There are a few reasons why a video session can be choppy, sound bad, or drop altogether. The Data packets being sent to and from each device can get lost in transit.
Run diagnostic tests
If you are experiencing poor video quality, have you and other participants run these diagnostic tests:
- Use Blitzz Network Test to make sure your speakers and camera are all set up and working. Have your participants do it as well, send them to https://networktest.blitzz.co.
Make improvements
If you receive poor scores on the diagnostic tests, here are a few tips both participants can follow to improve video quality during a call:
- Please read this article if you are taking numerous photos during the video call.
- Use a newer computer/phone with plenty of speed. Sending and receiving video takes a lot of computer power. Old or slow computers will have a harder time processing the video, which can cause choppiness.
- Restart your phone/computer. Other software might be using computer power or interfere with your video or microphone. Restarting your computer will assure your computer is ready for video.
- Close unused apps. Close background apps or browser tabs before starting a session to lighten the load on your device, and make more computer power available. Choppy video during a call can also be caused by CPU over-throttling if your computer is handling multiple tasks at a time. You can check by opening Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on macOS. View the CPU tab, and check to ensure it isn't at 85% or more as that could cause issues.
- Move closer to your wifi router, and switch to the 5GHz frequency. This will increase the maximum amount of bandwidth available to your device over a shorter distance.
- Use an ethernet cable connecting your computer to the router. This will provide the most stable connection possible. Both participants will need at least 750kbps to connect on a video call, and we recommend 2mbps for a more stable session.
- Turn off other devices on the same wifi connection are using high bandwidth activities (e.g., Netflix / Youtube / Skype / FaceTime)
- Ensure your router isn't physically obstructed or out of view. Keep it in the open, and the signal will be stronger.
- Hotspot - if you are using a hotspot device to connect to the phone or tablet, it may impact your overal signal strength. Try moving closer to the hotspot and run a speed test.
Minimum Requirements
Check out our minimum system requirements.
Learn more about video quality and the technology Blitzz uses.