Why Your Video Calls Glitch and What You Can Actually Do About It
Glitchy Video Calls Could Ruin Your Life, Literally
We’re not exaggerating. One study↗ found that people appearing via low-quality video were less likely to be granted parole. They also found people were less likely to believe a sales pitch or hire someone if their video glitched. We’ve said it for years, and now it’s proven, when you’re on screen, whether in court, on a sales call, or in a job interview, how you come across matters.
(And while we can’t stop you from showing up as a cat on Zoom, we can help with the freezing and glitching.)
If you’re pitching clients, negotiating contracts, or even meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time over Zoom, you’ll want to read on.
Glitch Happens, But Why?
Three main culprits get in the way of smooth, real-time communication. But first, a quick review of how data actually moves.
In order to travel efficiently and smoothly, data gets broken up into smaller “packets.” Photos, emails, videos, whatever is traveling over the Internet is broken up into hundreds or even thousands of byte-sized bits of information.
Each packet is essentially given a “postage stamp”, “return address,” and “sequence number” and sent on its way.
Each packet will take the most efficient route. One packet might route through Chicago, another through Minneapolis, and ideally, they’ll both get to the destination in the same order and just milliseconds apart. Think of it like a huge, high-speed Internet roundabout. Efficient, but sometimes chaotic.
Check out this video to learn more.
Here’s Where the Chaos Can Crack Your Calls
Latency
What it is: Delay. Your packets are taking too long to reach their destination.
What it feels like:
- Talking over each other
- Awkward silences
- Freezing video
- Choppy audio
- Delayed reactions
Packet Loss
What it is: Some of your packets never make it to the other side.
What it feels like:
- Pixelated or frozen video
- Blurry or missing words
- Robotic voices
- Echo, echo, echo…
Jitter
What it is: Your packets are arriving out of order or at uneven intervals.
What it feels like:
- Bursty, skipping audio
- Jumping or stuttering video
- Speeding up and slowing down randomly
How Business-Class Symmetrical Fiber Solves This
Think of Bandwidth like the Beltline
You know how unpredictable the Beltline can be. Sometimes it moves, sometimes it crawls, and sometimes it’s bumper-to-bumper from Todd Drive all the way to Stoughton Road. That’s a lot like using a traditional, shared Internet connection (think cable, DSL, fixed wireless, or shared fiber), especially during peak hours.
As we covered earlier, data travels in small chunks called packets. Think of these packets like cars on a road. When the network’s congested, packets get delayed, rerouted, or lost altogether (ok, that doesn’t happen as much to cars, but you get the idea). That’s when you notice glitchy video calls, robotic voices, and those awkward, frustrating delays.
Fiber Internet—especially symmetrical fiber—completely changes the travel experience. It’s like leaving behind bumper-to-bumper traffic and switching to the flex lane… except no one else is allowed in, and you’ve got your own dedicated off-ramps. The speed is faster, consistent and there’s no jostling for space, no random slowdowns.
That said, even in the flex lane you can hit a few bumps. No Internet connection is perfect 100% of the time. But symmetrical, dedicated fiber is purpose-built for real-time communication and performance-heavy tasks, making it a much more reliable choice for quality video calls.
4 Simple Tips that Might Fix the Glitch
1. Plug In
Wired Ethernet is better. Wi-Fi is prone to interference, especially in dense buildings, or when multiple people are online.
2. Close Those Tabs
If you’re one of those people with three windows open with 20 tabs on each window, close that down. All that information processing is slowing down your system. And close down unused apps while you’re at it.
3. Update Your Video Software
The updates always come when you’re hopping on a call 30 seconds before your start time, but after the meeting, take the two minutes to update that software.
4. Don’t Compete with Yourself
Running a video call while your device is also downloading massive files or syncing with the cloud? You’re creating your own traffic jam. Try to schedule large downloads, system updates, or backups outside of meeting times to keep your packets moving smoothly.
Final Thoughts on Conquering Quality Video Calls
Video calls comprise a significant portion of our business meetings today. It’s more important than ever to have a symmetrical, dedicated fiber Internet connection that doesn’t compromise your reputation. Increase your odds for success with a supra connection.
Check now to see if your office building already has SupraNet Fiber HERE!
