By all things being equal I mean: A fast internet connection (>50mbps), a properly configured IPTV app, an Ethernet-wired box, and a paid IPTV service. Meaning, no obvious variables on the user end that could be affecting network speed.
Is buffering expected even with this scenario? How often, how much? Is there a tangible difference between budget and premium IPTV services?
None.
I pay for a high end service and haven’t seen it buffer in the last 5 months
I use 2 services - 1 is around $11AUD and the other is $8.50AUD per month.
Internet is 75mbps most of the day.
Most UK channels for me work for hours without buffering although sometimes I need to swap providers.
Most US channels buffer to the point I don't bother with them but there are some I like to watch that are fine.
Australian channels don't buffer but that's not surprising given I'm in Australia.
VPN can sometimes help as well but I'm looking to experiment with Cloudflare DNS rather than my ISP (thanks Telstra for providing a router that doesn't let you change DNS servers!!)
On the whole my buffering isn't too bad for what I want to watch.
Buffering during PPV sporting events, and probably football ⚽️, and when that Dragon Show reappears is acceptable and known to happen.
Otherwise, there are definitely services for around $5-$8 a month that have very limited buffering and typically outperform some of those high dollar Premium services.
Think the key is a willingness to compromise super HD picture for less buffering. The two services I’ve kept for past 9 months ....buffer maybe once every couple weeks or a channel will loop. Most of the time, this distraction happens and then continues on without another episode.
I’ve tried about 20 services in past 18 months. I’d say pick two services for $5 and then do one trial every month or so to see if there’s anything better out there.