picture clarity & buffering

What streaming device are you using? Have you ran an upload and download speed test? Please report the results here. (You can do so at speedtest.net)

“Buffering” is rarely due to problems with raw speed, but rather other (usually transient) network issues (congestion, errors, etc.) somewhere between the originating servers and you.  It is somewhat inherent in the way that the internet works - it can’t guarantee that the data will be delivered on time (or in some cases at all).  Some network paths and ISPs are more likely to encounter these problems than others (because they are busier or have other issues) but they will happen at least occasionally everywhere.  The basic workaround for this issue for a streaming service like this is to build up a buffer of data so that it can ride through short interruptions (so what it shows will be some seconds behind “real time”) but especially for “live” streams (as opposed to on-demand or recording) there’s a limit to how far ahead they can get - and if that buffer runs out, you are back to waiting.  If it happens just occasionally, then it’s just one of those things. If it happens frequently, then perhaps you should report it to support to see if they can see what’s happening (though I wouldn’t count on it).  There are some anecdotal reports that DirecTV Stream may be worse on this than some of their competitors - if that is actually the case, that may imply they don’t get as far ahead as they should. 

With respect to picture sharpness - I assume you are taking into account that nothing carried by DirecTV Stream is higher res than HD (720p or 1080i) and will depend on the streaming device or TV doing upscaling, so it won’t be as sharp on an 86” screen as native UHD.   That said, are you seeing continuous “fuzziness” or when you switch channels it is fuzzy for a few seconds and then gets sharper?  If the latter, it is likely somewhat an artifact of the way streaming video is compressed and sent. 

@Jrandomuser 

To be honest I find that hard to be true. Buffering means constant ‘scrolling’ of live TV streaming, poor video quality, and potentially audio issues. In most of the buffering issues I’ve come across, it’s due to a inadequate internet connection. While it could be on the ISP’s side, I just wanted clarification from the OP’s part of what their upload and download speeds are. This is simple to do and just requires going to speedtest.com . Quick and easy way to rule out ‘equipment-related’ issues.