Stuttering when streaming to Chromecast over home network - it didn't used to do this

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Server: PMS 1.13.5.5291 on a brand new iMac (3.5GHz i5, 16GB RAM, macOS 10.13.6), with wired connection to home router
Client: Plex for Android 7.3.2.6276 on a Nexus 10, with ‘Recommended’ home streaming setting
Target: Chromecast connected to a Samsung TV
Router: Billion 7800DX with latest firmware

Typically I stream video files of 720p resolution or lower. I’ve been using Plex in exactly the same way for over a year and never had any buffering or stuttering. Recently it’s started, and I have no idea why. But it’s intermittent - some days it affects every file I try, other days it works fine. When it happens, it happens from the word go: the stuttering begins as soon as the file starts playing. Nothing about my home network has changed. The only change to my setup is the new iMac, which replaces a 2013 model which was running the same OS version. I always update PMS and the Plex Android client to the latest versions.

I’ve tried enabling automatic quality adjustment in the Android client, and I’ve tried optimising files on the server (at original quality and for TV), and neither has cured the problem.

I enabled verbose logging in PMS and checked the ‘speed =>’ values as suggested by a FAQ after experiencing stuttering - they’re between 13 and 17 so the transcoder is definitely not struggling. I can’t post the log as I’m a new user.

I’m at a loss here. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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You should be able to now.

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Thanks BigWheel.

An example log is attached. A 720p mkv file begins casting at 20:09:20. Stuttering was seen for the first few minutes of playback, then playback was stopped.

Plex Media Server.log.zip (202.1 KB)

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Would you mind turning off the Verbose logging, Just leave Debug logging on. then reproduce and grab logs again

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Certainly. I’ll try to grab some new logs this evening.

Just out of interest, is it not sufficient to simply filter out lines containing ‘VERBOSE’ from the existing log?

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Wouldn’t you know it… No stuttering over the last 3 days! I’ll post the logs here as soon as it recurs.

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Success! I tried streaming an mp4 file tonight and it stuttered from the beginning. Log is attached.

Playback begins at about 19:35. I let it run for about a minute before capturing the logs.

Plex Media Server.log.zip (33.1 KB)

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Issue is most likely due to a relay bug in the Android app. This is a known issue which appears to have been resolved in the latest 7.5 Android beta.

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Good news @mindfield. Is there an ETA for the public release of 7.5?

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I don’t have any info on that unfortunately… The sooner the better!

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Unfortunately, this issue has just reoccurred with Android 7.5.0.6642 and server 1.13.5.5332. All was well for a few days after I updated to 7.5, but this evening the stuttering happened again between about 20:22 and 20:24 in the attached log.
Plex Media Server.log.zip (69.9 KB)

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