Stuttering and start/stop when using Google TV with Chromecast. 1080p

[jang430 10]

Hi.  My Emby server is on a Qnap NAS, with GPU passthrough.  Whenever using laptop to stream, I don't have any problems.  1080p and now, 4K hevc works without problems.  Playback is smooth.  I also have 2 Chromecast w/ Google TV , 1 in each room, with their own Unifi AP on each room, and yet, when you start playback, it take a while to start.  During playback, you can see the movements isn't really very smooth, then after 10 seconds or so, it pauses, then starts playback again.  

I checked my Unifi AP's wifi experience says excellent, Chromecast w/ Google TV is connected to the 5GHz range, and signal strength is about -55 db.  For those unfamiliar with Unifi, I believe this is very good signal strength.  Though I don't know what's the problem.

I installed Kodi, and installed Emby addon, with the same results.  I don't have a USB to RJ45 dongle to connect to the Chromecast w/ Google TV dongle to test performance if wired.

Lastly, I bought the Chromecast w/ Google TV 1080p edition, NOT the 4K edition, as my TV isn't 4K.  

What could be causing this problem?  

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by jang430
CORRECTION

[Luke 42078]

 

Hi there, let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. Thanks!

 

[jang430 10]

Please see attached logsffmpeg-transcode-b0c9f30b-ebe2-4f13-8e6d-f6e434b02ed8_1 (1).txt

[jang430 10]

Hello.  Can someone help check what's causing my problem?

[ebr 16176]

Hi.  That specific playback is pretty intense (burning in PGS subs) but it appears your server is keeping up with it fine.  That and this:

On 7/12/2023 at 11:56 PM, jang430 said:

I installed Kodi, and installed Emby addon, with the same results

are highly suggestive of a network throughput issue.  I would try the 2.4 channel on the device.  While it is technically slower, it is plenty fast enough for this operation and the signal strength should be better.

Then, also, there are a lot of errors related to HWA being thrown in your log so you might test without that enabled (although, I suspect, the server may not be able to transcode fast enough in that case).  Providing text-based (SRT) subs could help as well.

[jang430 10]

OK on the 2.4 Ghz connection.  

What is HWA? 

If the server not able to transcode fast enough, doesn't the gpu help?

[ebr 16176]

5 hours ago, jang430 said:

What is HWA? 

HardWare Acceleration (IOW using your GPU to help transcode).  There are errors in your log related to that that are probably what is slowing the start of the item.  However, I suspect  if you turn that off, your machine will not be able to transcode fast enough.

[Luke 42078]

Quote

I don't have a USB to RJ45 dongle to connect to the Chromecast w/ Google TV dongle to test performance if wired.

It might be worth picking one up though to see how it will compare.

[jang430 10]

Yes, my NAS will totally stop working if I do 4k playback    I wonder if using a more powerful HWA can reduce this error.

@LukeI have 2 units, and I also recommended the same to another person, all with strong wifi signals (same room). We experience the same problem.  I'm beginning to think this is a hardware capability issue rather than transfer speed.

I think definitely the Chromecast device is under powered.  Add to that there are problems with my Quadro P400 GPU, maybe that's why I'm experiencing said problems.

[Luke 42078]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:53 PM, Luke said:

It might be worth picking one up though to see how it will compare.

Did you end up trying this?

[jang430 10]

I didn't.  

[Luke 42078]

Are you still having an issue with this?

[jang430 10]

Yes.  Still have the same issue.  I have below screenshot of emby server activities.  

Both devices connected via wireless to the same tv, Input 1 and Input 4.  Both devices playing the same file at the same time.  The A95X plays this without a glitch, while the Chromecast stutters to unacceptable levels. 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by jang430

[Luke 42078]

Can you try the Emby app on the Chromecast?

[jang430 10]

I did, and it had the same outcome.

[jang430 10]

I basically had the issue solved.  I had a Tivo Stream 4K on loan.  It can stream perfectly all the 4Ks that the Chromecast can't.  So far, whatever I throw at it, it's been able to handle it without a glitch.  In my defense, I originally thought Chromecast, though don't support 4K TV, does support 4K native playback.  I'm wrong.  Though there's one thing that I don't understand, why doesn't Emby transcode it to a type that Chromecast can playback?

[Luke 42078]

22 hours ago, jang430 said:

Though there's one thing that I don't understand, why doesn't Emby transcode it to a type that Chromecast can playback?

It does. We do detect the supported formats. Can we please see an example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks.

[jang430 10]

Hello @LukeI'm revisiting my issues of movie playback on my Google TV with Chromecast. Movie in question is 1080p VC1. It's still stuttering.  I'm now connected to my Unifi's 2.4 Ghz network.

ffmpeg-transcode-2ade0676-3450-4e3a-b467-b819b58f89c7_1.txt

[rbjtech 5284]

It is transcoding more than fast enough - what do you mean by stuttering ?  Is it pausing and then playing or or not 'smooth' during playback ?

Worth putting your transcoding temporary folder on a SSD, NVME or RAM drive so see if that improves things.

[jang430 10]

Playing then stopping, then playing again. Even with transcoding fast enough. I will reach how to put the transcoding tmp folder on an ssd, if not yet already. I will check.

[ebr 16176]

3 hours ago, jang430 said:

Playing then stopping, then playing again

That would indicate that the player is probably not getting fed data fast enough - which would point to a network issue.

If you bring up the stats for nerds, you don't see any dropped frames do you?

[jang430 10]

 

Sorry, I just took a picture of the stats from the TV.  Less stopping when using emby app on Google TV.  Major stop/ start when using Kodi on same device.   Kodi says "read rate too low for continuous playback."

[rbjtech 5284]

8 minutes ago, jang430 said:

Sorry, I just took a picture of the stats from the TV.  Less stopping when using emby app on Google TV.  Major stop/ start when using Kodi on same device.   Kodi says "read rate too low for continuous playback."

.. giving you a very specific clue about why you have issues.

Either it can't read the data fast enough off the disk (hence my SSD comment earlier) or your wifi/ethernet connection to the end device is simply not good enough and cannot sustain the required bitrate.  (wifi4 is a big clue here..)

Edited December 11, 2023 by rbjtech

[jang430 10]

Before WiFi 4, 2.4 GHz, I had it connect to 5 GHz.  I had the same experience.  But I'll give it another try.

[jang430 10]

How much speed is needed to stream such file?  from 9.92 to 48.9 Mbps?  I'm still experiencing the same issues.