Video stutters regularly on iPad and AppleTV

Plex Players
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1

I regularly have videos stuttering (freeze) and then jump forward about 10 seconds, then audio starts again, but it takes another 5 seconds before the video continues. This happens with both x264 and x265 codecs. It happens on iPad over WiFi and also on AppleTV (Ethernet connection).

This phenomenon started a few months ago and has continued to get worse and worse (in some videos 5-6 times within a 30 minute video.

Below the logs of when this happens.

Any ideas how to resolve this?

Thanks!
Server Version#: 1.41.8.9834
Player Version#: 2025.18.0 (1109)
Server Logs:
Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.426 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] Play progress on 117258 ‘Leap Day’ - got played 406000 ms by account 1!

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.427 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] [Now] User is cfletcher (ID: 1)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.427 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] [Now] Device is iOS (iPad).

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.427 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] [Now] Profile is iOS

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.427 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] [Now] Updated play state for /library/metadata/117258.

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.427 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758cf] Statistics: (DC6D87E7-34B5-440A-8DF5-1392891EA655) Reporting active playback in state 0 of type 4 (scrobble: 0) for account 1

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:13.429 [0x16b90b000] DEBUG - Completed: [x:53267] 200 GET /:/timeline?key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F117258&ratingKey=117258&playQueueItemID=847791&duration=1295337&time=406000&playbackTime=233260&hasMDE=1&context=home%3AcontinueWatching&row=0&col=0&state=playing (5 live) #758cf TLS GZIP 6ms 502 bytes (pipelined: 426)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:16.531 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - Request: [x:65325 (WAN)] GET /library/parts/333057/1750183642/file.mkv (6 live) #7589e TLS Signed-in Token (cfletcher) (range: bytes=511695910-)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:16.541 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - Content-Length of /Volumes/media/TVShows/Modern Family/Season 3/Modern Family - S03E17 - Leap Day Bluray-1080p.mkv is 1050835420 (of total: 1562531330).

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:16.547 [0x16b90b000] DEBUG - Failed to stream media, client probably disconnected after 35127296 bytes: 32 - Broken pipe

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:16.547 [0x16b90b000] DEBUG - Completed after connection close: [x.65324] 206 GET /library/parts/333057/1750183642/file.mkv (6 live) #75894 TLS 28094ms 35127296 bytes (range: bytes=480246822-)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:17.619 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - Request: [x:65326 (WAN)] GET /library/parts/333057/1750183642/file.mkv (6 live) #758f2 TLS Signed-in Token (cfletcher) (range: bytes=533722184-)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:17.620 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - Content-Length of /Volumes/media/TVShows/Modern Family/Season 3/Modern Family - S03E17 - Leap Day Bluray-1080p.mkv is 1028809146 (of total: 1562531330).

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:17.625 [0x16b90b000] DEBUG - Failed to stream media, client probably disconnected after 22790144 bytes: 32 - Broken pipe

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:17.625 [0x16b90b000] DEBUG - Completed after connection close: [x:65325] 206 GET /library/parts/333057/1750183642/file.mkv (6 live) #7589e TLS 1093ms 22790144 bytes (range: bytes=511695910-)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:21.711 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - Request: [x:53267 (WAN)] GET /:/timeline?key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F117258&ratingKey=117258&playQueueItemID=847791&duration=1295337&time=420000&playbackTime=241552&hasMDE=1&context=home%3AcontinueWatching&row=0&col=0&state=paused (5 live) #758ef TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (cfletcher)

Jun 19, 2025 15:14:21.712 [0x16bb3b000] DEBUG - [Req#758ef] Client [DC6D87E7-34B5-440A-8DF5-1392891EA655] reporting timeline state paused, progress of 420000/1295337ms for guid=, playbackTime=241552ms ratingKey=117258 url=, key=/library/metadata/117258, containerKey=, metadataId=117258, source=

2

What Mac Hardware is your Server?

I have not seen this issue with Mac Mini M4 Pro running same Plex Versions.

MacOS version on Server?

3

I am running on a Mac Mini M1. MacOS 15.4.1 (24E263)

4

DNS, you should be using 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8

5

Why do you think it has to do with DNS? I use my firewall as internal DNS resolver which uses external DNS. But I also have the issues within my internal network which does not need resolution to Google DNS

6

All DNS are not born alike, depending on how your network is set up clients require regular authorisation with the Mother ship and Metadata agents.

Where to you have your Plex storage?

7

Thanks for your help, SE56! Much appreciated. My files are on a Synology NAS.

I can reproduce the stuttering. Within a video it keeps happening at the same timestamp. But not at the same timestamp in different videos. This is why I do not think it‘s a network issue as network issues would not have such an effect.

It kind of feels like the files are corrupted and Plex cannot deal with the errors. But I cannot see anything in the logs.

1 Like
8

You could try remuxing in MKVToolNix, it’s free and easy.

9

Tried remuxing, but did not change anything. Exact same behavior. Any other ideas?

10

I’m seeing that on a regular basis on an iPad (but not on AppleTV).
All files are h264 .mp4 that do not require any re-encoding and should work through passthrough on botht hte iPad and AppleTV.
I’m generaly using a locally, self-hosted DNS, but changing the DNS to 1.1.1.1 doesn’t make the slightest difference.

11

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