We all know the drill, or at least we all know the headaches.

Turn on the smart set, Android, iPhone or tablet, then tune to the streaming service of your choice. Then it begins — the ads, the buffering, the missing episodes (or series), the demand to shell out a few more bucks for something you've already paid for. Those bucks, meanwhile, just keep piling up.

TV will never be the same again because streaming has revolutionized both habits and Hollywood. But that doesn't mean we have to be complacent, either. Streaming offers choices — does it ever — and we have plenty of them at our disposal.

The consulting giant Arthur D. Little recently completed a "customer sentiment" survey which determined "the primary challenge for streaming platforms centers on attracting new users and retaining them — in an environment where consumers are increasingly selective and cost-conscious about their subscriptions." Citing a number of "pain points" — from app performance to pricing — it also determined these customers are increasingly annoyed.

But what can they — or what can you — do?

We are here to help. The following are among the most frequently cited headaches, along with some suggested solutions.

Escalating costs are the single biggest gripe out there — no shocker here. According to Deloitte's 19th annual "Digital Media Trends" report from March, the average subscription bill is $69 per month (not including the more expensive YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live TV and, of course, an internet connection) — a 13% year-to-year increase — while more than half of all subscribers say that's too much. You are perhaps one of them? At least 10 services posted price increases last year, from Fubo (up $5) to Hulu (up $6) to YouTube (up $10). In March, Netflix hit premium subscribers with a $3 hike.

While this seems ridiculously obvious, know what you're paying for (and also know whether it's worth the cost). There are plenty of sites providing guidance and perspective.  

Once you have a good handle on this, you can then proceed with your next move: Which one of these services you want to cancel.

. Churn has been the tool of choice for millions of subscribers. Cancel when you want, then re-subscribe when you want. This is all part of a strategy experts call "rotate and bundle." Jared DiPane, general manager of leading streamer news site The Streamable, said in an email interview, "We have noticed that more and more people are willing to cancel and resubscribe to services on an as-needed basis, based on what shows they are interested in."

That's called "rotating." DiPane adds, "People should also check with their credit card companies and cellphone providers to see if they offer any bundled subscriptions that they may be able to take advantage of."

Black Friday has typically been a good time for deals but you really don't have to wait until Nov. 28 for those. Cord Cutter Weekly, for example, offers this particularly helpful list that's updated frequently.

Meanwhile, there are always the FAST (free ad supported television) streamers, like Tubi and Pluto. But do check out Hoopla and Kanopy — both free and full of great content.

Each night, you settle yourself in your cozy chair, then ask yourself the question millions of others are asking themselves from the vantage of their own cozy chair — what the heck to watch? Where to begin? The task quickly becomes overwhelming. Those algorithm-generated picks are often useless because they're predicated on metrics that are incapable of reading your mind (or preferences). Moreover, the content channels are vague or unhelpful, too, like Netflix's "Need a Good Laugh." (Who doesn't? But with some of these shows?) Fatigue is "A hundred percent a real thing," DiPane says. "Netflix, for example, has such a large library and showcases what they want you to watch."

The boutique, or smaller services like Apple TV+, actually have a "huge advantage" over the giants because it's "easier for people to find new things," DiPane says.

But word-of-mouth is probably the most important solution to this problem. Reach out to someone whose tastes align with yours. There are also very good critic aggregation sites, like Metacritic, to lean on as well.

By the way, an important subset of this problem is something DiPane calls "subscription fatigue" — you're juggling too many subscriptions and renewal notices to keep track of them all. He suggests if you already pay for Amazon Prime then subscribe to streaming services via Prime Video. That way you can easily keep on top of all your subs.

Just under half of all streaming subscriptions are now ad-based, but more than half of all new subscriptions this year are ad-based — which means the phenomenon is growing. Most streaming services (AppleTV+ excepted) now have ad tiers. Simply put, commercials aren't going anywhere. Unlike the password crackdown, this has been a relatively smooth and successful transition for the streamers, which have made the case that if you want to pay less then you'll need to sit through a few interruptions.

The best solution may also be the least palatable (pay more for the ad-free tier) but the experts — like Sri Rajagopal, Arthur D. Little principal and one of the authors of that consumer sentiment survey — argue advertising hasn't become a major pain point for most subscribers, and point to that growth curve as proof. Rajagopal argues,  "It's not a big issue" any longer because some services are "limiting" commercial intrusions, while some also let customers tailor ad preferences. And just like when you used to watch broadcast or cable TV, you can always mute the commercials.

Recent surveys — including the Arthur D. Little one — cited this as a major problem for millions of streaming subscribers. In plain English, this means the show you've been watching faithfully over the past few weeks suddenly drops from your streaming platform — no warning, no explanation, just gone. Such "catalog errors" encompass things like missing episodes, or incomplete seasons. Also maddening: Your quick Google search for that show you really want to finish watching leads you to another streaming site where it's no longer available.

This seems like a good place to remind everyone why streaming revolutionized TV in the first place — freedom of choice and profusion of choice. But such freedom (and profusion) requires diligence, too. Experts like Rajagopal say services "usually do announce in advance when a show is going to be dropped, but if it's something you particularly want to watch, you should track it online so that you know when the content expires."

But even those who carefully curate and organize their Netflix watch lists, for example, have learned the hard way that Netflix doesn't let them know when one of those shows is about to disappear. That's why you need to go to third-party sites that track what's leaving and when. Streamable has a comprehensive one, and so does Justwatch.

Just the mention of that phrase ("password sharing crackdown") has raised hackles with subscribers ever since Netflix launched its own crackdown in 2023. In late April, Max launched an "extra member add-on" charge for $7.99 (a buck more than the "add-on charges" for Netflix, Disney + and Hulu.) Simply put, the "add-on" means some other member of your family is now a paying subscriber, too — hackles hence raised because suddenly you're paying nearly twice what you may have been paying. (Max basic with ads is $9.99.)

That word "crackdown" may be the biggest hang-up here, because the major streaming services don't seem to have cracked down all that much. The Streamable's DiPane says, "It looks like [streamers] wanted to enforce it, got people scared" and then just ignored enforcement. "Sometimes [they ask] to verify accounts, but it seems like it was a way to make more money off consumers." Churn is almost certainly one reason they backed off an aggressive crackdown. Another: It's awfully hard to enforce. For example, lots of people use VPNs (virtual private networks) to access services which makes it hard (if not impossible) for them to track IP addresses. My suggestion: Keep sharing with family members until they really do decide to lower the boom.

We are all wearily familiar with those technical gremlins that cause buffering and pixelation. But there are many other errors that disrupt the typical streaming experience. While it may be anecdotal, these also seem to be getting worse. Perhaps one reason is that a few mishaps have been so high profile: Hulu's first-ever livestream of the Oscars in March cut out before best picture was announced, for example, while Peacock's livestream of "Saturday Night Live's" 50th anniversary telecast ended 13 minutes too early.

Short of calling customer service (more on that below), there are a few easy things subscribers can try on their own. Arthur D. Little's Rajagopal says, "You should always update the app, and clear the cache," but also suggests "syncing between different devices ... Sometimes the content plays better on a tablet, for example, which you can then connect to the TV."

DiPane adds, "I've found that searching for 'Common complaints [streaming service] Reddit.com' on Google helps pull up threads that often have fixes. It's good reading usually and allows people to be more comfortable with things as they may happen."

Meanwhile, this site offers 7 quick tips for streaming problems.

Pretty much like the weather, everyone gripes about customer support but no one seems to do much about it. That Arthur D. Little survey even told its paying customer — the streamers themselves — to "provide strong customer support [which] can help ease user frustration and reduce churn." It added, "Consumers increasingly expect higher degrees of customer support (e.g., speaking with a live agent) as subscription prices increase."

In spite of these reasonable prescriptions, let's all assume customer support isn't about to improve any time soon. What then? Experts suggest persistence until you do get a live agent, but failing that, go to social media to air your complaints. Post those on X, Facebook or Instagram, then tag the offending streamer. Those shots across the bow tend to get noticed — and might even lead to a call back from a real live human being.