What would you do if your live stream starts buffering every 10 seconds? - devrath/MediaAlchemySuite GitHub Wiki

Buffering every 10 seconds often indicates a mismatch between playback speed and bandwidth.

Debugging it

Step	Action	Why
1️⃣	Check bandwidth vs bitrate	Ensure network can handle the video bitrate (e.g., 3 Mbps stream on 2 Mbps connection = buffering)
2️⃣	Enable adaptive bitrate	Use HLS/DASH + DefaultTrackSelector to let ExoPlayer switch to lower quality
3️⃣	Verify buffer settings	Ensure enough buffer duration using LiveConfiguration.targetOffsetMs (e.g., 3–5s behind live)
4️⃣	Add CustomLoadErrorHandlingPolicy	Retry gracefully on 404s, 500s, or connectivity drops
5️⃣	Use analytics to track rebuffer events	Log via AnalyticsListener.onPlaybackStateChanged() when STATE_BUFFERING occurs
6️⃣	Optimize CDN edge or segment delivery	Ensure segments are not slow to deliver or missing
7️⃣	Inspect live window and latency settings	Avoid playing too close to the live edge without enough buffer (e.g., <2s offset)

Summary

If a live stream buffers every 10 seconds:

🔄 Back off from the live edge

📉 Let ExoPlayer adapt bitrate

📈 Increase buffer

📊 Monitor bandwidth + rebuffer metrics