When Hulu stops working, BB One of the most common error messages simply states that playback has failed. This message is most commonly seen on streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Fire Stick, consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, and smart TVs from Vizio, LG, and others.
In some cases, Hulu provides you with an error code that can help you track down the problem. When that doesn’t happen, and all you see is the playback failure message, you have to start with the basics, like checking your internet connection, and go from there.
Troubleshooting Hulu playback issues requires different steps for each device you’re streaming from. This guide covers how to do it on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Vizio TVs, and LG devices.
What causes Hulu playback errors?

Hulu playback errors occur when the app on your device is unable to communicate with the Hulu servers, or the Hulu servers are unable to provide a video stream.
Hulu playback errors are usually caused by issues with your device, software, or home network, and can be fixed by following the instructions below. Issues like Hulu audio being out of sync, video getting stuck in buffer, or not playing at all.
In other cases, Hulu playback errors are caused by Hulu issues. This means that if you see a playback error when trying to watch a Hulu video, and everything is fine on your end, Hulu may be experiencing a problem.
When a playback error is caused by a problem with Hulu, all you can do is tell them about the problem and wait for them to fix it.
If you want to rule out issues that you can fix yourself, here are the things you can do when you experience a Hulu playback error on your streaming device:
- Check that your Internet connection speed is fast enough for streaming.
– Hulu videos may stutter, buffer, or not play at all if your internet speed is too low. Slow internet can also cause Hulu audio to be out of sync.
– Normal Hulu videos require 3.0Mbps.
– Hulu With Live TV requires 8.0Mbps.
– If you are not sure about your internet speed, check our guide to check your internet speed. - Restart your device and your network equipment.
– Completely turn off your streaming device and your network equipment and unplug it.
– Leave your equipment unplugged for about a minute.
– Plug your computer back in, turn it on, and see if the Hulu playback error persists. - Switch to a wired connection if possible.
– Try connecting your streaming device to your router or modem with an ethernet cable.
– If the playback error goes away, use a wired connection to stream or change your wireless router to be closer to the device you use to watch Hulu.
– If changing your router isn’t practical, consider switching to a mesh network, which provides wider coverage. - Disconnect other devices from your network.
– If you have many computers, smartphones, game consoles, and other devices connected to your network, the problem could be limited bandwidth. Disconnect devices that you are not using.
– Protect your network and make sure no one connects to it without your knowledge.
– If the playback error goes away, you may want to purchase a multi-band router or a router that allows you to prioritize streaming traffic. - Check your router settings.
– If your router allows you to prioritize certain types of traffic or devices, set it to prioritize the device you’re trying to watch Hulu on.
– Try changing the domain name server (DNS) settings on your router.
– If you’re not sure what DNS is or how to change it, check out our full guide to changing DNS on popular routers.
If you’re still getting a Hulu playback error after trying all of these solutions, then deleting or restarting the Hulu app on your device may help. In some cases, your device may also have an option to check or test your Internet connection.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on the PlayStation 4
If you are trying to watch Hulu on your PS4 and get a playback error, you need to check the status of your internet connection:
- If you have Hulu or any other application open, close it and return to the main XrossMediaBar (XMB).
- Go to Settings > Network > Test Internet connection .
If that works fine, try resetting your system date and time:
- If you have a game or application open, return to the XMB.
- Go to the home screen.
- Find the Hulu app and highlight it.
- Press the Options button on your controller.
- Select Delete from the menu.
- Press OK on the confirmation message.
- Open the Store and re-download the Hulu app. Go to Settings > Date & time > Date & time settings > Set via Internet > Set now .
If that still doesn’t work, try clearing your system cache:During this process do not enter sleep mode. Power off the system completely .
- Turn off the PlayStation 4.
- When the system indicator light has stopped flashing, unplug the console.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
- Reconnect the PlayStation 4 and turn it on.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on the PlayStation 3
If you’re experiencing Hulu playback errors on your PS3, the first thing you should do is check the status of your internet connection:
- If you have Hulu or another app open, close it and return to the main XMB.
- Go to Settings > Network Settings > Internet Connection Test .
If there are no problems with the Internet connection, then try resetting the time on your PS3 system:
- If you have a game or app open, close it and return to the main XMB
- Go to Settings > Date and time settings > Set over the Internet .
If that doesn’t work either, try removing and reinstalling the Hulu app:
- Highlight the Hulu app.
- Press the triangle button on your controller.
- Select Delete .
- Select Yes to confirm.
- Open PlayStation Store and download the Hulu app again.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on Xbox One
If you’re experiencing playback errors on your Xbox One, the first thing you should do is test your console’s internet connection:
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
- Go to System > Settings > General > Network Settings . If there are any known outages, they will be displayed.
- Select Test Network Speed and Statistics and make sure the speed is high enough to stream video from Hulu.
- In network settings , you can also select Current network status to confirm that the Wi-Fi connection is strong enough to reach the router.
If your connection is strong, then try deleting and reinstalling Hulu:
- Go to My games & apps from the home screen .
- Highlight the Hulu app and then press the menu button on your controller.
- Select Uninstall from the menu.
- Confirm by selecting Yes .
- Open the Store , find the Hulu app, and reinstall it.
The next thing you can try is clearing the system cache on your console:
- Turn off your Xbox One.
- Once the console has completely shut down, unplug it from power.
- Leave it unplugged for at least 30 seconds.
- Plug the console back in, turn it on, and check if you still experience playback errors.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on Xbox 360
Before trying anything else, you can fix a playback error simply by signing out of the Hulu app on your console. Here we explain how to do it:
- Open the Hulu app .
- Go to the Account section .
- Select Sign out of Hulu .
- Sign back in and check if you still get a playback error.
The next step is to completely remove the Hulu app and re- download it:
- Go to Settings > System > Storage > All devices > Games & apps .
- Highlight the Hulu icon and press Y on your controller.
- Select Delete .
- Redownload Hulu on your console and check if you still have a playback error.
Fix Hulu playback bugs on Wii U
The first thing to try on the Wii U is to remove the Hulu channel from your console and reinstall it:
- From the Wii U Menu, select System Settings .
- Scroll to select Data Management .
- Select Copy / Move / Delete data or, if you are using an older software version, Move / Delete data .
- Select the Hulu app.
- Choose Delete and then select it once more to confirm.
If that doesn’t work, make sure your Wii U has the latest system update installed :
- From the home screen, open System Settings .
- Select System Update .
- If a system update is available, follow the instructions on the screen to download and install it.
The last thing you can try, if you’re still having a playback error, is to reset the date and time on your console:
- From the home screen, open System Settings .
- Select date and time .
- Make sure the settings are correct.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on Nintendo Switch
The first thing to do if you’re getting Hulu playback errors on your Switch is to run the internet connection test:
- If you have apps or games open, press the home button and return to the home screen.
- From the start menu, go to System Settings > Internet > Test Connection .
- Verify that the internet connection is working and the download speed is sufficient to stream Hulu videos.
If your internet connection is fine, try closing and restarting the Hulu app:
- Press the home button to return to the home menu.
- Highlight the Hulu app and press X .
- Select Close .
- Restart the app and check if you still have playback errors.
The next step is to check for updates to the Hulu app:
- From the home menu, select the Hulu icon.
- Press the + or – button on the controller.
- Go to Software Update > Via Internet .
If you’re still experiencing playback errors, make sure your Switch is up to date:
- Press the home button to return to the home menu.
- Go to System Settings > System > System Update .
The last thing you can try is to uninstall the Hulu app and re-download it:
- From the home menu, select the Hulu icon.
- Press the + or – button on the controller.
- Go to Manage Software > Remove Software .
- Open Nintendo eShop and download Hulu again.
For more information on how to troubleshoot your Switch, check out our complete guide to solving the most common Nintendo Switch problems.
How to fix Hulu playback errors on Roku
If Hulu isn’t working on your Roku, you can remove the channel from Hulu and then add it back through the Channel Store.
- Press the home button on the Roku remote.
- Highlight the Hulu channel.
- Press the star button on the remote to open the options menu.
- Select Delete Channel , and then confirm when prompted.
- Return to the home screen by pressing the home button.
- Go to the Roku channel store and select the Hulu channel.
- Choose Add channel to confirm.
If that doesn’t work, make sure your Roku has the latest firmware installed:
- Open the Start menu on your Roku.
- Go to Settings > System > System update
- Select Check Now .
How to fix Hulu playback errors on Amazon Fire TV
The first thing to try when experiencing playback errors on your Fire TV or Fire Stick is to delete any temporary files that Hulu has stored on your device.
If that doesn’t work, you can try uninstalling and re-downloading the app:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Manage installed apps .
- Select the Hulu app and then Uninstall .
- Follow the additional instructions on the screen to completely remove Hulu.
- Search for Hulu, and then go to Apps & Games to find the app.
- Use Download to redownload Hulu on your Fire TV.
Fix Hulu playback bugs on Apple TV
If you’re getting Hulu playback errors on your Apple TV, there are a few things you can do:
- Check your network settings by navigating to Settings > Network .
- Update your Hulu app by navigating to Settings > System
If you’re getting Hulu playback errors on your Apple TV, there are a few things you can try:
-
-
- Check your network settings by navigating to Settings > Network .
- Update your Hulu app by navigating to Settings > System .
-
For more detailed information on Apple TV issues, check out our full guide to resolving Apple TV issues.
-