Chromecast with Google TV Choppy on one channel of Recordings

#1

I've been having an issue for the last 3-4 weeks. I'm not sure what got updated, whether it was a channels app update or a chromecast update. There seems to be an issue with the hardware decoding of decodings on one of my channels. The issue is with salt lake city's NBC (5.1) channel and I assumed it was an issue with the interlaced 1080i since both my Fox and ABC recordings worked and they are 720p, however I noticed that CBS (2.1) is also broadcast with 1080i and it seems to work fine.

I record using the HDHomerun 4 tuner device and have been using it for years now. The recordings themselves play just fine through the computer and through plex as far as I can tell. Using the Software decoding option in channels does fix the issue but I don't know why that would be necessary since this hasn't been an issue for years.

The same issue happens across all 3 chromecasts. I do not have the issue with my new Google Streamer

I'm currently on Channels app v4.9.4 and the chromecast with google tv is on android 14, OS build UTTC.250917.004.14193937.

Here are the metadata for the recording. Let me know what other information is helpful

NBC Recording
Duration
1 hr 8 min

Bit Rate
6,654,997 bits/sec

File Size
3,394,270,060 bytes

File ID
13884

Streaming Index
Up to date

Pass
Brilliant Minds

Channel
NBC5.1 NBC

Track #0: MPEG-2 video
1920x1080 16:9 yuv420p interlaced 29.97fps

Track #1: ATSC A/52A (AC-3)
5.1(side) eng 384kbps

Track #2: ATSC A/52A (AC-3)
stereo spa 192kbps

#2

The Channels app version 4.9.4 was released in August, so it is not likely to be the issue. I believe the Chromecast with Google TV did have a major update recently. So that could be when the problem showed up. Not sure there is a good solution. I have a one of these devices that I rarely use anymore, because it always seemed very marginal when used with the Channels app. I would get many dropped frames with high video bitrate live channels. I could limit the Channels app Streaming bitrate to 4mbps to eliminate the dropped frames, but the performance was not great.

#3

Yeah I assumed it had to be an update to the chromecast since it did look like the channels app hadn't been updated recently. It's just bizarre that it's only the channel. I've had some performance issues using software processing, especially since it isn't that powerful of a device compared to an nvidia shield or apple tv. I'm not a huge fan of Apple TV personally but a slightly older used one might be the way to go if the software processing option doesn't work out long term, plus it seems like they have more features on it as well.

#4

I just installed a HDHomeRun Flex Quatro 4 x ATSC Tuners - HDFX-4US as Version just notified us that they are discontinuing cable cards in NYC. When I first set it up I experienced much of what you are describing. First get on your HDHomeRun and bring it to the latest firmware if not up to date. Antenna placement is critical, I'm about 15 miles from the transmitter for most of the channels in my area. I'm using an inexpensive panel antenna with an amp. When I first placed the antenna, some channels had choppy video. I moved it to a window facing the transmitter and adjusted the polarity and this helped a lot. Finally I moved it into my attic and no more choppy video.

Possibly this will help

1 Like
#5

Unfortunately it isn't related to the antenna placement. I have had this setup for 5 years and it's been flawless with the Chromecast until the last month. Signal quality is extremely good the recorded video plays fine when using software transcoding and on my Nvidia shield and the new Google streamer. It's something specific to the hardware transcoding with some recent Chromecast update. Especially since there hasn't been a channels app update it a while.

#6

have you tried the Channels Beta app?

#7

It is common for Android updates to include new firmware for the GPU. These are supposed to fix issues but often introduce problems.

#8

Thanks. I did notice that the video actually plays fine when the previous program was playing. Then once the actual show I recorded started that's when the stuttering began. I did verify that the file plays perfectly fine through Plex. I'm not sure how plex handles the file playback and how it would differ from channels, but it isn't doing any transcoding on the server side.

Is this something that's fixable by you or is it something that would need to be addressed by Google in the firmware for the hardware decoding. And would having the video file help with verifying/fixing this issue?

#9

I'm using the same streamer as you are having problems with. The original Chromecast with Google TV and am not having this issue. Do you have tuner sharing enabled? While the problem is on all 3 CC with Google TVs, try swapping one of them to a location where the streaming is fine with another device.

My CC with Google TV settings for Playback:
Home Streaming - Original
Original Quality Delivery - Direct
Buffer Protection - On
Buffer Protection Duration - 30 seconds
Signal Notifications - On
Stretch to fit - off
Surround Sound - On
Video Encoding - Hardware

Also, the change could be on the NBC side yet you need to deal with it.

#10

Why not just use software decoding??

#11

I'm fine doing that but it should not have been necessary since hardware decoding is the default setting and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what might have caused this before changing that setting, especially since it was only happening with one specific channel that has near perfect signal quality and had been working for a very long time. It actually all started with my parent's setup where it had been working fine and then just stopped working. I wouldn't have expected them to worry about that. I just don't want anyone else to run into this same issue.