Server Version#: 1.27.2.5929
Player Version#: Plex on Apple TV 4K (checked last night for latest version)
Hello,
Bit of a long-shot since I can’t reliably reproduce, but the TL;DR version is while watching videos on Plex on my Apple TV, there will be occasional / intermittent buffering-like glitches (get the round spinny arrow), usually (lately?) for less than a second, though definitely longer sometimes, up to ~20 seconds. When I check my Plex Dash app during or shortly after the event, I will see a correlating HUGE spike in local bandwidth.
More detail:
Server config:
Plex Server running on a dedicated, headless Mac mini m1. 1 external 12TB HDD (TV media) connected via USB. 1 internal 10TB HDD (movie media) plugged into this USB C dock Amazon.com: Alxum USB Type-C SATA Hard Drive Docking Station, USB C Hard Drive Duplicator with Offline Clone Function for Dual 2.5 3.5 Inch SATA HDD SSD up to 2 x 18TB Drives, Tool-Free & UASP Supported : Electronics along with a 500GB SSD (music media). Also have a separate external HDD connected via USB running Time Machine.
Client detail:
2 Apple TVs on different TVs. Both 4K, one is the newer model. Primary watching occurs on the newer model, but I’ve noticed the brief buffering glitch on the older model.
Plex client Video Settings:
Auto Adjust quality: off
Home Streaming: Maximum
Allow Direct Play - On
Use Old Video Player - Off
Network config:
Everything is connected via Cat6A (so in theory capable of 10Gbps). Apple TVs are connected via ethernet to a 16 port Netgear gigabit unmanaged switch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AX8XHRQ . As is the Mac mini. The switch connects to my Fios router (G1100), which is on a 300/300Mbps connection.
Network usage:
Typically just one video stream (whether Netflix or local streaming from my Plex server) through the network. And I very, very rarely have someone trying to watch remotely, so I don’t think there’s an issue on that.
Media types:
I haven’t tracked specifically but I’m fairly certain the last time this happened a 4K TV show was playing. This is not to say it’s always 4K. I need to pay better attention.
Thoughts:
I really feel like it’s not my network, at least on the surface. Unless there’s some issue with my hardware, whether a bad network interface on the Mac mini, or something bad with the switch, or the CAT6A. And while there is often a delay for a video to play (I presume it’s the HDDs spinning up), I don’t see why there would be a problem once it’s spun up. One test I could run is, I have a 5 port gigabit switch I could swap in and connect the Apple TV and Plex server. My question is whether the traffic routing would keep local Plex traffic running directly from Plex server → 5port switch → Apple TV?
Is there some issue with an Apple TV internal buffer of some sort filling up and needing to be cleared? Or the Mac… stops streaming for a sec and needs to catch up with a big data burst that the Apple TV can’t process fast enough (but why would the Mac stop streaming?) I don’t know.
Thank you for any help!
