How to fix YouTube TV Playback Error

Are you experiencing the Playback Error on YouTube TV? This error is reported to occur across different devices, including TV and computers. What is this error, and how you can fix it, let us check out this post.

What does playback error mean?

A playback error basically means that the streaming service or your media player is having trouble playing a video. The Playback Error on YouTube TV shows the “An error occurred. Please try again later” error message. There can be other error messages that are shown with this type of error. Now, this error could be caused due to your internet connection, or maybe the video content is corrupted. There can be various other reasons for the same error. Let us find out in this post.

Why does YouTube TV keep saying playback error?

The main reason behind the Playback error on YouTube TV is a weak internet connection. If your internet is slow or doesn’t have the recommended speed to stream high-quality videos on YouTube TV, you will face a playback error. Apart from that, this error could be triggered if you have exceeded the maximum number of devices to log into your YouTube account. Corrupted browser cache, problematic web extensions, outdated web browser, location restrictions, and outdated/corrupted YouTube TV app can be other reasons for the same error.

How to fix YouTube TV Playback Error

If you are experiencing Playback Error on your YouTube TV, here are the methods you can use to troubleshoot the error:

1. Make sure your internet connection is stable and active.
2. Close and restart the app.
3. Log out of YouTube TV from other devices.
4. Power cycle your TV.
5. Clear browser cache and cookies.
6. Disable extensions in your browser.
7. Update your web browser.
8. Check your password.
9. Use a VPN.
10. Update or reinstall YouTube TV.
11. Update Widevine CDM Component in Chrome.

1] Make sure your internet connection is stable and active

A weak or unstable internet connection is the most common reason for the Playback Error on YouTube TV. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, check your internet connection and ensure you are connected to a reliable network connection.

YouTube requires a good speed internet to watch videos online. If your internet is laggy and doesn’t meet the recommended speed, you will experience Playback Error on YouTube. Here are the recommended speeds to watch different quality videos on YouTube:

• 25 Mbps + for 4K videos.
• 7-13 Mbps + for HD videos.
• 3 Mbps + for SD videos.

You can check your internet speed and if it is slower than above recommended speeds, contact your internet service provider (ISP) and upgrade your internet plan.

2] Close and restart the app

Generally, restarting the app fixes the error if there is a temporary glitch. So, close the YouTube TV app completely and then restart the app to check if the Playback Error is fixed or not. If you are facing this issue is a web browser on your PC, relaunch your browser and see if it helps.

3] Log out of YouTube TV from other devices

YouTube TV lets you stream videos from a maximum of three devices simultaneously. If you exceed this limit, you are going to get a Playback error on the 4th device you are using. If that is the case, you will face the following error message:

Playback error
YouTube Tv is playing 3 devices, which is the limit. Pause one of your family’s devices to watch here.

Hence, if the scenario is applicable, sign out of YouTube TV from multiple devices except for the primary one that you are currently using. In case your family or friend are using your account, make sure they are logged out or are not online on YouTube TV. This will resolve the error for you.

Read: Fix common YouTube Upload errors.

4] Power cycle your TV

Performing a power cycle on your device is an effective way to resolve such errors. It will clear the cache and resolve temporary system errors. So, power cycle your TV and check if the error is resolved. Here’s how:

• First, shut down your TV and unplug it from the socket.
• Now, wait for at least 60 seconds.
• Next, connect the power cords of your TV and turn it on.
• Finally, open YouTube TV and see if the error is fixed.

See: YouTube Audio renderer error, Please restart your computer.

5] Clear browser cache and cookies

If this YouTube TV error is triggered in your web browser, clear your browser cache and cookies and check if it works. It could be old or corrupted browsing data causing the Playback error on YouTube TV. So, delete your cache and cookies and then see if you can watch YouTube TV content without this error.

Google Chrome:

• First, press the three-dot menu button present at the top-right corner of your Google Chrome browser.
• Now, go to the More tools and click on the Clear browsing data option. Or, you can simply press the Ctrl+Shift+Delete shortcut key to select this option.
• Next, set the Time range to All time and tick the checkboxes called Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
• Lastly, hit the Clear data button and relaunch Chrome to check if the error is fixed or not.

Microsoft Edge:

• First, tap on the Settings and more i.e., the three-dot menu button available at the top right corner of Edge.
• Now, click on the History option or you can simply press the CTRL+H hotkey.
• Next, you will see a three-dot menu button in the appeared History panel; click on it and then select the Clear browsing data option.
• After that, select Time range as All time and enable the checkboxes called Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
• Finally, tap on the Clear now button, restart Edge, and open YouTube TV to check if the error is resolved.

See: You’re offline, Check your connection on YouTube.

6] Disable extensions in your browser

A problematic or suspicious third-party web extension might be causing the Playback error on YouTube TV in your browser. To check the same, open YouTube TV in the incognito or inPrivate tab and check if you are able to stream videos on YouTube TV without this error. If yes, you can go ahead and disable extensions in your web browser to fix the error. Let us check out how.

Google Chrome:

• First, open Chrome and press the three-dot menu button.
• Now, go to the More tools option and select Extensions.
• Next, disable the toggle associated with an extension or click on the Remove button to permanently uninstall it.

Microsoft Edge:

• First, open your Edge browser and press the Settings and more button.
• Now, click on the Extensions > Manage extensions option and disable suspicious web extensions or remove them.

Read: YouTube not working on laptop.

7] Update your web browser

If you are using an outdated version of your web browser, you are likely to face performance issues and such errors. Hence, update your web browser to its latest version and check if the error is fixed.

8] Check your password

If you have recently changed your YouTube password but haven’t updated it on your device, re-enter your password to fix the issue.

9] Use a VPN

You might receive the Playback error on YouTube TV if the content is restricted in your region. So, if the scenario applies, you can try using a VPN to bypass geo-blocking.

Read: YouTube not connecting to AdSense; Error AS-08, AS-10 OR 500.

10] Update or reinstall YouTube TV

If your YouTube TV app is not up-to-date, this error will likely trigger. Hence, update your YouTube TV app to its most recent version and check if the error is gone. If not, try reinstalling the app to fix the error as the app might be corrupted.

11] Update Widevine CDM Component in Chrome.

Are you getting the following error message with Playback Error on YouTube TV?

Playback Error
Sorry, there was an error licensing this video.

If so, you can try updating the Widevine Content Decryption Module (CDM) component in Chrome to fix the error.

Widevine Content Decryption Module (CDM) component enables you to play DRM-protected content and is built into Chrome. If you are experiencing playback errors on YouTube TV when playing such types of videos, updating the Widevine CDM Chrome Component is an effective fix. Here are the steps to do that:

Firstly, open your Chrome browser and delete your browsing data. Once done, terminate Chrome and ensure that no related process is running in the background using Task Manager.

After that, open the Run command box using the Win+R hotkey and type & Enter C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application in its Open box. The address may differ depending on the folder where you have installed Chrome on your PC.

Now, double-click on the version number folder to quickly open it. Next, clear the folder called WidevineCdm.

Now, again open the Run command box using Win+R, and in the Open field, enter the following command: C:\Users\<YOUR-USER-NAME>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data. In this command, enter your username in place of <YOUR-USER-NAME>.

In the opened location, remove the WidevineCdm folder.

Next, relaunch Chrome, and in the address bar, enter chrome://components. Look for Widevine Content Decryption Module and click on the Check for update button.

Once the update is completed, restart Chrome and open YouTube TV to see if the Playback Error is resolved or not.

Now read: Fix YouTube audio out of sync.