Have you run into a “Playback Renderer Error” on Amazon Prime Video while streaming from a TV, mobile device, Firestick, or iOS device and have no idea how to resolve it?
The Prime Video “Playback Renderer Error” is a common error being faced by numerous Prime Video subscribers.
Regardless of the device on which you are watching Prime Video, the error has been reported across all major devices such as smart TVs, iOS, Android devices, and Fire TV devices.
In my experience it happens when you switch from a show or movie and open the other video after buffering for a while, shortly after the screen appears with the error, and here’s what it says.
““Video Unavailable – we’re unable to play your video right now. Please try again in a few minutes or contact amazon customer service at https://www.amazon.com/contactus. Error code: Playback_renderer_error”“
This is a list of the most common devices where it occurs:
- Mobile Phones (Android)
- Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Hitachi, Philips, Fire TV Edition)
- iPhone and iPads
- Amazon Firestick devices (Firestick, Fire Cube, Fire TV)
No matter which device is used, the “Playback Error” while watching Prime Video triggers for the same reason, which I discovered while recreating this error and troubleshooting it.
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What is Amazon Prime Video “Playback Renderer Error”?
When I was troubleshooting it, I sent emails to Prime Video support mentioning all devices and where and when it happened, and they replied quite late but pointed out that it was a common glitch and gave me several fixes.
I realized by their response that they were unaware of this error and just gave me common fixes like power cycling the device, clearing the app cache, etc. I am not denying that this method works for all common issues.
Still, I was curious and expected a more detailed response as to what causes it and how to prevent it, nevertheless, I found an answer.
Amazon Prime Video “Playback Renderer Error” gets triggered due to server and device incompatibility, or glitch, when your device’s data is not properly synced with Amazon Prime servers via your internet.
Usually, PLAYBACK_RENDERER_ERROR occurs when a Fire TV device, such as Fire TV Stick or Firestick 4K, is used to stream a TV show or movie.
Additionally, users of Samsung smart TV, iOS devices, and Android mobile devices are also affected.
How To Fix Playback Error or Playback Renderer Error On Amazon Prime Video?
Every streaming device or streaming service is susceptible to common glitches and errors from time to time. Common errors like “Playback Error” can be easily fixed by clearing up the device data, resetting the Internet connection, and power cycling the device.
Furthermore, when troubleshooting these common issues, I have seen people perform these steps in hurry in order to resolve the issue quickly and move on to another fix, however that only makes troubleshooting more difficult and you should always perform each step one at a time.
You can correct the Prime Video App Playback Renderer Error using the following steps.
Follow them one at a time and make sure you complete each step exactly in the same order.
- Power Cycle Device
- Clear App Cache and Cookies Data
- Reset Internet Wifi Connection
- Disable Hardware Acceleration
Power Cycle Device
It is usually caused by a minor glitch in the device’s stored data. Since the data from Prime Video gets continuously stored, if it gets glitched, it leads to such errors, and in that case, performing a power cycle cleans the temporary data.
- Disconnect your streaming device from the power source and turn it off.
- Plug the device back in after a few minutes (3-4 minutes).
- Turn on your streaming device and connect to the Internet.
- Launch Prime Video App and play some videos.
Clear App Cache and Cookies
It is possible, however, that the stored data on your device has been glitched to a large extent and needs to be manually cleared by deleting the Cache, Cookies, and other Prime Video App data stored on your device.
Reset Internet Wifi
The Prime Video Playback Error may appear on some videos if your internet connection is not stable or if you are streaming the high quality or 4K prime videos. In that case, you can reset your wifi router or optimize it to improve connectivity.
Wait a few minutes before turning on the wifi back, or else the changes won’t take effect.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Many users have reported that they have been able to solve the problem by reducing the video quality. You can set the video resolution on your Amazon Prime Video account to a lower level.
To lower the video resolution or quality, go to the Video or Display Settings in your Amazon Prime Video app and select lower quality settings.
Hardware acceleration is used by Prime Video to enhance the overall video quality, but if the device is incompatible with high-quality streaming, or if it does not have the DRM certificate, the Playback Renderer Error appears.
To disable hardware acceleration on the Prime Video app, follow these steps:
- Go to the Settings menu in your Amazon Prime Video app.
- Choose My stuff and then choose Stream & Download.
- Look for the “Use hardware acceleration” option and disable it.
Disabling this option will fix your Playback Renderer Error, but the highest video quality will not be possible if your device is not compatible and has DRM certificates.
Wrapping It Up
Prime Video Playback Renderer Error usually occurs due to an app conflict or when an app tries to stream high-definition video on a device that doesn’t support it.
If you follow the guide above, I hope you are able to fix the Playback Error or Playback Renderer Error on Amazon Prime Video App.
To quickly summarize it, Here’s what to do in order to resolve it quickly.
- Do a proper power cycle of your device by waiting for 3- minutes before turning it on.
- Clear the Prime Video App data or reinstall the App.
- Disable the Hardware Acceleration Option on Prime Video App
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Kazhiko Kuro is the Founder of StreamingStash.com. Over a span of 8+ years, He has tested, researched, and written hundreds of articles and guides on how to fix common issues with TVs, streaming media players, streaming services, and related devices. See our Editorial Guidelines and Content Integrity.
MY HUMBLE THANK YOU!!! JACK & OLETA IN WINTER HAVEN, FL
It’s such a pleasure and I am glad it helped you Jack and Oleta!!