Android TV client: HEVC stutter at 60Hz + embedded subtitles cause heavy lag (HK1-BOX / Android 9)

[lianqq 0]

Hi Emby team,
I’m using Emby on Android TV and found two playback issues + a few feature requests.

Environment

• TV Box: HK1-BOX

• Android TV version: Android 9.0

• Emby Android TV app version: 2.1.32

• Emby Server version: 4.9.3.0

• Server hardware acceleration (GPU transcoding): Disabled

• Playback: Direct Play

Playback Issues

• Some HEVC (H.265) videos stutter, especially when output refresh rate is 60Hz (e.g. 2160p60 / 1080p60).

• Embedded subtitles cause severe stutter/lag every few seconds on some videos. If I turn off embedded subtitles, playback becomes smooth immediately.
  This looks like a subtitle rendering/performance issue (maybe ASS/SSA or PGS tracks).

Feature Requests (Android TV)

• Allow subtitle controls during playback for all subtitle types:

  Subtitle size

  Subtitle position/offset

• Add a manual intro/outro skip by seconds (e.g. Skip intro X sec / Skip outro Y sec) that can be applied to a whole series/season.

 

[Luke 42077]

Hi.  Can you try searching for our standard android app (Just "Emby" on Amazon and "Emby for Android on Google) on the same device's app store and see how that compares?

Thanks.

 

[TMCsw 246]

Please provide logs...

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/739-how-to-report-a-problem/

[lianqq 0]

Hi Luke, I’ve installed the official Emby Android TV app (version 2.1.29g). I used Send Log in the Android TV app right after reproducing two separate issues.

Environment

• Device: HK1-BOX (S905X3), Android 9.0

• Emby Android TV app: 2.1.29g (official)

• Emby Server: 4.9.3.0

• Playback: Direct Play

• Emby user: 123

Issue #1 — Stutter for a few seconds at the very beginning

• Title: 成何体统

• Symptom: At playback start (intro/beginning), it stutters for a few seconds.

• Log sent: around 2026-02-08 12:23 China time (UTC+8) / 2026-02-07 23:23 ET (UTC-5)

Issue #2 — Embedded ASS subtitles cause intermittent stutter

• Title: 海女

• Subtitle: embedded ASS

• Symptom: With ASS subtitles enabled, playback stutters intermittently (every so often for a few seconds). With ASS subtitles disabled, playback becomes smooth immediately.

• Log sent: around 2026-02-08 12:29 China time (UTC+8) / 2026-02-07 23:29 ET (UTC-5)

Feature Requests (Android TV)

• During playback, please allow subtitle adjustments for all subtitle types (including embedded subtitles):

  Subtitle delay/offset

  Subtitle size

  Vertical position (move subtitles up/down)

• Please add a manual intro/outro skip by seconds (e.g. skip intro X seconds / skip outro Y seconds), and allow applying the same values to the whole show/series (all episodes), not just the current episode.

Thanks!

Edited February 8 by lianqq

[lianqq 0]

3 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi.  Can you try searching for our standard android app (Just "Emby" on Amazon and "Emby for Android on Google) on the same device's app store and see how that compares?

Thanks.

 

Hi Luke, I’ve installed the official Emby Android TV app (version 2.1.29g). I used Send Log in the Android TV app right after reproducing two separate issues.

Environment

• Device: HK1-BOX (S905X3), Android 9.0

• Emby Android TV app: 2.1.29g (official)

• Emby Server: 4.9.3.0

• Playback: Direct Play

• Emby user: 123

Issue #1 — Stutter for a few seconds at the very beginning

• Title: 成何体统

• Symptom: At playback start (intro/beginning), it stutters for a few seconds.

• Log sent: around 2026-02-08 12:23 China time (UTC+8) / 2026-02-07 23:23 ET (UTC-5)

Issue #2 — Embedded ASS subtitles cause intermittent stutter

• Title: 海女

• Subtitle: embedded ASS

• Symptom: With ASS subtitles enabled, playback stutters intermittently (every so often for a few seconds). With ASS subtitles disabled, playback becomes smooth immediately.

• Log sent: around 2026-02-08 12:29 China time (UTC+8) / 2026-02-07 23:29 ET (UTC-5)

Feature Requests (Android TV)

• During playback, please allow subtitle adjustments for all subtitle types (including embedded subtitles):

  Subtitle delay/offset

  Subtitle size

  Vertical position (move subtitles up/down)

• Please add a manual intro/outro skip by seconds (e.g. skip intro X seconds / skip outro Y seconds), and allow applying the same values to the whole show/series (all episodes), not just the current episode.

Thanks!

[ebr 16169]

Hi. Please search the store for the app called "Emby for Android" NOT "Emby for Android TV" and try that one.

Thanks.

[lianqq 0]

10 hours ago, ebr said:

Hi. Please search the store for the app called "Emby for Android" NOT "Emby for Android TV" and try that one.

Thanks.

My Android TV store only shows the Android TV app, I can’t find ‘Emby for Android’ on this device.”

[lianqq 0]

10 hours ago, ebr said:

Hi. Please search the store for the app called "Emby for Android" NOT "Emby for Android TV" and try that one.

Thanks.

Hi ebr, I found “Emby for Android” and installed it successfully, but it crashes immediately on launch on my HK1-BOX (Android 9). It looks like this device can only run the Emby for Android TV app reliably.

Could you please focus on the two Send Log reports I submitted earlier from the Android TV app (user 123, around 23:23 ET and 23:29 ET)?

Thanks!

[ebr 16169]

There is nothing abnormal in your logs but the TV app is using a much older version of the player than the other app.  Not sure why the other app wouldn't open for you but we should investigate that.  Can you try the latest version from our web site?

[lianqq 0]

9 hours ago, ebr said:

There is nothing abnormal in your logs but the TV app is using a much older version of the player than the other app.  Not sure why the other app wouldn't open for you but we should investigate that.  Can you try the latest version from our web site?

Hi ebr, I did try the latest Emby for Android APK from your website (not the Play Store). The installation succeeds, but the app crashes immediately on launch — Android shows “App has stopped”.

Device: HK1-BOX (S905X3), Android 9.0.

Is there a specific build I should try (e.g. arm64-v8a or universal)? If you want, I can provide a screenshot of the crash message or a logcat crash log.

Thanks!

[Jdiesel 1431]

Use arm64-v8a for your s905x3 soc

[lianqq 0]

10 hours ago, ebr said:

There is nothing abnormal in your logs but the TV app is using a much older version of the player than the other app.  Not sure why the other app wouldn't open for you but we should investigate that.  Can you try the latest version from our web site?

Hi ebr, I tried the latest Emby for Android APKs from your website on my HK1-BOX (S905X3), Android 9.0:

• arm7 (armeabi-v7a): installs successfully, but crashes immediately on launch (“App has stopped”).

• arm64: cannot be installed (installation failed).

This device may be running a 32-bit Android OS (v7a only). 

Thanks!

[lianqq 0]

14 minutes ago, Jdiesel said:

Use arm64-v8a for your s905x3 soc

Hi  I tried the latest Emby for Android APKs from your website on my HK1-BOX (S905X3), Android 9.0:

• arm7 (armeabi-v7a): installs successfully, but crashes immediately on launch (“App has stopped”).

• arm64: cannot be installed (installation failed).

This device may be running a 32-bit Android OS (v7a only). 

[lianqq 0]

On 2/9/2026 at 11:21 PM, ebr said:

There is nothing abnormal in your logs but the TV app is using a much older version of the player than the other app.  Not sure why the other app wouldn't open for you but we should investigate that.  Can you try the latest version from our web site?

Hi ebr, my device can only run the Emby Android TV app. Based on my testing, I believe the stuttering is largely caused by styled/animated ASS (“effects”) subtitles. Please consider improving ASS effects subtitle rendering performance and stability in the Android TV app in a future update.

 

 

 

[lianqq 0]

On 2/8/2026 at 9:33 AM, Luke said:

Hi.  Can you try searching for our standard android app (Just "Emby" on Amazon and "Emby for Android on Google) on the same device's app store and see how that compares?

Thanks.

 

Hi luke, my device can only run the Emby Android TV app. Based on my testing, I believe the stuttering is largely caused by styled/animated ASS (“effects”) subtitles. Please consider improving ASS effects subtitle rendering performance and stability in the Android TV app in a future update.

 

 

 

[Luke 42077]

Quote

• arm7 (armeabi-v7a): installs successfully, but crashes immediately on launch (“App has stopped”).

Hi, we'll look into what's causing this. Thanks.

[ebr 16169]

12 hours ago, lianqq said:

Please consider improving ASS effects subtitle rendering performance and stability in the Android TV app in a future update.

Hi.  There isn't going to be a lot we can do here unfortunately but the standard app may be able to do better with the newer version of the player.

[RanmaCanada 494]

.ass subtitles require an OBSCENE amount of power to render properly. Zero boxes can handle them when they start to get fancy. And by zero I mean not even the almighty Apple TV can even handle rendering .ass subs, specially if they are styled like so many anime fansub groups love to do to them. If you want them to be rendered properly, you are going to have to either burn them in server side, or switch to watching on a computer. This is not something the Emby dev team can fix, specially on the potato devices that are used for streaming. And I hate to say it, but the chipset in your box is ancient (almost 7 years old), and massively underpowered for the task you are "demanding" it perform for you. An Intel N100 system will wipe the floor with it completely and will handle .ass subs without breaking a sweat. With the current updates to Windows 11, it should also playback HDR and DV content IF your tv set supports it.

I know this is not what you want to read, but that is the sad reality of things. Upgrade your hardware or change your viewing habits.