I had buffering problems on Sony BDP-370's Iplayer when I bought it just after Christmas. I don't now - since I got my dongle to register a "100%" signal (see below). I use "high quality". I used to have to switch to "normal" quality to get mostly uninterupted content. Now I use "high quality" and it never buffers despite only having an 8-meg-ish wired connection upstairs and having to pass through a wireless dongle. I personally avoid supposed "HD" content on Bravia/internet - I can't determine the difference in quality between that and "high quality" non-HD.. and it's most likely to cause problems. I've never had a problem with Lovefilm - I've watched three films buffer-free so far. I do think the Bravia Iplayer software needs improving especially as more and more people start to use it. We Tiscali users have been plagued with a much worse problem where it tries to load the web version of iplayer then crashes! From that thread, I've replicated below some tips/workarounds for buffer prolems. Sorry if the tone seems patronising to some - it's written with people like my mum and dad who don't have a clue in mind. But you may find something useful in there...
Problem: when I use Sony Bravia Iplayer, the pictures freezes and that effing circle spins so many times, I find myself running to the kitchen to make a stiff drink before the wife clouts me because apparently this is my fault.
Solutions:
This is to do with "buffering" - when you "stream" a programme.. watch it on the internet without downloading the whole thing.. it downloads enough information so you can watch the bit you are at, and has the bit just ahead of where you are ready, then steadily more as it's needed. If connection or software is slow, the player will come to a point where the information isn't ready, and it will freeze till it is ready. You can get round this is in a number of ways without upgrading your broadband package (and while you wait for Sony and BBC to get their a**ses into gear..)
1) If you are using wireless, you need to optimise your signal. Go to "Set up" - "Internet settings" - then "View network status". The signal strength is half way down, expressed as a percentage. Now, my wired broadband connection upstairs is about 8 or 9 meg (24 meg my a**se!) and I find I need a signal of 97-100% on the dongle to watch the "high quality" (not HD) Iplayer content uninterrupted. Bravia uses "high quality" by default. To achieve that signal, I plugged the USB extension cable that came with the dongle into the back, the dongle into the extension base which gives a bit of movement. If your router is upstairs, generally the higher your dongle is, the better the signal you get. Also crucial is the position of your router and its antenna - and you should experiment with the antenna. Pointing one way, my signal was 45%, pointing the opposite way, it was almost always 100%.
2) If you are having trouble getting a good signal, or your broadband connection is just very cr*p generally, it's time to reduce the amount of information you need to buffer by reducing the quality of the Iplayer programmes. Don't worry - the effect is noticeable to the trained eye, but won't hamper the viewing pleasure of vaguely normal people. From Bravia's Iplayer homepage, go down to "settings" at the bottom, click on it, then scroll down to "video quality" - click on it, then choose "normal". When you have done this click "back" or the return button on your remote till you are back to the home page. Then choose your programme.
3) Another tip, if you're not impatient to get viewing, is to pause your programme at the start for a few minutes (while you make a cup of tea?) to give the buffering a head start. This can make "high quality" viewings less interrupted in my experience. Though since I've got my signal up to 100% give or take, I never need to do this. A combination of steps 1 and 2 should mean you shouldn't need to resort to this. Interestingly though, I've never had buffering problems with Lovefilm because that TESTS your connection and gives you the right settings. This is how it should work (Sony and BBC take note) - people of my mum and dad's generation don't want to be faffing doing signal tests, changing quality settings and doing workarounds. So sort it!
Finally, if all I have said, seems too daunting, get someone with a vaguely tech brain to read this and help you. Once you've been shown, it will be a doddle.
Good luck!!!
Paul.
