FireStick 4K - Buffering / Lagging issue with 4K content (and 1080p content too)

[ABOhiccups 3]

Emby (both Fire TV and Android App) on FireStick 4K keeps buffering / lagging on 4K video a lot. 1080p video also buffering / lagging too (not as much as 4K video). This was tested in Local Network.

I never have this issue on other platforms like LG, iOS, and Web Browser.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

34 minutes ago, ABOhiccups said:

Emby (both Fire TV and Android App) on FireStick 4K keeps buffering / lagging on 4K video a lot. 1080p video also buffering / lagging too (not as much as 4K video). This was tested in Local Network.

I never have this issue on other platforms like LG, iOS, and Web Browser.

The Fire Stick 4K uses wireless connection to your network and 4K video have, generally, high to very high bit rates so the first thing I would do is look at your wireless setup and look at both signal level and signal quality at the stick's location. 

I used to have a similar problem but I do not use 4K at all so it was not the high bitrate. I finally discovered that my TV was emitting some rf interference and it could suddenly have too many dropped packets. I was using the short (VERY short) HDMI extension cable that came with my Fire Stick but I changed that to a 3 ft. extension and placed my Fire Stick so that it had nothing between it and my router and the problems disappeared and has not reoccurred. I cannot say that your problem is not with Emby but it does sound more like an environment problem. 

[ABOhiccups 3]

1 minute ago, Gilgamesh_48 said:

The Fire Stick 4K uses wireless connection to your network and 4K video have, generally, high to very high bit rates so the first thing I would do is look at your wireless setup and look at both signal level and signal quality at the stick's location. 

I used to have a similar problem but I do not use 4K at all so it was not the high bitrate. I finally discovered that my TV was emitting some rf interference and it could suddenly have too many dropped packets. I was using the short (VERY short) HDMI extension cable that came with my Fire Stick but I changed that to a 3 ft. extension and placed my Fire Stick so that it had nothing between it and my router and the problems disappeared and has not reoccurred. I cannot say that your problem is not with Emby but it does sound more like an environment problem. 

I use a USB Wired Ethernet Adapter made for Amazon FireStick devices.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

23 minutes ago, ABOhiccups said:

I use a USB Wired Ethernet Adapter made for Amazon FireStick devices.

Are you sure that is working correctly. I do not use one anywhere, as I mainly use my Shield TV and it is connected wired, also if was ever connected wirelessly I wonder if it could revert. The programming of the Fire Stick, I understand, can reset how it is connected to local networks. 
My Shield automagically reverts to wireless if it loses its wired connection, I should think that the Shield's behavior could be emulated by the Fire as well.

But I was just making a suggestion. 

Oh, one more thing: When my Shield loses its wired connection and reverts to wireless it stayed wireless until it does a power cycle or reboots for some other reason. They, just recently, fixed that so that the Shield always goes to its preferred connection if it is lost and then regained. 
I wonder if a power cycle could be needed for your stick.

[ebr 16169]

 

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

 

[ABOhiccups 3]

16 hours ago, ebr said:

 

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

 

It's not collecting logs from Fire TV / Android App. I enabled Debug Log and App Log. I restart both app and server. I don't see any logs after testing a 4K movie.

[Luke 42077]

11 hours ago, ABOhiccups said:

It's not collecting logs from Fire TV / Android App. I enabled Debug Log and App Log. I restart both app and server. I don't see any logs after testing a 4K movie.

HI, let's start with the server log files and then we'll go from there. Thanks.

[ABOhiccups 3]

2 hours ago, Luke said:

HI, let's start with the server log files and then we'll go from there. Thanks.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42077]

@ABOhiccups are you still having an issue with this?

[ABOhiccups 3]

On 6/10/2025 at 11:21 PM, Luke said:

@ABOhiccups are you still having an issue with this?

Yes

[Luke 42077]

OK we are looking into this. Thanks.