Are you stuck figuring out why Prime Video keeps flickering when opening?
Welcome to the club! You’d be surprised at how many people find themselves in the same position every day.
I know this can be really annoying, especially if you have no idea why this is happening or how you can start to address it.
But don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place for answers.
Below, you’ll find a list of several simple steps you can try to fix this problem once and for all.
The 7 steps you’ll need to stop Prime Video from flickering when opening are:
Read on to learn how to leave this issue behind!
The first thing I want us to take a look at is your cables.
For decades now, most streaming devices and gaming consoles connect to TVs and monitors via HDMI. As you may know, ever since this all-in-one audio/video solution was released to the market in late 2002, it has taken the world by storm and has been adopted by most manufacturers.
These days, you can find a good HDMI cable in all lengths, materials, and price ranges.
I know how it can be counterintuitive to think that your cables can become damaged, as they look sturdy and well-built. And while they are, they’re certainly not indestructible.
In fact, things that seem unimportant, such as keeping them tangled or pressed between the back of your TV and the wall at a sharp angle, are more than enough to do them in.
If the damage is total, you should get no image on your screen. But if it’s only partial, it could explain why Prime Video keeps flickering when opening.
Solution: This is much more likely to be the problem if the flickering continues while you’re streaming both on Prime Video and other platforms.
The best way to test this is by using a new HDMI cable a connecting it to your devices. If you no longer get flickering while using the replacement, there’s your answer.
Throw away the suspicious cable and keep using the other one.
If like me, you enjoy using several displays while streaming, you probably mirror your computer’s screen to your TV.
This can be very advantageous, as not only can you have two different displays to work on, but also you get the chance to browse while your favorite show plays in the background.
The best of both worlds, right?
The problem with this is that sometimes, especially when your PC’s monitor has a different max resolution than your TV, you can encounter some flickering when launching apps or playing games.
This won’t damage your components or fry your screens, but it could very well be the reason why you’re currently having these issues.
Solution: I’d recommend using only one display at a time when you’re streaming Prime Video on your PC and mirroring it to your TV.
By using a single display, I’ve managed to end the flickering several times.
Here’s how you can do it:
Turn on your TV and control your PC from there. Once you’re done streaming, you can simply disconnect your HDMI or select your monitor in the “Multiple Displays” option to get the image back on it.
HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range”, and is, in a nutshell, a technology that improves the contrast on your TV.
Let’s say you’re watching a sci-fi movie and there’s a scene where a spaceship with tons of blinking lights is navigating through space. By enabling HDR, the blackness of space will create a beautiful contrast with the brightness of the spaceship’s lights.
Wonderful, I know. But just like any other technology out there, it’s bound to fail sometimes.
If you have HDR enabled and Prime Video keeps flickering when opening or some of the colors on your TV look off, there’s a good chance that the feature is failing.
Solution: To fix this, you can try deactivating HDR on your TV/monitor and see if that solves the problem.
Now, since there are so many different brands and manufacturers out there, if I were to guide you through the process of disabling the technology on each one, we’d be here all day.
And while I don’t mind it, I’m sure you’ve got enough on your plate already!
Instead, please go to Google and search for “How to disable HDR on my <Your Device’s Make And Model Go Here>”. You should be able to find detailed instructions for your specific case.
To give you a general idea of the process, here’s how to do it on Samsung TVs:
Believe it or not, yet another reason why Prime Video is flickering is that the app is not updated.
I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal at first glance, but it can be the cause of many technical issues down the line.
Normally, automatic updating should make this no concern of yours. But sometimes, network interruptions or strict device privacy settings can get in the way.
In that case, you’ll have to manually install the latest version of Prime Video to your streaming devices.
Solution:
For iOS devices:
For Android devices:
You may be prompted with a notification asking for your permission to proceed with the updates. If so, simply accept and be patient.
I know what you’re thinking, “I haven’t had any connection issues in a while, so why now?”.
Ok… granted, Internet service drops have decreased dramatically over the last few years, but they still happen now and then.
What makes diagnosing a bad connection so tricky, is that sometimes, even when you have one, you might not be completely cut off from the internet. In certain cases, you might still be able to do some light browsing or chatting while also having Prime Video keep flickering when opening.
Why? Because of the platform’s requirements.
Texting your friends and family about a job interview will never be as demanding on your network as streaming your favorite content online.
Prime Video needs a minimum speed of 5 Mbps to stream in Full HD resolution (1080p), and a whopping 25 Mbps for 4K (2160p).
Solution: This is only a problem if, in addition to the initial flickering, you keep getting long buffering times or blurry playback, as they’re both signs of a weak signal.
Assuming that none of that is present, you can safely move on to the next section. But if it all rings a bell, this definitely concerns you.
For larger families, I normally recommend having a plan that’s at least 5-6 times faster than your favorite platform’s minimum requirements. For example, if you want to stream Prime Video in Full HD, you’ll need to have a connection ranging from 25-30 Mbps.
If you live alone, you might be able to get away with something slightly slower.
Provided that your current plan is already fast enough, you might want to try calling your provider and asking if they’re having coverage issues in your area. If they tell you everything’s fine on their side of the fence, you could try resetting your modem and see what happens.
If you’ve never done it before, that’s ok! It’s really simple:
Moving on, let’s make sure nothing’s wrong with the platform’s servers.
As you may know, these are responsible for storing important information and providing millions of Prime Video subscribers with the service they expect for the price they pay every month.
Given how crucial they are to its everyday operations, the company has put a lot of effort into making them as resistant as possible.
And while I’m not saying that you should expect server failure every 10 minutes, I’d be lying if I told you that they’ve managed to make them failproof. In fact, things that seem unimportant, such as a bad hard drive, a coding bug, or even minor hacking can greatly impact the platform’s performance.
The telltale signs of these events are subscription verification issues, login difficulties, endless buffering, out-of-sync audio/video/subtitles, and of course, flickering when opening the service.
Solution: Whenever something like this happens, it’s always a good idea to check the real-time status of the platform’s servers.
Luckily, this can be done in a matter of seconds. Here’s how:
Sadly, if the platform’s servers are, in fact, failing, your hands are tied.
That being said, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The IT department over at Prime Video is highly efficient, and to my knowledge, there’s never been an instance where the service wasn’t fully restored within a day.
VPNs are simply amazing.
A couple of decades ago, being able to privately browse the web and enjoy a world of international content sounded like something impossible. But these days, thanks to virtual private networks, it’s all a reality.
… what a shame that streaming companies hate VPNs.
In fact, several of them, like Disney Plus, HBO Max, Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and many more, have been outspoken about their dislike for these, even getting to the point of blocking subscribers who use them and targeting them with poor performance.
And while I don’t agree with these actions, I can understand why they’re in place.
You see, a lot of the content on these platforms is only licensed to be streamed in certain countries and regions. Since VPNs allow people from outside these areas of the world to access said content, streaming companies have to either take action or face dire legal consequences with their partners.
If you can’t live without using a VPN on Prime Video, I’d recommend getting a premium subscription from a provider that offers obfuscated servers.
These will make it much harder for Prime Video to detect your VPN traffic, thus decreasing your chances of being blocked or targeted with poor performance and flickering.
Solution: Before spending your hard-earned money on a brand new VPN subscription, let’s make sure that this is, in fact, the problem.
The best way to do this is by disabling your current VPN provider and streaming without it for a couple of days.
If Prime Video no longer flickers when opening, there’s your answer.
Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about your cache and cookies.
If you have no idea what these are, that’s perfectly fine. A lot of people don’t. But since you’re here, I’d love to take this opportunity to shed some light on the concepts.
Let’s start with the cache.
This is where your favorite apps store important information. In it, you’re likely to find audio, video, preset configurations, user preferences, and sometimes even login credentials.
By keeping this data handy, Prime Video can load much quicker on startup and provide you with an enjoyable experience.
Cookies, on the other hand, are tools used to make your browsing more efficient and increase the accuracy of targeted ads. They’re basically the reason why you’re suddenly bombarded on social media with ads for music lessons right after looking up the best Maplewood neck guitar for beginners.
Normally, leaving them both untouched will do more good than harm. However, sometimes a corrupted file or bug stored within them can cause a lot of problems. This might even be the reason why Prime Video keeps flickering when opening.
In that scenario, you’ll have to clear them.
Solution: You should be able to easily delete your cookies and cache in every major browser and operating system out there. For this example’s purposes, I’ll show you how to do it on Chrome and an Android OS.
On Google Chrome:
On Android devices:
This is completely optional, but you might want to write these steps down, as knowing how to frequently clear your cache and cookies is a good practice that will save you a lot of headaches down the line.
Having Prime Video keep flickering when opening can be really annoying. Especially considering that you’re paying for a monthly subscription and all you want to do is relax.
What a disaster!
Luckily, as I hope you have learned in this piece, addressing most of the causes behind this situation is fairly simple and quick. More often than not, simple actions, like using the right VPN, and double-checking that the platform’s servers are not failing, should do the trick.
Thank you so much for sticking with me all the way to the end. If you found this article helpful, you’ll be glad to know that we upload new content weekly. Make sure to check out all our other incredible resources below to become a Tech Detective yourself!
I wish you all the best.
Detective ‘Gerry’ Molina is one of the most prolific detectives on our TechDetective team. He’s known for his ability to crack down on multitudes of tech crimes on behalf of you – the citizens of the internet. Molina is often the first point of contact for many cases, working to help free victims from the tyranny of tech issues.
