topic Re: Frozen iplayer in Broadband

Frozen iplayer

patwoman — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:31:20 GMT

We don't have fibre broadband here, speed check shows 770 Kbps - upload 1.1 mbps. At one time using iplayer was ok unless it was raining or windy.......... In recent months I have been unable to watch iplayer at all except for a picture with continuous pink circle. I've followed all the instructions given by plusnet, turn router off, on, reset etc. etc. etc. but nothing seems to work. I haven't yet tried moving to a new internet provider or taking a hammer to the smart tv. Any suggestions out there please? Plusnet suggests sending a text with a problem but the mobile signal here is rubbish a lot of the time unless I walk uphill away from my house to a minimum of 300 metres.

Re: Frozen iplayer

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:15:10 GMT

Years ago our ADSL long reach connection also degraded over time driving us to Virgin Media as it became available.

The buffering is due to the speed figures being below the minimums for BBC iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/questions/getting-started-with-bbc-iplayer/internet-speed

Any signs of Openreach building FTTP in your locality :
https://www.openreach.com/fibre-checker

If you are thinking about a change of ISP, it is going to take a change of connection method to deliver a speed improvement.

Re: Frozen iplayer

Ian06 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:17:53 GMT

I believe sending the text from your registered mobile number will cause some automatic diagnostics to be run and if it detects a problem cause an investigation with hopefully an Openreach engineer. You should be able to send the text from any location when you get a good signal.

Re: Frozen iplayer

patwoman — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:32:17 GMT

Many thanks

Re: Frozen iplayer

patwoman — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:36:03 GMT

Many thanks for your advice though it seems there is not enough gusto to watch iplayer here.

Fibre Broadband installed in the village but will not be here for 5/6years.

Re: Frozen iplayer

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:31:44 GMT

No FTTP for 5 / 6 years ... where did that info come from ?

By end of January 2027 the Analogue Phone lines will all be ceased. What are you plans ?

Re: Frozen iplayer

Ian06 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:02:57 GMT

I had thought that even when the old pstn analogue telephone network is switched off people may still be using copper lines for their broadband connection... just that the phone will be voip running over the broadband, the copper line would no longer be connected to a pstn analogue exchange but can still remain to carry DSL broadband signals.

@PhilipHeyes - Maybe my info is out of date?

Re: Frozen iplayer

jab1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:29:19 GMT

@Ian06 You are correct - it is only the PSTN which is being decommissioned/switched off.

Re: Frozen iplayer

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:41:00 GMT

@lan06

You correctly mention what is possible, but it does not happen automatically.

Re: Frozen iplayer

jab1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:43:35 GMT

@PhilipHeyes Could you expand on your last comment, please?

Re: Frozen iplayer

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:59:27 GMT

@jab1

I may be wrong but I suspect some perhaps many customers may expect or assume their current
Plusnet internet and phone service will be converted to Plusnet internet and digital voice.

We know that with Plusnet that is not the case, digital voice and VoIP are not Plusnet product offerings of the future.

Re: Frozen iplayer

markhawkin — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:15:31 GMT

@patwoman

On the assumption that there isn't a fault on the line, it sounds like your speed is below the Universal Service Obligation.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/access-to-decent-broadband/broadband-uso-need-to-know

Without new (or mended) infrastructure a different ISP won't be able to improve on the service you get from Plusnet.

The hammer to the smart TV also won't fix your speed problem!

Re: Frozen iplayer

jab1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:31:06 GMT

@PhilipHeyes wrote:

@jab1

I may be wrong but I suspect some perhaps many customers may expect or assume their current
Plusnet internet and phone service will be converted to Plusnet internet and digital voice.

We know that with Plusnet that is not the case, digital voice and VoIP are not Plusnet product offerings of the future.

So - supposition . OK.

Re: Frozen iplayer

PhilipHeyes — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:33:48 GMT

@jab1 take it easy old fellow !

Re: Frozen iplayer

patwoman — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:29:25 GMT

Thank you all for your help/comments and other?

Plusnet informs me that I will never be able to watch iplayer living here, however, its not a matter of life and death and I've no intention of moving so onward and "outward" when my contract should renew in a few months. Thanks to all

Re: Frozen iplayer

mwwagain — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:53:40 GMT

@jab1 wrote:

@PhilipHeyes wrote:

@jab1

I may be wrong but I suspect some perhaps many customers may expect or assume their current
Plusnet internet and phone service will be converted to Plusnet internet and digital voice.

We know that with Plusnet that is not the case, digital voice and VoIP are not Plusnet product offerings of the future.

So - supposition . OK.

Something has to be in place as the automatic / default for ADSL+POTS customers who:

1 - ignore the spammy calls from 01438 989277 trying to slam them over to EE

https://community.plus.net/t5/Everything-else/Calls-from-01438-989277/td-p/2039133

2 - Do not recontract for 'something else' or a different ISP when their contract ends

3 - Are the last few contracts to expire (which month is last ? - I am October 2026) and find all the instal dates are full

I doubt Plusnet would/could just cut them off, yet they cannot just book OR to turn up unannounced and try to fit FTTP regardless

Nor apparently would/could PlusNet supply any of the non-invasive / customer fit product changes (eg to forms of FTTC).

Re: Frozen iplayer

jab1 — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:17:33 GMT

@mwwagain

1) As a non-customer, I obviously, haven't experienced that, and won't, but it is obvious that BT Group would prefer to keep a customer 'in house' and their out-sourced agents aren't going to suggest a customer moves to another provider.

2) I appreciate that there will be a, presumably small, number of people still paying for ADSL/POTS at out-of-contract prices, but there has been plenty of information out there - strangely, not in the mainstream press. One assumes the calls referred to in 1) are intended to mop these up?

3) I am not surprised all the install dates are full - the big change over isn't that far away.

If they haven't moved to FTTC/P by the PSTN by the switch-off date, Openreach - not Plusnet WILL 'cut them off' - the technology will be non-existent.

FTTC - if available - is non-intrusive.

Re: Frozen iplayer

mwwagain — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:04:22 GMT

1 - There is a big difference between 'We are sorry we cannot support you in the future and can arrange to .....' and 'You must change to EE RIGHT NOW or you will LOSE YOUR HOME PHONE FOR EVER'.

2 - Information which even those of us here get the wrong way round at times. But specialist for the interested, not much else. It mainly relies on the suppliers, which for the majority is BT so less of an issue - as long as the kit works. I think I have heard a few radio ads recently

The calls are made on PlusNet instructions, not OR.

3 - I did not say that, and have not looked, but come October or whenever the last 24 month ADSL contracts expire, they might well be.

The switch off is supposed to result in a voice only service, not cutoff, copper 'VOIP' from what reads as an 'exchange ATA' as per note 4 here:

https://www.openreach.com/news/openreach-announces-price-changes-to-encourage-digital-adoption-of-newer-more-reliable-and-better-value-technology/

How that fits with anyone on PlusNet though ?

Re: Frozen iplayer

corringham — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:23:02 GMT

The future plans for customers with Plusnet ADSL is not clear.

ADSL comes with PSTN phone (whether used or not) and when PSTN goes away so does ADSL. There is an ADSL without phone service - which is known as SoADSL - but Plusnet do not offer that (nor do EE, although BT do).

So, unless SoADSL or FTTP is available Plunet won't be able to offer a broadband service to existing ADSL customers.

As for the iPlayer freezing issue, it is unlikely that a sub-USO ADSL service can work satisfactorily with iPlayer. Although the average speed may be just enough to meet the average streaming throughput, many devices (including my TV) wait too long between requesting the next buffer load in the assumption that it will arrive quickly. When the buffer fetch isn't completed by the time the previous buffer worth of video is shown then the video has to pause until the new buffer has arrived.