Why is the video choppy or taking a long time to start on NFL Game Pass in the NFL Mobile app?
NFL Game Pass access through the NFL Mobile app works best over 4G and Wi-Fi networks. Slower networks or internet connection speeds can reduce the video quality available in NFL Game Pass on tablet and mobile devices. Contact your ISP or mobile data provider if you suspect you are getting less bandwidth than you should.
My internet connection is much faster than the recommended minimum speeds. Why is my video choppy or low quality?
NFL Game Pass features adaptive playback which dynamically adjusts the quality of the video stream you receive based on the speed of your connection. If your connection speed fluctuates (many factors can contribute to this such as network congestion during peak times and other devices sharing your connection) NFL Game Pass detects this and lowers the quality of the video stream to ensure you can continue viewing the content without interruption. You can override this feature and choose which bit rate NFL Game Pass delivers despite fluctuations with your connection through the following steps:
- Launch NFL Game Pass
- Hover over the "Quality" setting indicator and uncheck "Best Available"
- Manually select a bit rate appropriate for your connection
NFL Game Pass will now stream at the bit rate you chose. If your connection can't handle the bit rate you selected, you may still experience choppiness in the video playback.
If your video playback is choppy with "Best Available" checked in the video quality settings, this may be an issue with your computer's performance. Please try the following:
- Make sure your computer is up to date with the latest patches and your video card's drivers are current
- Disable hardware acceleration as it can cause choppy video playback
- Increase virtual memory as it can improve video playback
- Check your anti-virus or firewall settings to make sure they allow traffic from NFL Game Pass
If you're unsure of how to do any of these things, please consult a qualified computer technician.
I adjusted the quality settings. Why is the video still choppy or low quality?
If you're experiencing choppy or low video quality with NFL Game Pass, please make sure to try accessing with different web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc. If you have the same issues across multiple browsers, please see the following information for troubleshooting tips.
Typically, poor video quality will be related to one of the following things: Internet bandwidth, CPU utilization, or local software or network conflicts (i.e. security app or content filtering/traffic shaping.)
Internet Bandwidth
Make sure you (or others on your network) are not downloading music, movies, or games while you are using NFL Game Pass as these activities consume your bandwidth.
You will need a download speed of 5 Mbps or higher to watch streaming video with NFL Game Pass at the highest available quality. You can use this free online tool to check your Internet connection's speed http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest -- select the New York option as a baseline.
Despite having a fast Internet connection, Internet congestion can slow down the delivery of the stream, make it difficult for you to connect, or cause buffering. Often the interruption is temporary. If you repeatedly have problems connecting, please notify your ISP. There are often quick fixes they can make when they learn about your issue.
Closed networks, such as the ones found on college campuses, hotels, hospitals, businesses, etc., can cause connectivity issues with live streaming video if certain ports are blocked or restricted.
CPU Utilization
If your CPU is running at or above about 75%, you will likely encounter issues with sluggish or choppy video quality.
To check your CPU usage on a Windows computer, press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys simultaneously and then select "Task Manager." Your current CPU usage percentage is displayed under the "Performance" tab.
To check your CPU usage on a Mac OSX computer, launch the Activity Monitor application. Your current CPU usage percentage is displayed under the CPU tab.
If you're experiencing high CPU utilization, close any unnecessary applications which will help save CPU resources. Also, please check your CPU utilization while the media player is running.
Local Software or Network Conflicts
Try disabling any firewall, security applications, or antivirus software that is running. These applications (e.g., Avast, Norton, McAfee), can affect the video quality of streaming video applications like NFL Game Pass.
Adobe Flash Suggestions
To access the Adobe Flash options, launch NFL Game Pass and then right-click anywhere within the video player. In the menu, click on "Settings..." which will open the "Adobe Flash Player Settings."
Along the bottom of the "Adobe Flash Player Settings" menu, you'll see five tabs.
Click the third tab from the left (looks like a file folder with green arrow) and move the slider bar to the right until higher than 100 KB.
Next, click the leftmost tab (looks like a monitor) and then uncheck the box that says "Enable hardware acceleration." If the "Enable hardware acceleration" box is already unchecked, try checking the box.
Clear your browser cache and cookies, relaunch your browser, and check for improvement in the video quality.
Make sure you have pressed the play button for your video and wait a minute or two. If you still cannot play the video then your issue may be due to the following:
Low Memory - if your computer has less than the minimum 512 MB of memory or you are running many applications at the same time, close other applications before playing a video.
Low Bandwidth - it is required that you have either a Cable or DSL modem providing at least 750 kbps download speed. Contact your internet provider if you suspect you are getting less than this speed.
After I sign in and click on a game, I only get a spinning circle. What should I do?
If you're trying to watch a game and you're seeing a continuous loading circle or connection error within the video player, this can usually be resolved by signing out of NFL Game Pass, clearing your web browser's cache, and relaunching the browser.
If you're unsure of how to clear your web browser's cache, please see the below links to instructions for the most commonly used browsers.
Chrome - https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95582?hl=en
Firefox - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
Internet Explorer 11 - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/manage-delete-browsing-history-internet-explorer#ie=ie-11
Internet Explorer 9 - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/how-to-delete-your-browsing-history-in-internet-explorer-9
Internet Explorer 7 & 8 - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/delete-temporary-internet-files
Safari - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH17191
If clearing your browser cache and relaunching does not solve the issue, it may be related to a web browser media player plugin issue, please try the following steps:
Uninstall Adobe Flash Plugin
On a PC, do this through your CONTROL PANEL > ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS
On a Mac, drag Adobe Flash Player from applications to your Trash; or use Finder to locate Adobe Flash Player install manager, and uninstall
Once you have removed Adobe Flash, restart your computer.
Finally, download/install Flash directly from Adobe's website: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
I'm getting a message that my connection speed is insufficient for streaming video but I can still hear audio. What's going on?
If you receive this message in NFL Mobile and NFL Game Pass apps, your connection speed is not currently fast enough to support streaming video. NFL Mobile and NFL Game Pass apps will still play the audio portion of the stream so you can listen without interruption to the game or program you were viewing.
* European users should check out our Game Pass Europe Guide while located within Europe.