Stuttering playback on Apple TV (Windows Server 2019)

Channels Apple TV Troubleshooting
#57

Your issue is not common, and has been reported by only a couple users. 99% of Apple TV Channels users have never experienced anything like this.

So there is something with your configuration that is causing a problem. You should troubleshoot you network / dvr server. Try some different things. Try running the DVR outside of a VM. Try a different network cable. Try changing some network settings on the OS.

If this was a rampant issue with Apple TV, these forums would be booming with requests for an update. But that is not the case here. It is your setup. There is something that YOU can change to fix this, you just need to find it.

1 Like
#58

Interesting development. I’ve switched home streaming down to 8mbps. Been running it like this for a few days now and have had no issues.

Issue must be down to the Apple TV streaming at original quality. Something must have changed in one of the recent releases of the app.

#59

Cool that you pinpointed it to an issue streaming high bitrates over your network. Not sure about the conclusion that a change was made in the app though. Have you done an iperf network test to the VM from a network host?

#60

7 days since last dev response. Not impressed.

#61

Sometimes the devs help users with their network setups, maybe they will give some suggestions for you troubleshoot.
In the meantime, something is not performing correctly with your VM network. You should run some speed tests to/from the VM. And try to fix your network settings. If you can't figure it out, put the DVR somewhere else.

Channels 4.0 Beta
#62

Can you run a network speed test from the DVR to your Apple TV:

#63

Im a systems engineer for a large IT company in the UK. Im 100% sure I don't have any network issues.

#64

Complete. Results attached.

59
Screenshot 2020-02-11 at 07.30.59.jpg2142×942 149 KB

#65

Just to completely rule this out, can you run it from within the VM you are using for the DVR?

2 Likes
#66

Speedtest from the VM to the Apple TV

10
Screenshot 2020-02-11 at 21.39.10.jpg2042×1530 169 KB

#67

I think it may be dropping packets. Why aren't you getting gigabit speeds on a wired connection?

should look something like this:

37%20PM
Screen Shot 2020-02-11 at 6.31.37 PM.png1304×575 65.7 KB

#68

Apple TV is currently on WiFi and only has 100mb nic built in.

#69

Does it work if you turn off tuner sharing? - nevermind i see this only happens on recordings.
What channel is it?

#70

I haven’t tried it but don’t see it making a difference as the issue is only on recordings and not live TV.

It happens across all channels and even SD recordings as well as HD

#71

If you think it is an issue that arose with a software change, you can try any of the last 5 downloaded versions. On *nix-type os, the older versions are stored in the app dir and there is a symlink called latest. Whatever the latest symlink is set to is what version the DVR will use when the service is stopped and restarted. I don't know what it looks like on Windows, but it is probably similar.

#72

I think it’s a client side issue as when the quality settings are on 8mbps I have no playback issues at all.

Only when home steaming is set to original we start having issues.

#73

Is it OTA? aka: around 15mbps mpeg signals? What mbps is it trying to process at original setting?

maybe it is the same bitrate as original when you set it to 8mbps... especially if you are using a cable connection which is probably a lower bitrate. So it could just be the remux that makes it work.

#74

You can watch the app/player logs via http://x.x.x.x:57000/log using the IP of your Apple TV while the Channels app is running.

From what we saw in your previous diagnostics, the "Cache" entry in the player logs goes up to 140s+ as the player quickly downloads a chunk of the recording. Then it stops receiving data as a fast rate, and slowly the cache runs out. Then the player has to pause and starts sputtering as it struggles to receive new parts of the video file for playback.

I'd also recommend turning on the experimental http logging checkbox on your DVR, and then check out the two logs (on the DVR and for the app/player using the url above) to see if any patterns are apparent.

I hooked up an Apple TV 4 for testing and I'm seeing 417mbps over wifi using the app speedtest, and no playback issues (with the player logs showing "Cache: 95s" steadily).

#75

Quite a lot of this:

2020-02-12 00:23:54.595 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.595 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.596 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.596 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.597 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.604 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.629 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.629 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.629 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.630 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.630 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.633 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.635 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.636 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.637 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.639 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.640 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.640 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.641 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.642 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.642 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.643 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.643 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.647 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.655 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.657 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.657 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.657 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.658 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.658 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.663 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.686 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.687 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow
2020-02-12 00:23:54.687 [ffmpeg] error: NULL: reference count 1 overflow

#76

2020-02-12 00:23:54.813 [af] v: [userspeed] (disabled)
2020-02-12 00:23:54.813 [af] v: [convert] 48000Hz stereo 2ch floatp
2020-02-12 00:23:54.815 [ao] v: Trying audio driver 'audiounit'
2020-02-12 00:23:54.815 [ao/audiounit] v: requested format: 48000 Hz, stereo channels, floatp
2020-02-12 00:23:54.852 [ao/audiounit] v: using soft-buffer of 9600 samples.
2020-02-12 00:23:54.852 [cplayer] info: AO: [audiounit] 48000Hz stereo 2ch floatp
2020-02-12 00:23:54.852 [cplayer] v: AO: Description: AudioUnit (iOS)
2020-02-12 00:23:54.854 event: audio-reconfig
2020-02-12 00:23:54.855 [af] v: [convert] (disabled)
2020-02-12 00:23:54.855 [af] v: [out] 48000Hz stereo 2ch floatp
2020-02-12 00:23:54.855 [vd] v: DR failed - disabling.
2020-02-12 00:23:54.879 [ffmpeg/video] error: h264: mmco: unref short failure
2020-02-12 00:23:55.156 [ffmpeg/video] error: h264: mmco: unref short failure
2020-02-12 00:23:55.219 [vd] v: Decoder format: 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/auto CL=mpeg2/4/h264 (auto 0.000000/0.000000/0.000000)
2020-02-12 00:23:55.220 [vf] v: [in] 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/display SP=1.000000 CL=mpeg2/4/h264
2020-02-12 00:23:55.220 [vf] v: [userdeint] 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/display SP=1.000000 CL=mpeg2/4/h264
2020-02-12 00:23:55.220 [vf] v: [userdeint] (disabled)
2020-02-12 00:23:55.221 [vf] v: [lavfi] 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/display SP=1.000000 CL=mpeg2/4/h264
2020-02-12 00:23:55.228 [vf] v: [autorotate] 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/display SP=1.000000 CL=mpeg2/4/h264
2020-02-12 00:23:55.228 [vf] v: [autorotate] (disabled)
2020-02-12 00:23:55.229 [vf] v: [convert] 1920x1080 yuv420p bt.709/bt.709/bt.1886/limited/display SP=1.000000 CL=mpeg2/4/h264
2020-02-12 00:23:55.229 [vf] v: [convert] (disabled)
2020-02-12 00:23:55.229 event: video-reconfig