I was experiencing stutter lag issues on my Apple TV / PlexConnect over a WiFi connection. Everything worked fine when approaching the Plex Media Server as a DLNA service or when watching from an iPad but Apple TV and PlexConnect hardly worked properly for me.
When you buy a movie from the Apple store or watch a Movie Trailer the "normal" way, I remember noticing this white buffer line on the movie progress bar. Why is Apple TV not doing this in combination with PlexConnect?
Turns out this is related to the movie format. I converted all my video files to M4V format. Since then, Apple TV buffers my files and stutter / lag issues have disappeared.
Disadvantages:
- you have to convert your files (easy to do, even for a bunch of files, with a tool like MKV2M4V)
When you buy a movie from the Apple store or watch a Movie Trailer the "normal" way, I remember noticing this white buffer line on the movie progress bar. Why is Apple TV not doing this in combination with PlexConnect?
Turns out this is related to the movie format. I converted all my video files to M4V format. Since then, Apple TV buffers my files and stutter / lag issues have disappeared.
I don't think so. My ATV is caching (white line in progress bar) also when i play mkv or anything other. But, some file format or size is big for wlan speed, so there is not enough data to cache. Take a file which is stutter on ATV and set Plex to transcode always, you'll see that the cache bar will came up.
Thanks for posting. I' have always experienced it too. In aTV rented movie the progress bar gets filled and filled-Buffers fast and all the time. That doensn't happen in PlexConnect, which from speed look have no reason cause speed in gettings videos from my mac to router to aTV is same/faster them download from Apple to router then to aTV. Anyway with other formats i don't understand why this problem is exist too .. After all PMS converts it to mp4 so it should buffer good, doesn't it?(If what you dais about mp4 buffer is right)
I don't think so. My ATV is caching (white line in progress bar) also when i play mkv or anything other. But, some file format or size is big for wlan speed, so there is not enough data to cache. Take a file which is stutter on ATV and set Plex to transcode always, you'll see that the cache bar will came up.
Hi Manuel, tried what you suggested. Took a 900MB MKV, ATV does not buffer on any of the transcoder setting (Auto, Transcode or DirectPlay) and I have my server configured as 'Make my CPU hurt' but the CPU isn't doing much.
Took the same file, converted it to 1,5GB M4V, transcoding set to 'Auto' and it immediatly starts buffering. Screenshots added to my original post.
Hi Manuel, tried what you suggested. Took a 900MB MKV, ATV does not buffer on any of the transcoder setting (Auto, Transcode or DirectPlay) and I have my server configured as 'Make my CPU hurt' but the CPU isn't doing much.
Took the same file, converted it to 1,5GB M4V, transcoding set to 'Auto' and it immediatly starts buffering. Screenshots added to my original post.
I think it have something to do with PlexConnect. After all, the files ARE being converted to MP4, otherwise they wouldn't play, so, why they are not buffering far as mp4 files?
It's not the transcode that is slow, on iPad it loads fast like mp4 with PlexConnect, and computer has to do same transcode to play on iPad .. check mkv files on iPad yourselves ..
Q: what codecs are using in your MKV files? Usually those hold h264 as well, which would perfectly fit into an M4V container. You should be able to just remux your MKV files, giving about the same size (also, this should be done in about 2min per file...)
With transcoding, the PMS is not generating a plain M4V file, it is "streaming" the content to the aTV. Usually, it should be ahead enough to provide sufficient buffer. I have no idea, why this seems to make problems for some? Also, as soon as you start watching a movie, PlexConnect doesn't do anything big any more. It did its task - connecting aTV to PMS. Providing the actual movie data (transcoded or not) is PMS's job. Please check the PMS logs, if you find any indication of transcoder issues, or hints that the pre-transcoded buffer gets into an under run.
With transcoding, the PMS is not generating a plain M4V file, it is "streaming" the content to the aTV. Usually, it should be ahead enough to provide sufficient buffer. I have no idea, why this seems to make problems for some? Also, as soon as you start watching a movie, PlexConnect doesn't do anything big any more. It did its task - connecting aTV to PMS. Providing the actual movie data (transcoded or not) is PMS's job. Please check the PMS logs, if you find any indication of transcoder issues, or hints that the pre-transcoded buffer gets into an under run.
Interesting info. That sheds some light on transcode for me. So, in my case of the M4V, with Plexconnect set to Auto, what does PMS do different? Does it send the file to ATV and let the ATV do the transcoding? What is the difference between transcode and directplay?
Interesting info. That sheds some light on transcode for me. So, in my case of the M4V, with Plexconnect set to Auto, what does PMS do different? Does it send the file to ATV and let the ATV do the transcoding? What is the difference between transcode and directplay?
Transcode is a reencoding of the movie (takes a lot of CPU power) whereas direct streaming is remuxing to a compatible container on the fly (much less power than transcoding) and direct play is just playing the file.
Transcoding and remuxing is done at the PMS end.
You should be looking at the PMS logs to know what is being done for a particular file.
Bear in mind if your PMS hardware is not very powerful and you r are transcoding or if your wifi is not great then you may experience issues.
Transcode is a reencoding of the movie (takes a lot of CPU power) whereas direct streaming is remuxing to a compatible container on the fly (much less power than transcoding) and direct play is just playing the file.
Transcoding and remuxing is done at the PMS end.
You should be looking at the PMS logs to know what is being done for a particular file.
Bear in mind if your PMS hardware is not very powerful and you r are transcoding or if your wifi is not great then you may experience issues.
So in the case of my M4V that ATV immediatly starts buffering, PlexConnect is doing DirectPlay?
Processing power is not the issue here since I have an i5 that is barely showing any CPU activity in transcode mode.
If network bandwith is the problem, my much larger M4V would definitly choke up and it would not be buffering so fast.
It think Plex Star is right, the problem is PlexConnect.
>>It think Plex Star is right, the problem is PlexConnect.
and my comment a couple of posts up:
>>Also, as soon as you start watching a movie, PlexConnect doesn't do anything big any more. It did its task - connecting aTV to PMS. Providing the actual movie data (transcoded or not) is PMS's job. Please check the PMS logs, if you find any indication of transcoder issues, or hints that the pre-transcoded buffer gets into an under run.
>>It think Plex Star is right, the problem is PlexConnect.
and my comment a couple of posts up:
>>Also, as soon as you start watching a movie, PlexConnect doesn't do anything big any more. It did its task - connecting aTV to PMS. Providing the actual movie data (transcoded or not) is PMS's job. Please check the PMS logs, if you find any indication of transcoder issues, or hints that the pre-transcoded buffer gets into an under run.
How do those two go together?
I fail to see the evidence for your conclusion.
You did imply that in transcode mode PlexConnect should be ahead enough to provide sufficient buffer and that for some this isn't working properly.
I'm ruling out CPU and network bandwith. If a 2-5GB M4V plays and buffers flawlessly over my WiFi, I don't see why the stutter/lag on a 700Mb MKV in transcode mode could be the result of network bandwith problem. In addition I don't have any issues on other iOS devices connecting directly to PMS or approaching PMS as a DLNA server.
So, I tend to follow what you implied and I think PlexConnect is the problem. You did not state that this is in fact the case so my apologies for this.
Atv natively plays mp4’s all day and is what I stick to. Why not just invest in some $50 home plug ethernet power line adapters and call it a day, or run a ethernet cable. If you don’t wan’t to invest in them and wish to punish your atv by transcoding on wifi all day convert your .mkv to .m4v or .mp4 using iflicks app about 5min or less typically per movie/tv show to prevent the buffering issues. App is about $20, but enabling the ethernet is a click it and forget it solution. Eventually you will need these more then likely the way technology is evolving.
You did imply that in transcode mode PlexConnect should be ahead enough to provide sufficient buffer and that for some this isn't working properly.
I'm ruling out CPU and network bandwith. If a 2-5GB M4V plays and buffers flawlessly over my WiFi, I don't see why the stutter/lag on a 700Mb MKV in transcode mode could be the result of network bandwith problem. In addition I don't have any issues on other iOS devices connecting directly to PMS or approaching PMS as a DLNA server.
So, I tend to follow what you implied and I think PlexConnect is the problem. You did not state that this is in fact the case so my apologies for this.
You have missed Baa's point, PlexConnect is not involved at that stage and it is merely a conversation between your PMS and your ATV.
If you file is being served up natively (or direct streamed?) then you will see the ATV fill up the buffer to a large extent.
If the file is being transcoded then it is being served as a stream, the only devices with control over the buffer size for this are the PMS and the ATV.
You really need to see what is happening in specific circumstances by looking at the PMS logs for particular files.
Wifi is not, for a lot of setups, a reliable enough networking method for hi def media consumption hit is is hard to tell what is going on as you are not investigating the specifics of a particular file.
Atv natively plays mp4's all day and is what I stick to. Why not just invest in some $50 home plug ethernet power line adapters and call it a day, or run a ethernet cable. If you don't wan't to invest in them and wish to punish your atv by transcoding on wifi all day convert your .mkv to .m4v or .mp4 using iflicks app about 5min or less typically per movie/tv show to prevent the buffering issues. App is about $20, but enabling the ethernet is a click it and forget it solution. Eventually you will need these more then likely the way technology is evolving.
Yep, that's not a solution .. People don't only use there videos via apple tv and want the original video with best quailty on platforms it can be viewed without convert ..
You have missed Baa's point, PlexConnect is not involved at that stage and it is merely a conversation between your PMS and your ATV.
If you file is being served up natively (or direct streamed?) then you will see the ATV fill up the buffer to a large extent.
If the file is being transcoded then it is being served as a stream, the only devices with control over the buffer size for this are the PMS and the ATV.
You really need to see what is happening in specific circumstances by looking at the PMS logs for particular files.
Wifi is not, for a lot of setups, a reliable enough networking method for hi def media consumption hit is is hard to tell what is going on as you are not investigating the specifics of a particular file.
Thank you for this explanation but I think that is the problem no? When my field are being served natively, I don't have the stutter or lag. When I transcode, I have the stutter only through PlexConnect, I don't have it on my iPad which does not use PlexConnect. So, how would my wifi connection be a problem in the case of my ATV when it is doing just fine transcoding to my iPad at the same settings.
Also add the RF interference from your TV (/other audio visual gear), potentially older wifi chip, worse antennas and different position. You are comparing apples and oranges. It would be much more helpful to see the specifics of what is happening to a problem file that you can repeat the issue with.
i stream 8 gb full hd files to the tv in the kids room over wifi with no stutter, lags or buffering ever...
i had problems previous.. but then i bought a new router and now its working as a charm .. never any issues..
even when i stream wifi to the kitchen ATV and the kids room at the same time.. while watching a movie in the living room (ethernet) i dont have any problems..
i stream 8 gb full hd files to the tv in the kids room over wifi with no stutter, lags or buffering ever...
i had problems previous.. but then i bought a new router and now its working as a charm .. never any issues..
even when i stream wifi to the kitchen ATV and the kids room at the same time.. while watching a movie in the living room (ethernet) i dont have any problems..
u should try another router
Not bad. I have same problems on 802.11N router and aTV connected to bridge router via etherent
