Video quality applies to the Nest Hub Max, which streams from its camera and can show other cameras on its screen. Google's bandwidth article explains that Nest cameras adjust resolution to the connection, and independent summaries give about 5 Mbps of upload for 1080p, 0.5 to 1 Mbps for 720p and under 0.5 Mbps for 360p or no stream. Improve quality by testing upload speed, moving the display or router closer and turning off other heavy devices.
The checks in more detail
Google's video quality setting can be lowered or raised to fit your bandwidth. Clean the camera window with a soft dry cloth, since fingerprints blur the picture, and avoid pointing it at a bright window that causes backlight. Live view of other cameras on the display depends on those cameras' connections and on the display's own wifi, so a blurry doorbell feed on the screen may be the doorbell, not the display. For calls or Duo-style video, the same bandwidth applies. Restart the display and check for updates.
If the picture is bad only on the display and fine on the phone, the display's wifi or its screen is the cause. The other models have no camera, so this symptom applies to the Hub Max and to camera feeds shown on displays. Compare the display's feed with the phone's live view of the same camera to see which is at fault. Fingerprints on the camera window look like a soft picture, so wipe it before adjusting anything.
Set quality for the busiest time of day, not the quietest. Look at the feed at different times of day, because a camera pointed east looks fine in the evening and washed out at sunrise, and the fix is the angle rather than any setting. On the Hub Max, compare a video call with a Nest Cam feed on the same connection, since a fault that affects only one of them points at the app or camera and not at the display.
Differential
Likely causes of “Nest displays and smart speakers video is blurry, dark, frozen or delayed”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Low upload speed
What separates it The video is blurry or choppy because the upload speed of the connection is low
How to confirm Raise the speed of the connection, or lower the video quality so that it needs less
- 2
A weak wifi signal
What separates it The video stalls on the display because its wifi signal is weak
How to confirm Move the display closer to the router, and reduce the obstacles between them
- 3
A dirty camera window
What separates it The picture is blurry because the camera window is dirty
How to confirm Clean the camera window with a soft cloth, taking care not to scratch it
- 4
Backlight
What separates it The person in view looks dark because there is strong light behind them
How to confirm Change the angle of the display, so the strong light is not directly behind the person
- 5
A weak feed from another camera
What separates it A doorbell looks blurry on the screen because that camera has a weak connection
How to confirm Fix that camera's connection, since the display shows what the camera sends it
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The video quality setting chosen in the app
- The upload speed measured on your internet connection
- Whether the picture looks better on your phone
- A screenshot showing how the picture looks
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedTest upload speed
ReversibleTest the upload speed and compare it with the speed that the camera needs to stream video.
Set the video quality
ReversibleSet the video quality in the app, choosing a lower setting if the connection is slow.
Move the display or router
ReversibleMove the display or the router closer together, to improve the signal that the display receives.
Clean the camera window
ReversibleClean the camera window with a soft cloth, and check that nothing is smudged on the glass.
Change the angle
ReversibleChange the angle of the display to avoid strong backlight, which leaves the subject dark.
Compare with the phone
ReversibleCompare the picture with the one on the phone, to isolate whether the display is the problem.
Contact Google
ReversibleContact Google if it persists, and give them a screenshot and the time that it happens.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Hub Max
- The only display with a camera.
- Feeds
- Other cameras show on the display over wifi.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If quality stays poor on a good connection, contact Google Nest support
- !If only the display is poor, check its wifi
- !If a feed is poor, fix that camera
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Speed needs.
Video quality settings.
Hub Max as a camera.
Speaker and display wifi steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Does the camera adjust?+
Yes, the camera adjusts the quality to fit the connection, lowering it when the speed drops.
Why is a doorbell feed blurry on my display?+
The blur comes from that camera's own connection, since the display shows what the camera sends.
Can I lower the quality?+
Yes, you can lower the quality in the app, which helps if the connection is slow.
Can fingerprints blur it?+
Yes, fingerprints and smudges on the camera window can blur the picture, so clean it.
Does backlight matter?+
Yes, backlight matters, since strong light behind a person makes them look dark.
Should I compare with the phone?+
Yes, compare with the phone, because it shows whether the problem is the display or the camera.