In a method for evaluating media quality, media reference quality and rebuffering event distortion quality are obtained, final media quality are determined according to the obtained media reference quality and rebuffering event distortion quality, where a parameter of the rebuffering event distortion quality includes at least one of the following: the number of rebuffering events, a duration of the rebuffering event, a multiple rebuffering event interaction impact parameter, initial media quality, and a factor describing media content complexity. When media quality is calculated, impact of the multiple rebuffering event interaction impact parameter, the initial media quality, and the factor describing media content complexity on the media quality is considered, thereby making a media quality evaluation result more accurate.