# HTTP streaming: setting low buffertime has no effect

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/http-streaming-setting-low-buffertime-has-no-effect/291117>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [June 24, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/http-streaming-setting-low-buffertime-has-no-effect/291117 "2009-06-24T21:23:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![savetheworld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@savetheworld](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/savetheworld)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/http-streaming-setting-low-buffertime-has-no-effect/291117/1 "2009-06-24T21:23:10Z")

</div>

I have an http streaming .mp4 file that is encoded to 300kbps. The file size is 2.9mb and the play time is just over one minute.

I want to set the buffertime to a low number so the video starts playing almost immediately, but whether or not I set the buffertime to 6 or do not set it at all (which should put it at the default of 0.1) it still completely buffers the entire video before starting play back.

Is there I am missing about http streaming and buffertime?

PS This happens with my own player AND the flash cs3 FLVplayback (I changed the file name to .flv for this one.)

Thank you!