks that use DFS channels which your router may occasionally be using if set to auto channel selection. You could change router settings to use separate names for the 2.4G and 5G channels. While there change to 5G to use a fixed channel that is not in the DFS range (52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, and 144). And you can read this for more info on the DFS channel issue:

https://www.howtogeek.com/814458/when-you-should-use-dynamic-frequency-selection-on-a-router-and-whe...