Fixing the Android TV Buffer Loop in Under Five Minutes

Why the loop happens

A buffer loop is almost never a bandwidth problem. It is a resolution problem: the box asks for a stream, the lookup stalls, and the player restarts the request.

Override DNS

Set a static DNS on the box itself rather than the router. Most stock Android TV builds ignore router-level DNS for app traffic.

Network priority

If both Wi-Fi and Ethernet are active, disable Wi-Fi entirely. Android TV will happily route some traffic over the weaker link.

Clear the player cache

Cached manifests go stale. Clearing the player cache after a provider change fixes more problems than reinstalling ever does.