Troubleshooting is mostly a matter of not changing things at random. Two of the three components in a playback chain can be altered in seconds, so it is easy to end up with a configuration that differs from the original in six ways and gives no clue which change caused the problem.
The method that works is to identify which component is at fault before changing anything. Test the network, then the player in isolation, then the stream. Each of these is covered below by symptom, because that is how problems actually arrive.
Playback symptoms
BufferingWhy a stream that is supposed to be "fast" still stalls, and how sustained throughput differs from headline speed.In preparation
Freezing and pausingDistinguishing a network interruption from a decoder stall and from a player that has run out of buffer.In preparation
No videoAudio but no picture, and the output settings that cause it.In preparation
No audioThe common cause is an output device the player is not using, not a broken stream.In preparation
Audio and video out of syncWhy this is usually a decode or timing problem rather than a network one.In preparation
Nothing plays at allAn ordered checklist, because "it does not work" covers half a dozen different faults.In preparation
Content and configuration symptoms
Playlist will not loadFormat, encoding, file permissions and transport. The first thing to check is whether the file is valid.In preparation
Programme guide is emptyAlmost always a guide-source problem rather than a playback problem. Playback works while the guide is empty.In preparation
Connection errorsWhat the error actually refers to, and why "cannot connect" is often a DNS or routing issue.In preparation
The application crashesOut of memory, unsupported hardware, and when a crash is a symptom of the device rather than the player.In preparation
Network symptoms
None of this section explains how to bypass an authentication prompt, a device restriction, or content protection. Those are deliberate controls, and an obstacle to them is not a fault to be troubleshot. If a legitimate service refuses to play a channel you have paid for, that is a question for the provider.
