Video Stuttering on Videos Using EAC3 @ 44.1kHz

Channels Android TV
#1

Have been experiencing problems using virtual channels on a Sony Bravia with Android TV. While watching a virtual channel, certain programs (MKV files) would start playing and immediately show issues with audio/video stuttering. If I let it run long enough, the Channels app will become unresponsive and I'll have to restart the TV to recover.

Began to notice that certain groups of MKV files were more likely to stutter than others and found the issue follows the audio sampling rate. Audio encoding EAC @ 48kHz works great but files that use EAC @ 44.1kHz will always fail. Re-encoding audio on a failing file will fix the issue. Is this a known issue, either with Sony, Android TV, or the Channels app?

#2

I'm wondering about two things.

  • TV Android processors are sometimes not very powerful. Do you have other clients that experience the same issue? If you have an Android phone, try on it.

  • From your TV's channels client, to go Support and then Test Speed to Channels Server. What do you get, all three numbers please.

#3

Tested results:

  1. Viewed same content (EAC @ 44.1kHz, dual channel) on Plex running on the same TV. No stutter. Plex reported direct play (no transcoding on the server).

plex
plex662×820 181 KB

  1. Speed test results: Download speed: 289Mbit/s, Latency 4.94ms; Jitter 10.59 ms

  2. Re-encoding the file to EAC @ 48kHz allows the file to run without stutter.

#4

What does the in video stats overlay show about the audio rate

#5

Here's s photo showing the stats:

IMG_3897
IMG_38971920×1440 246 KB

After letting the video run had to restart the TV as the sound bar (Sonos ARC, connected by HDMI eARC) lost audio.

2 Likes
#6

Sounds like its a TV firmware issue, where AC3 passthrough isn't working with 44.1kHz

What happens if you change Settings > Player > Advanced > Surround Sound : Off

#7

Please also submit diagnostics from the app (under Settings > Support) immediately after playing the video in the broken configuration.

#8

Disabling surround sound works.

#9

Submitted support log from the client app.

1 Like
#10

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