Emby has been a consistent source of Headaches on my NVIDIA Shield Pro 2019. Stuttering / freezing / audio

[Mkilbride 86]

It doesn't seem to matter anymore.  Randomly releases will hitch for no real reason, or audio desyncs, I've cleared cache, even did a system format of the Shield, changed all the HDMI Cables.  But it just doesn't matter.

 

Randomly, for no reason at all, a release that is direct playing will just pause in the Android App. But then, if I switch over to the AndroidTV App - It just works. But occasionally I will get some hitching.  

 

It is a direct connection to my media server via Ethernet cable.  

 

This does not happen in Plex, or Jellyfin. Both play files flawlessly and without issue. However, I paid for Emby Premiere and use it so my friends can enjoy my media server, and over the years it has only gotten worse support. Sometimes when I start a file, Emby itself will just crash and re-load, then I play it again and it just works.  It also has issues with needing to burn in ASS/SSA subtitles for formatting or when they display, I get huge slowdowns and the videos can stutter like mad. Plex direct plays them without issue. 

 

My PC is running a 5800X3D and a 5090.  I am running the latest builds of Emby Server. 

 

I don't want to use Plex or Jellyfin, as Plex is riddled with ads and nonsense features I do not want and Jellyfin just isn't what I want. I paid for Emby.  I've been trying to ignore these issues for years, but it's becoming very difficult lately when I get people complaining to me about why movies are freezing or skipping. What is going on with Emby Development? There's been basic features requested for 5 years that still aren't implemented, like selecting a series audio / subtitle track en masse.  I'm going to have use Plex for playing movies I guess though because it's just become too annoying.  And no, log files will not help. Over the years, I've posted logfiles for you, given you samples of the media I was trying to play and nothing comes of it. 

[Luke 42077]

 

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

 

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

FWIW: I have been almost exclusively using EMBY on my Shield and I have zero problems like you describe. I do have a few issues but I have virtually no playback issues.
The one thing I almost always think of when confronted with playback problems like you describe is connection issues. Your server should NEVER be connected wirelessly and weird problems happen when it is. Also even if you have a very strong and stable signal a wireless connection to it a client can have problems ranging from jus a little glitchy to virtually total failure of playback because wireless connections are easily interfered with by just random noise from many different things in your house of even a neighbor's if you live close enough. I have even seen one case where interference was caused by a fireplace poker hanging stationary in its rack. (If anyone is interested in how that happened I am happy to expound but I use enough words to bore anybody and I do not want to detract from this thread by getting too far afield) 

If your server or your Shield is connected wirelessly then I suggest you connect them wired to eliminate the possibility of wireless glitches. 

Beyond that you should follow the instructions that have been given here for supplying additional needed data and the experts here may well be able to help. 

[monkeyfella 14]

On 11/17/2025 at 6:08 PM, Gilgamesh_48 said:

FWIW: I have been almost exclusively using EMBY on my Shield and I have zero problems like you describe. I do have a few issues but I have virtually no playback issues.
The one thing I almost always think of when confronted with playback problems like you describe is connection issues. Your server should NEVER be connected wirelessly and weird problems happen when it is. Also even if you have a very strong and stable signal a wireless connection to it a client can have problems ranging from jus a little glitchy to virtually total failure of playback because wireless connections are easily interfered with by just random noise from many different things in your house of even a neighbor's if you live close enough. I have even seen one case where interference was caused by a fireplace poker hanging stationary in its rack. (If anyone is interested in how that happened I am happy to expound but I use enough words to bore anybody and I do not want to detract from this thread by getting too far afield) 

If your server or your Shield is connected wirelessly then I suggest you connect them wired to eliminate the possibility of wireless glitches. 

Beyond that you should follow the instructions that have been given here for supplying additional needed data and the experts here may well be able to help. 

I have been using the android tv app without issues for years.. it’s the new android version that has problems. Videos that stutter and subtitles that doesn’t work.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, monkeyfella said:

I have been using the android tv app without issues for years.. it’s the new android version that has problems. Videos that stutter and subtitles that doesn’t work.

Same experience here.  Shieldtv pro using androidTV app for years without issues.  The standard android app on the shieldtv has glitchy audio/video and crashes once a week at least. 

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

2 hours ago, monkeyfella said:

I have been using the android tv app without issues for years.. it’s the new android version that has problems. Videos that stutter and subtitles that doesn’t work.

I use the "new" version exclusively on my Shield and have exactly zero problems like you describe.

To be fair I do not use high bitrate files at all and the subs I use are all imbedded in MKV files. Even three hour movies are less that 4gb and the vast majority are less than 2gb. 

[Luke 42077]

For video stuttering, please try Emby for Android 3.5.25 and let us know how that compares:

https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

Thanks.

[popy 71]

Same issue here on the shield pro 2019 with Emby for Android TV 

On an episode (~50min) it just pauses (video and audio freezes, sometimes multiple times) . The UI is responsive and if I forward/rewind just a few secs, and maybe (not always), it starts to play again. 

 

On the shield I have no issues with other streaming apps. Also my network is ok.

@Lukeis this also a known issue on the Android TV version and a fix for this incoming?

Edited February 6 by popy

[Mkilbride 86]

I've been dealing with this for years. Never found a solution, but doing what you said can help. 

[Luke 42077]

4 hours ago, popy said:

Same issue here on the shield pro 2019 with Emby for Android TV 

On an episode (~50min) it just pauses (video and audio freezes, sometimes multiple times) . The UI is responsive and if I forward/rewind just a few secs, and maybe (not always), it starts to play again. 

 

On the shield I have no issues with other streaming apps. Also my network is ok.

@Lukeis this also a known issue on the Android TV version and a fix for this incoming?

@popy

Hi there, please attach the Emby server log from when the problem occurred:

How to Report a Problem

Thanks!

 

[popy 71]

@Lukeif it happens again, i will get a log.