Experimental Video / Deinterlacer drops frames

I don't think this happens in all instances, but I was recently watching a recording of "Around the World in 80 Days" from PBS. And I noticed what looked like an occasional visible frame dropping... scenes with motion appeared to have a slight occasional lag or jarring. I checked the stats and sure enough, it was dropping a lot of frames. In order to get the recording to play correctly, I needed to change both Video and Deinterlacer to Default. And then was able to watch the show without the frame drops. I don't think this being a recording had anything to do with it. I think it was broadcast in a way that was causing issues with the drivers.

This isn't urgent, as the workaround is the Default drivers. I am just reporting it so that Experimental drivers don't become Default until such issues are resolved.

Although less severe, I also can see frame drops in the stats while watching live NFL when using Experimental drivers. But Default drivers work fine.

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Experimental video driver for the ATVbeta drops 20 frames about every 90 seconds or so.
Unwatchable
Switched off experimental video driver, first time in a year.

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Can you go into TestFlight previous builds and try these two versions, and let me know if the issue is present on either:

2022 (1.8.1312)
2022 (1.8.2259)

The frame drops occur using both of those previous versions with Experimental drivers

Not this form of frame drops. It began then with one of days betas.
(thanks for the reminder .. ill have to turn the experimental video driver again to check todays state)

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Turned experimental video driver on. Its dropping 2 to 3 frames now every 30 seconds or so.
(lots better... unlike 30 hours ago when it was unwatchable. I could watch it but it still noticeable)

Noticed buffer protection in settings. Never noticed it before.

--

So I do not know if this is relevant (since I am unaware when buffer protection began) but I did this test.

Increasing buffer to 1 minute made the frame-drops much worse.
Turning off buffer protection made no difference. Same frequency of frame drops as with it on set to 30 seconds buffer.

What is buffer protection? Where do you see that

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That setting has nothing to do with the actual buffer. It defines how far behind live you have to be before it warns you that you’ll lose your buffer. It’s just a setting for the alert.

Please try the latest TestFlight (1.12.559)

The new version (TestFlight (1.12.559) drops 1 frame every 5 to 6 seconds

It's the same drop rate as TestFlight 2022 (1.8.1312)

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I just thought to check this.

Frame dropping is ONLY happening on my ATV4k (new and old) (same rate 1 per 5-6 seconds)
Not at all the original ATVs (they are wifi)

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Please confirm working on TestFlight 12.31.208

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No frame drops in 12.31.208 testing for over a minute

(no frame drops even while channels server is working in the background syncing PlayOn and recording)

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Thank you, that was very helpful.

Please try the latest build.

still dropping frames. The speed it drops depends on the content. This is all OTA. NBC and CBS are both dropping frames at high rates... but different rates depending on what is airing. Sometimes commercials don't drop frames, but the main show does. PBS is dropping frames slowly. ABC is not dropping frames. Fox is sometimes dropping frames. CW is slowly dropping frames. MyTV is dropping frames quickly. Fox5Plus is slowly dropping. iON not dropping. PBS is occasionally dropping.

I think this might not only be channel specific, but would have to do with the current show also. Playing my "Around the World in 80 Days" is a PBS recording and it is dropping a lot of frames.

All these frame drops do not happen when using the Default Video driver.

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Huh. It has been working for us with that build. Can you submit diagnostics after playing that PBS recording for a couple minutes.

v2022.01.12.2048
Fixed it for me! Great!

Thank you @tmm1 & the channels team

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I am still having issues. Diagnostics were sent.

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I checked with TVE directv, playon files, imported content and plutotv files.
OTA for me is a different beast .. usually relating to a not as good as i hoped for input signal