Sky TV continually freezing whilst watching programmes

[Hunter2660]

So the puck is the problem........... so why am I, and others, having no issues with freezing, buffering, black screen, etc etc etc? Sorry your not listening, there are other issues locally to yourself and others with the same problems. It may even be the server you're connecting to, but it isn't the puck otherwise there'd be way more complaints.

[Fothergill1]

@Hunter2660  I fully agree.  I never (🤞) have any of these issues.  I do experience a little lip sync from time to time and also the have the  problem with watch from start jumping to the end of the programme when using the FF function once the live broadcast is finished.

Other than that I love the streaming platform.  I moved recently and now have access to Sky Q cables again but I haven't even considered returning to Sky Q.  Agreed, Stream is not perfect but I probably have less issues than I had with Sky Q in the past.

[Mark39]

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@Fothergill1 wrote:

.....I probably have less issues than I had with Sky Q in the past.

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Same here. I frequently had the annoying 'proximity error' with my Q Mini box The Puck is more reliable. That's not to say the Puck didn't drive me nuts just after launch when there were all manner of irritating faults, but they've all been eradicated now following various software updates.  

Repeating the 'it's the Puck' mantra time and time again doesn't make it any truer.

[Deedee36]

@Fothergill1  Agree i have a slight lip

sync now and then and the odd continue watching rail issues but stream defo has improved massively this past while 

[Tormund800]

Why are myself and other users here having issues? Sky Stream relies on connection to CDN servers from its puck. These servers connections are regional. 

It's possible that large areas just can't get an acceptable service. If the pucks software was better optimized then these issues would be less common. I've seen many people online complain of these issues. 

I logged into NOW TV on my LG TV and had absolutely no freezing / sound sync issues. Absolutely an issue with Sky Stream.

[Carnoch04]

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@Tormund800 wrote:

Why are myself and other users here having issues?

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Because people who have no problems (the vast majority) don't post on forums! 

[Paul5550]

I just received my puck yesterday. From the outset, there were black screen issues without even loading a channel. When I get into the apps and channels, they freeze after various amounts of time (15 seconds to 1 hour) usually the former. I have full fibre broadband and line of sight between the puck and the router. I have tried switching all other devices off, with no improvement. I can run 4k video through both my PC and the apps on the LG G4 TV at the same time with no problems. They are in the same room as the puck. After protracted conversations with my ISP and Sky, Sky have decided to send me a new puck, arriving tomorrow...

[Breid23]

@Paul5550 did the new puck fix it for you?

We were having constant black screens after seconds to a few minutes and it wasn't watchable. 
New puck arrived today but it is still freezing and rebooting itself after a while. 

There's a lot of people on here saying it's not the puck, but if it's not the puck why are sky saying it's the hardware and replacing it to fix it?

[MaryMac1]

Hi same for us. We have super fast broadband download speed of 350 Mb. We have also linked the hub directly the router. 

[Paul5550]

Speak to your ISP, tell them the problem and confirm your connnection has no issues. Power down all devices connected to your router so that the puck is the only device drawing data. Update the software on your TV. If the puck still doesn't work, it must be faulty. I did all this and convinced Sky to send me a replacement puck. The replacement worked straight away and has been rock solid ever since.   

[Paul5550]

I should add that I have 80Mb full-fibre, measured at 73Mb via theNetflix App on the puck.

My router is not hard-wired and beams through one stud wall. The router is 2m higher than the puck.

[KWilson2]

Sky stream is driving me bonkers. Some days its fine some days it freezes constantly. I have tested internet speed, plugged in an ethernet cable, my router is close to the puck, nothing seems to make a difference. The premium channels are signifcantly worse. For example I can watch BBC ITV etc all day long then try to watch a film on Sky Cinema or Football/F1 on Sky sports and suddenly the boxes freezes randomnly. I've restarted the puck at least 10 times during a football match before. Apps like Netflix etc all work fine. 

[BenJoBanjo]

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@KWilson2 wrote:

Sky stream is driving me bonkers. Some days its fine some days it freezes constantly. I have tested internet speed, plugged in an ethernet cable, my router is close to the puck, nothing seems to make a difference. The premium channels are signifcantly worse. For example I can watch BBC ITV etc all day long then try to watch a film on Sky Cinema or Football/F1 on Sky sports and suddenly the boxes freezes randomnly. I've restarted the puck at least 10 times during a football match before. Apps like Netflix etc all work fine. 

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If you've tried connecting via ethernet (and turned WiFi off) and it's still being problematic then it might be worthwhile asking for a puck replacement from Sky. 

Stream requires a lot more involvement from the customer than Q in terms of providing a good enough network environment for the service to function. If you believe you are providing a fast and stable enough broadband network connection and it's still not working then the next thing to try is a new puck. 

Frustrating, I know, but worth trying. 

[lettice]

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@KWilson2 wrote:

Sky stream is driving me bonkers. Some days its fine some days it freezes constantly. I have tested internet speed, plugged in an ethernet cable, my router is close to the puck, nothing seems to make a difference. The premium channels are signifcantly worse. For example I can watch BBC ITV etc all day long then try to watch a film on Sky Cinema or Football/F1 on Sky sports and suddenly the boxes freezes randomnly. I've restarted the puck at least 10 times during a football match before. Apps like Netflix etc all work fine. 

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Your statement 'my router is close to the puck' stands out.

Having a router close to any equipment, like TVs, computing equipment, radiators, especially something like a Sky Glass TV or Sky Stream device can or will cause interference issues for both the router and especially in your case a Sky Stream Puck.

Your router should ideally be a minimum of six feet away from any such device within the same room.

Also, the Sky Stream box should for stability be placed as follows, often seen as an intermittent blip;

Make sure you have a good 6-8 inches free on all sides of the puck.
Do not stack the puck on top of any other device.
Best not to sit it on a glass shelf. Wood is generally the best.
Make sure the puck is in the open, not tucked away in a cabinet or sat directly behind the TV.
Make sure you have no other devices that can cause interference closeby, like cordless phones, radiators, baby monitors, smart meter in home displays, microwaves and the like.
You should be using the Sky supplied hdmi cable or a high speed equivalent one.

Plus, change both your pucks to following recommended settings set in Settings>
Turn wifi OFF under Network if connected via ethernet. If making a change from wifi to Ethernet or back from Ethernet to wifi, do a Sky Stream Puck settings restart after making the change.

Best way to test how well your Sky puck is performing is via a network speed test on each of your Pucks.
Launch Netflix on your pucks (you do not need to be logged into it, if you do not use netflix) and scroll down the left menu to Get help.
Choose Check Network.
Would suggest running the test a few times, over say a half hour period during tests or at busy viewing or household internet usage times.

[KWilson2]

I shall try all the above this weekend! F1 race on Sunday. Router is clear line of sight from puck 5 metres away, so not overly close. Thank you