Pausing When Watching Live TV

I'm not getting connection lost just the micro pauses for 1-2 seconds max, happens on PTV or OTA even when quatro, dvr, ATV4K are connected to same switch. Tried different switch, quatro's, and ATV4K's and get the same micros pauses. Again DVR playback is fine only live tv is impacted.

I totally agree that it is a network issue isolated to the HD Homerun/Channels. I am not having any other networking issues with Hulu Live, Netflix, or Amazon Prime on the same Apple TVs during these pauses and Connection Errors.

I don't get connection lost message either, just the quick pause with the menu bar pops up and the spinning circle for about 1 sec. The circle does not even make a complete revolution...then it takes off again. Just like buffering. Seems to be something with HDHomerun and Channels to me too.

I suspected network issues, but this is the only scenario I am seeing these quick drops and only on live tv- not recordings. BTW I am using a Netgear R7800.

I only had this issue over WiFi. Once I wired my second shield TV this went away. I have a HD homerun prime and my first shield TV is the DVR server.

I have the same exact issue with many channels on my FiOS service. I'm glad I'm not going nuts and I'm not the only one.

Happens to me too. On FIOS, with gigabit ethernet throughout the house. Never happens when using the HDHomeRun app, or Plex for that matter, only on Channels.

I've seen this behavior on my 2015 shield TV when watching football games live. It happens a few times during the first 15 minutes or so of the game and then usually never again for the rest of the game. I've never seen it happen on my 2017 shield TV upstairs. I've probably watched an equal number of games on both TVs this year. Just microstutters where the audio drops out for less than a second and the info bar comes up on screen.

Only happens on live tv, never seen it on any of my recorded shows. Football is pretty much the only thing I watch live but I can't recall if it is one particular channel or not. Oh, my TV source is an HD HomerunPrime with a cablecard and Fios. All hardwired with a gigabit LAN.

I literally just had an instance of this happening so submitted diagnostics.

Just caught ours pausing for no apparently good reason. Here are the last 60 lines in the log.

I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
V/PlayerActivity(27898): state BUFFERING -> PLAYING
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
V/mpvstats(27898): AV: 188.605 A-V: 0.000 Dropped: 83 Cache: 0.704s + 0KB
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 13798
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12822
V/mpv     (27898): event: unpause
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Enter buffering (buffer went from 100% -> 0%) [0.000000s].
V/mpv     (27898): event: unpause
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] End buffering (waited 0.101151 secs) [0.768000s].
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
V/mpvstats(27898): AV: 198.715 A-V: 0.000 Dropped: 90 Cache: 0.704s + 0KB
V/mpv     (27898): event: unpause
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Enter buffering (buffer went from 100% -> 0%) [0.000000s].
V/mpv     (27898): property: buffering = true
V/PlayerActivity(27898): state PLAYING -> BUFFERING
V/mpvstats(27898): demuxer-cache-state: {seekable-ranges=[{start=184.03378933333443, end=201.82400044443784}], cache-end=201.85600044444436, reader-pts=201.85600044444436, cache-duration=0.0, eof=false, underrun=true, idle=false, total-bytes=32045696, fw-bytes=1309760, debug-low-level-seeks=0, debug-ts-last=76571.01809955556, ts-per-stream=[{type=video, duration=0.700700000001234, reader=76571.05146666667, end=76571.75216666667}, {type=audio, duration=0.0, reader=76571.38954444445, end=76571.38954444445}]}
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Still buffering (buffer went from 0% -> 4%) [0.032000s].
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Still buffering (buffer went from 4% -> 12%) [0.096000s].
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Still buffering (buffer went from 12% -> 17%) [0.128000s].
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] Still buffering (buffer went from 17% -> 59%) [0.448000s].
V/mpv     (27898): event: unpause
V/mpv     (27898): [cplayer] End buffering (waited 0.702297 secs) [1.248000s].
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 11286
V/mpv     (27898): property: buffering = false
V/PlayerActivity(27898): state BUFFERING -> PLAYING
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
V/mpvstats(27898): AV: 202.285 A-V: 0.000 Dropped: 97 Cache: 1.088s + 0KB
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12038
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 11207
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 10821
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12721
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12041
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 13513
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2 Dropping frame
I/art     (27898): Background sticky concurrent mark sweep GC freed 175178(7MB) AllocSpace objects, 0(0B) LOS objects, 24% free, 24MB/32MB, paused 1.998ms total 305.185ms
V/mpvstats(27898): AV: 234.317 A-V: 0.000 Dropped: 98 Cache: 1.088s + 0KB
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12839
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 12115
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 11563
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 9636
I/MediaCodecLogger(27898): com.android.mediaplayer.HW.video.mpeg2.bitrateInKbps = 10613

Timestamps would be helpful. I can't tell when any of these occurred.

Newer android versions include timestamps in the Log, but Android 5.0 does not.

I think I figured out the problem. Looks like my HDHomerun Connect was the culprit with my system. Replaced it with the HDHomerun Quatro and not having any of the pausing or "Connection Lost" issues any longer. I thought it was somehow isolated to the HDHomerun/Channels because everything else worked flawlessly.

This states there was 0.7s of video buffered but 0.0s of audio, so the player paused to enter buffering mode. I have a hunch into why this is happening and am looking into a fix. (The audio data already sent to the speaker is not being considered for the underrun condition).

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Want to take a moment to thank you for the incredible support and response you give. I haven’t experienced anything else like it with any other product and makes me happy to continue paying you guys for an awesome service.

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This happens a good bit when watching CBS (HDHR Prime). The other night it was happening every 25-45 seconds. I had to switch off channels and use the HDHR app to watch football. Happens on the Fire TV and our Mibox.

@callenbrand Can you install the latest Apple TV beta (getchannels.com/beta/) and then submit diagnostics (bottom of Settings tab) the next time you notice pausing on OTA playback.

It is installed....I will send diags when I see it happen.

I spoke too soon. Mine is doing the same thing. Pausing and connection lost either with wifi on Apple TV or directly connected via Ethernet. It happens on multiple TVs. This is only with live TV. My connection speeds are not an issue at all.

I don't know if it was the same thing, tonight, @tmm1, but, whatever it was, the pausing and stuttering got so badly, so frequently I finally bailed out of Channels (losing about five minutes of buffered program) and switched to live on the TV itself.

It had become unwatchable on Channels :frowning:

Unfortunately, I did not think to snag the log before bailing out of Channels. (I should have just switched the TV's input to internal.)

I also saw issues with stuttering last night around 10pm ET. I was watching PTV, was that also the case for you?

No, we were watching Game of Games on a local NBC affiliate, OTA. It actually became worse-and-worse as the evening progressed. Finally, I'd had enough--such that I was willing to lose five minutes of program to make it stop.