Hulu Not Working On Shield TV: How To Fix [2023]

Hulu has always been my go-to service to watch whether on my couch or in bed late at night. From watching movies from my childhood to news from around the world, Hulu has always been there for me.

Enough said, things are not always perfect as they seem to be.

Hulu does give a headache now and again, either by giving a hard time with AV sync issues or by showing the infamous error code P-DEV 320.

The cause of such error codes can range from network issues to downtime of the Hulu servers.

To fix the Hulu app not working on Shield TV, check the network connectivity and make sure both the Shield TV and Hulu app are on the latest available versions. Power cycle and factory reset the Shield TV if problems persist. Alternatively, try disabling ad blockers, WiFi roaming, and turning off AI scaling.

Here are the best possible fixes you can try to solve this issue:

Check Network Connectivity

Having a proper connection and speed to match the requirements is essential to a good streaming session.

Hulu recommends a minimum speed of 1.5 Mbps(SD) and an ideal speed of 3 Mbps(HD) for a seamless stream.

If you are looking to stream live channels, a speed of 8 Mbps is recommended. 4K streaming requires at least 16 Mbps speed for jitter-free streaming.

If you have issues with buffering or jitters, your internet may be slow.

Check your internet speed by using a speed tester software or app on your Shield TV or smartphone.

If the speeds are not up to the mark, you may want to restart your router/modem and try again.

Try refreshing your connection by disconnecting and connecting again by following these steps:

1. On the Home Screen, open Settings.
2. Select Network and then WiFi.
3. Disconnect your connection and try connecting again after you restart the router/modem.

Another tip is to use an Ethernet cable connection from your modem to the Shield TV. Wired connections don't have the connectivity interference problems of a wireless connection and can provide constant speed.

Using a VPN on Shield TV

If you are using a VPN on your Shield TV, you could try switching it off and accessing Hulu after doing so.

Using a VPN may reduce your speed and cause latency fluctuations which may affect your streaming.

Open the app from the app menu and turn it off. Alternatively, you could try to force-stop the app from being active in the background. Follow these steps:

1. In the Settings menu, open Apps.
2. Select See all apps.
3. Click on the VPN app.
4. Select Force Stop.

If it's absolutely necessary to use VPN software, try using a different VPN software and try again.

Check for Downtime

One of the common reasons for the error code P-DEV 320 (P-DEV 318, P-DEV 322) is the servers being taken down.

Whether intentionally or due to unpremeditated reasons the servers do go down but infrequently. Hulu might take down their servers to perform routine maintenance or for backing up their servers.

In either of the cases, the only remedy is to wait it out.

To check the status, you can use a downtime tracking app like the Downdetector. You can also check the official social media handles of Hulu for any updates.

Find more about internet issues on Shield TV on Internet issues on Shield TV.

Update your Shield TV

An outdated version can make any app prone to bugs and errors.

It is always recommended to run your device and the apps in the most current version available.

If you are running Hulu on an older version, you may have seen the error codes, abrupt stops in video playback, and even login issues.

Running your Shield TV on an older version can cause problems not only with Hulu but also with the Shield accessories like the remote. You can find more about this here.

To update your Shield TV simply follow these steps:

1. In the Settings tab, click and open Device Preferences.

2. Then click on About.

3. Select System upgrade to manually search for updates and install them.

To update your Hulu app, follow these steps:

1. On the Home screen, open the Play store.
2. On the Menu tab, click and open My apps.
3. Scroll and find the Hulu app.
4. On the app page, click on Update.

A routine check for updates is always recommended.

Refresh Hulu

If you are having problems like AV sync issues and random freezes among other problems, logging out and re-logging in could be the solution.

A bug from a recent update or redundancy resulting from being left unused for a period of time could cause a hindrance.

You can log out of Hulu by doing so in the app itself or you could remove the device from the allowed device list.

To log out of the app, follow these steps:

1. In the Hulu app, click on the Account icon.
2. Scroll down and click on Log out
3. Select Log out of Hulu.

To remove your device(Shield TV), follow these steps:

1. From your smartphone or PC browser, go to secure.hulu.com/account and log in.
2. Select Manage Devices and select Shield TV.
3. Click on Remove to log out of the device.

After logging out, try logging back in and see if you can stream properly.

Clearing Hulu App Cache

Aside from re-logging your app, you can clear the cache memory of the Hulu app to remove any bugs that can come from wasted memory.

To clear the cache, follow these steps:

1. In the Settings tab, click and open the apps menu.
2. Select See all apps and open up the Hulu app.
3. Click on the Clear cache to clear the piled-up memory.

Give your Shield TV a quick restart and try streaming after doing so.

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Hulu

You can also reset your app by deleting it and reinstalling it to remove any bugs and reset any altered settings.

To uninstall your Hulu app from the Shield TV, use these steps:

1. In the Apps menu, click on See all apps.
2. Select the Hulu app tile and open it.
3. Click on uninstall and confirm it to remove the app.

After you have successfully deleted the app, you can download it again from the Play store. Check whether you can stream properly or not.

Power Cycle Test

Electronic devices like computers and network servers can sometimes turn stagnant and freeze abruptly.

The reasons for such abrupt halts can be because of overheating or insufficient memory.

The same applies to the Shield TV. Running on and on for hours and hours can cause the system to freeze or stop responding abruptly.

Your Router/Modem may also benefit from a few seconds of off time to reset the internet protocols(IP) meaning refreshing your connection.

Simply unplug your devices(Shield TV and Modem/Router) and plug them back in after about 30 seconds. Turn your device back on and check for any issues.

Remember to not perform this process frequently because it can be harmful to your device.

Factory Resetting Shield TV

From all my experience, the absolute last thing to try while troubleshooting is to factory reset the Shield TV.

This is because of one and only thing, a factory reset will erase all your personal preferences and delete all your installed apps.

That said, a reset may help you get rid of all the temporal bugs and stale files that usually remain in the system even after you uninstall the app associated with the file.

This may be the reason for the hindrance you experience while accessing Hulu.

To Reset your Shield TV follow these steps:

1. In the Settings menu, click and open Device.

2. Then select Storage.

3. Click on Factory reset.

4. Confirm by clicking Factory reset.

5. Select Erase everything.

After the process is complete, configure your Shield TV and install the Hulu app from the play store. Check if you face problems anymore.

Other Fixes

If nothing above worked for you, try one of these unorthodox fixes that I found out:

Do remember these are not assured fixes that have yielded results for everyone. Some of these changes may lead you to change your preferences. Nevertheless, try giving it a go.

Disable WiFi Roaming

Users who face AV sync issues and other playback issues have reported that turning off WiFi roaming has helped them stream better.

To disable WiFi roaming, go to Settings>Network & Internet Settings>Disable WiFi Roaming.

Turn Off AI Upscaling

One of the USPs of the NVIDIA Shield TV is its AI upscaling feature, which upscales a lower-quality stream into higher-quality content.

But, it's not the perfect feature to use. Users agree that disabling this feature has resulted in better streaming.

To disable it, go to Settings>AI upscaling>Basic.

Disable Adblockers

Ad blockers are very handy in filtering out unwanted ads from your various websites.

But it can also sometimes block unnecessary content. Try disabling any Ad blocking software you have installed and then try to stream Hulu.

Conclusion

Hulu has always been dependable for streaming content anytime, anywhere. With the Shield TV, you can now stream in crisp 4K for that premium feel.

But due to unfortunate circumstances and unpremeditated reasons, we might encounter some potholes along the way.

If none of the above-mentioned fixes seem to help you, try contacting the customer services of Hulu and NVIDIA.

If you know of any other remedies, let me know.

You might also want to check the Upscaling feature on the Shield TV. Find more about this on Upscaling issues on the Shield TV.

Happy streaming!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I force Hulu to play 1080p?

In order to change the streaming quality, click on the settings menu in the control bar of any video you're currently watching and try changing the quality there. Bear in mind that changing the resolution will affect the data usage.

Does streaming Hulu use a lot of data?

On a regular quality streaming basis(SD), about 0.6 GB will be consumed per hour. In the case of HD streaming, about 1.3 GB.

Live TV will cost you about 3.5 GB per hour and 4K streaming will require about 7 GB per hr.

Can you get local channels on Hulu?

If you have a Hulu+Live TV subscription you can access a wide range of local broadcasts provided by various broadcasting networks like ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS.

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