Server Version#: 1.41.4.9399
Player Version#: Latest Apple TV client
I just recently started getting and playing 4k movies in my PLEX library and I’ve noticed on the Apple TV PLEX client the playback stutters. I don’t see this issue when playing from the Web client on my iPad nor PLEX app for my iPad. Movies are playable but there’s this occasional stutter when playing that happens just enough that it’s persistent through the whole movie experience. I’ve tried a few 4k Movies, the HDR ones seem to be the worst for this but there’s always a stutter.
Anyone else notice this? I’m using the latest gen Apple TV 4k and other players like Infuse don’t have the stutter when playing from my same PLEX library.
If you turn on the video stats overlay; it shows frame drops.
It subtitles are enabled, more likely for frame drops.
Some 4K videos are so bad; it drops 95% of the video frames.
Infuse plays all the files flawlessly; and I’ve extensively analyzed the video files at container level; stream level; and h.265 packet level. Validated metadata; and validated container indexes.
Plex should license the Infuse player; or sort it out!
I thought about using Infuse but I’d really like PLEX to just work, it’s weird to own an Apple TV 4k, PLEX supports 4k, but then it can’t play right on the device. The Apple TV is considered one of the “best” ways to use PLEX on TV like this.
Please include the actual version of the Plex app on your Apple TV. It can be found in the Plex app’s settings.
There are multiple “latest Apple TV clients” available right now depending upon whether or not you’re using the TestFlight builds.
The latest TF builds aim to improve playback performance in a couple of ways, including a new rendering engine that better leverages the ATV4K’s hardware. I’m not saying there are no issues, but things are improving (generally).
Here’s a link to the beta thread. Note that there are a finite number of TestFlight slots, so you may not be able to immediately join.
I’m using Apple TV App 8.45 (9684), not the Test Flight build just what the app store delivers. I’ve been reading the current plex app doesn’t leverage hardware acceleration which is the original cause of the stuttering.
I submitted a request to join the TF app group, thanks!
I’m a programmer and video engineer, working with Dolby Vision, Academy Color (ARRI), SMPTE standards, extremely wide color gamuts, many video basis et al.
So would be a useful person to be on the TestFlight verison!
Same problem here, sometimes just the audio goes out for half a second, or the whole video freezes and the slow bandwidth notice pops up. The problem tayed too after switching the 2nd generation to 3rd 4k AppleTV. Have had this with a 1080p h265/HEVC video as well.
Problem goes away if auto adjust option is turned off, another problem comes up then though sometimes video being loaded will just turn to a black screen and stay there until menu button is pressed, but will play if I hit the skip ahead 10 seconds button.
The annoying part there is when playing a tv show with auto adjust off, sometimes one of the next episodes will keep the tv on the whole rest of the night instead of appletv turning tv off after x minutes after last episode played (with the stop playing new episodes after 2 hours).
My Plex Media Server is running on a FreeBSD server here though, not Windows.
I think at this point they are focused on the new App experience launch which is supposed to have hardware acceleration on Apple TV. No clue when the Apple TV version of the new app will launch however I’m waiting for it…
It’s this or buy an NVIDIA shield for my 4k TV because the PLEX app on Apple TV playing HEVC content at 1080p or higher stutters and it’s hard to watch.
I’m having the same issue, started not so long ago, even media that played well before now stutters, even transcoding the media was causing stuttering.
I found this post in the apple forum that seems to have helped: Apple 4K TV 3rd Generation Stuttering Ove… - Apple Community
The settings that made the difference was “Use Old Audio Engine – On”.
I’m playing on an Apple TV 4K, wired to server over 1G connection.
After many many years of giving Plex money, this issue might finally send me off. I managed to mitigate it by turning Match Frame Rate on in Apple TV settings but I was trying to avoid blackouts on this new TV I picked up. It’s crazy how long this issue has persisted.
No I mean the handshaking blackouts. Apple TV home screen runs at 60hz but then firing up a movie as it drops to 24hz, there’s a handshaking black screen. They’re annoying.
