JioCinema buffering? How to fix problem and enjoy FIFA live-streaming
The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony began in full glory on November 20. While it was quite an experience for the on-site audience, it turned out otherwise for JioCinema users who couldn't watch the live stream due to buffering issues. The app kept buffering after every few seconds, during the live-streaming of the ceremony and Qatar v/s Ecuador match, leaving fans disappointed.
Why does this story matter?
Viacom18 bought the rights to broadcast and stream the 2022 FIFA World Cup in India. Following the media company's recent merger with JioCinema, the former decided to stream the entire tournament live on the OTT platform for free. JioCinema wasn't well-prepared for such massive loads. And due to the high volume of visitors, the app kept buffering, crashing, and lagging during the game.
Understanding the issue: Data Buffering v/s Buffer Overflow
In terms of video streaming, data buffering is the process by which software downloads a specific amount of data into the core component or the reversed section of memory (known as buffer), before it begins playing the video or music. However, when the volume of data exceeds the storage capacity of the memory buffer, buffer overflow or buffer overrun takes place, causing streaming issues.
Users reported streaming issues on all platforms
The 2022 FIFA World Cup started at 7:30pm in India, whereupon the difficulties in streaming started to appear. After the opening ceremony, viewers began reporting the problem on JioCinema's web and app service. With more individuals tuning in, the OTT platform started crashing and lagging. After some self-performed fixes, the video streaming began for a few viewers, but the audio was still missing.
A user approached Twitter to vent their frustration
Another viewer expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the service
The OTT platform claims it has resolved the issue
JioCinema said that the issue has been resolved. The viewers need to download the latest version of the app to enjoy the next match (England v/s Iran) which is scheduled to begin today from 6:30pm. "We are continuously working to give you a great experience. Please upgrade your app to the latest version to enjoy #FIFAWorldCupQatar2022. Apologies for any inconvenience," it tweeted.
How can you minimize/prevent data buffering in future?
In case you experience some buffering issues even after downloading the latest version of JioCinema app, here are some quick fixes: Make sure you are logged in. Viewers logged into the app face fewer issues. Try selecting a different audio language. This often resolves the buffering issues. Viewers are also advised to change their feed to Eng - Extended Stadium Feed (ESF).
