What are you using for a server? It could be something else like not enough resources if it is transcoding etc.
It could but its a dedicated machine with nothing else going on. Also the video stutters the same way when I run the DVR on the 2020 iMac, also idle
Edit: also I don’t think it’s transcoding. There’s nothing in the log about transcoding and it’s set to “original quality” so should be direct play right?
Not sure if it has anything to do with the issue, but what are the 8 Network interfaces (your screenshot shows 4 of them)
192.168.86.47
192.168.56.1
192.168.83.1
172.18.16.1
Are any of them WiFi?
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Agreed. If this is a dedicated machine disable every ethernet/wifi adapter that is not being used. Leave just a single ethernet adapter active and connect that to your network.
Thanks guys. Channels says there are 8 network interfaces but only lists four. ipconfig also lists four so I guess this might be a bug.
192.168.86.47 - the one on the home network
192.168.56.1 - an old interface set up by openvpn
192.168.83.1 - an old interface set up by virtualbox
172.18.16.1 - WSL virtual ethernet adapter
I disabled the three others, Channels now says there are two interfaces and lists just the one. No change in playback. Note the stuttering is also happening when served by Channels on the newer iMac which only has the one interface.
Here's what I see when I hover over that section of settings:
"Ethernet 6" is the name of the interface connected to router which is addressed as 192.168.86.47. Does look like a cosmetic bug, doesn't appear to be affecting playback.
Trying enabling Show Stats while playing and see what it says.
If you start the playback and pause it for 10-20 seconds, then resume does it still stutter?
What does the server display under activity while you play it from the client?
There are quite a few settings on the client to play with also.
No
Do you mean the log? It doesn’t display anything.
I tried playing with “direct” vs “stream” for “original quality delivery” on the client which seemed like the most relevant setting, didn’t make any difference. Is there another setting I should be tweaking?
I can see the “total cache” grow when I pause it and then watch it slowly go back to zero and then start stuttering after hitting resume. So yeah you’d think the connection just isn’t fast enough. But then I go to channel server speedtest that you showed me and see this:
you might try submitting diagnostics from a client when this happens and follow up with an email to support
Just a quick update, I happened to change my router to ubiquiti with a UniFi U6 Mesh AP, these 60mbps video streams are still buffering at the exact same rate despite a Channels Speedtest that is consistently >3x the video bitrate. So the problem hasn’t varied in the slightest with:
- different server hardware
- different server OS
- different iPhone clients
- different routers
- different APs
Maybe your E: drive is being slow
More likely a WiFi vs Wired connection issue
Yep hardwire your ATVs if at all possible. Alternatively, dump the mesh setup and hardwire each AP to the main switch. I have 6 unifi APs in my house all hardwired to my core switch. I can watch 4k content on my mobile devices just like they were wired. I hardwire my ATVs because it is always better. However, they would work fine on wifi as i consistently get 700mbps to the channels server (Even from my outdoor AP 
)
Right except I don’t know what could be wrong with the WiFi connection. WiFi speed is consistently >3x high the video bitrate. WiFiman shows no issues.
dump the mesh setup and hardwire each AP to the main switch
“U6 Mesh” is just the name of the UniFi AP… it’s PoE hardwired to the UDM similar to your setup.
I can watch 4k content on my mobile devices just like they were wired
4k from cDVR?
Does it only happen on the high bitrate (~60mbps) HEVC recordings?
What about lower bitrate or non-HEVC recordings?
Does it stutter when you play the hevc video straight from the library instead of a virtual channel? Have you tried experimental video driver on the client?
You should be getting WAY more than this. On the same local network i would expect 300-400 mbit to CDVR over 5GHz.
Yep without the client even trying hard, sitting by my pool.
Yes
Nope
It jumps around between 200 mbps and 300 mbps. I could mess with the power and band settings on the AP but that should be fast enough for a 60mbps stream right? Plus it doesn’t seem like it’s a bandwidth problem. See my earlier comment where it buffered in exactly the same way with a 700 mbps connection to the orbi.
Yes
There’s no experimental video driver. I’m using the default video driver.
Okay, I recorded a new 4k video at 30fps with my iPhone which is only 30mbps, still buffers in exactly the same way, and plays back rotated. Unless I use the legacy video driver, in which case it just buffers.
Plex plays it back (direct stream) fine over the same WiFi connection.
Channels plays vbr h264 videos fine over WiFi even when it approaches 30mbps.
Also plays back fine with VLC from SMB, same E: drive, over WiFi. Between that and the Plex test, pretty sure this cements it as a channels unique issue playing back certain videos recorded with iPhone, over WiFi.