B Player Playback Settings Explained

B Player works well straight out of the box, so most people never need to touch the playback settings. If you have a soundbar, want smoother motion or have a channel that won't behave, though, Settings → Playback is the place to look. Here's what each option does, in plain English.

Quick answer

• Dolby passthrough: sends Dolby/DTS sound untouched to your soundbar or AV receiver.
• Match frame rate: your TV switches its refresh rate to match the video for smoother motion. The screen may blink once when playback starts.
• Buffer: choose Auto, Fast start or Fewer stalls.
• Prefer software decoding: try this if a channel shows a green or frozen picture.
• Pause live TV (beta): pause and rewind live channels. It's off by default.
• External player: play in another installed video app, such as VLC or MX Player.

How to open Playback settings

1. Select the Settings icon in the top bar.
2. In the left menu, choose Playback.
3. Highlight an option and press OK to change it.

Dolby passthrough

What it does: sends Dolby and DTS sound untouched to a soundbar or AV receiver, which then decodes it.

Turn it on if your TV box is connected to a soundbar or AV receiver that supports these formats and you want it to handle the sound.

Leave it off if sound comes straight from your TV speakers.

Good to know: even with passthrough off, movie sound in Dolby Digital (AC3/E-AC3) and DTS is decoded by the app itself. That means movies still have sound on TVs that can't decode those formats. If you turn passthrough on and lose sound, turn it off again.

Match frame rate

What it does: makes your TV switch its refresh rate to match the video you're watching, which gives smoother motion.

What to expect: the screen may blink once when a video starts while the TV switches. That's normal.

Turn it on if you notice slightly jerky movement, for example during slow camera pans. Turn it off if the blink bothers you.

Buffer

The buffer is how much video B Player loads ahead before and during playback. You have three choices:

• Auto: B Player decides for you. This is the best choice for most people.
• Fast start: channels and videos start more quickly.
• Fewer stalls: loads more ahead, so playback is steadier on a weaker connection.

If channels buffer or freeze, switch to Fewer stalls. If everything plays smoothly but you'd like quicker channel changes, try Fast start.

Prefer software decoding

What it does: decodes the video in software instead of the usual way.

Try it if a channel shows a green picture or a frozen picture while the sound carries on. If it doesn't help, switch it back off.

Pause live TV (beta)

What it does: lets you pause a live channel, rewind ◀, and press LIVE to jump back to the live broadcast.

How to turn it on:

1. Go to Settings → Playback.
2. Switch on Pause live TV (beta). It's off by default.
3. While watching a live channel, press pause or rewind ◀. Press LIVE to catch up.

Good to know: it stores up to about 1 GB on your device while you watch. It's still a beta feature, so if a channel doesn't start, turn it off.

External player

What it does: plays videos in another video app installed on your device, such as VLC or MX Player, instead of B Player's built-in player.

Use it if you already have a favourite video app and prefer its controls. You'll need to install that app on your device first.

Which settings should I change?

• Using a soundbar or AV receiver? Try Dolby passthrough.
• Motion looks jerky? Try Match frame rate.
• Buffering? Set Buffer to Fewer stalls.
• Green or frozen picture on one channel? Try Prefer software decoding.
• Want to pause live TV? Turn on Pause live TV (beta).

If you're not sure, leave everything at its default. You can always come back later.

When it's not a settings problem

Settings can't fix a slow connection. For the best picture, we recommend at least 15 Mbps for HD and 25 Mbps for the best quality, ideally over wired Ethernet or 5 GHz Wi-Fi. If every channel buffers, restart your router and TV box first. If channels won't load at all, reopen the app and then use Settings → Reload content.

Don't have the app yet? Install B Player on your Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV or Android phone.

Need help?

Our team is on WhatsApp and live chat, usually replying within a few minutes, and happy to walk you through any setting. You can also visit /help.