Buffering (?) via web player

[waces 1]

Hi,

I've got a ReadyNAS with Emby installed and configured (4.5.2.0). I connect to this emby server using my browser (tested with various). The watcher node and the nas are on the same, inernal network. No packet loss, no dropped packages, etc.

When I try to watch a movie it stats fine but after a few minutes start "buffering" (stops then within 1-2 sec continue the playback, then stop, start, stop, start, etc). Even if i reduce the quality during playback (same for 1080/60 and 720/4).

Logs attached

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-remux-52555af2-8638-48b8-ac88-19a792798962_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-cfc79bb1-baab-498a-8f43-4d7def6f56ff_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-f3e98cdb-e372-418f-ad2b-2de121458ea3_1.txt

Edited December 22, 2020 by waces

[Abobader 3464]

Hello waces,

Please wait for someone from staff support or our members to reply to you.

It's recommended to provide more info, as it explain in this thread:

Thank you.

Emby Team

[Luke 42079]

Hi there, are you able to update to 4.5.4?

[waces 1]

Sure, updating now, will let you know if it's solve the issue or not

[Luke 42079]

Let us know how you get on. Thanks.

[waces 1]

Hi,

Still appears but not each and every time (seems the samsung app provide the issue each and every time, the ios app produce the issue in ~10% of playbacks and the windows10 app produce the issue approx 20% of the playbacks)

All versions are on the lates ones (samsung app store, ios app store and the windows app from your website download part).

The attached log covers the same mkv file played back on samsung tv with the official app (issue occurs every 15-20 sec for 1-3 sec) and then on a windows10 device with the emby app and the issue not appeared at all.

embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-aa8afa9f-f071-4b9f-b771-27a6dda395ee_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-41938aae-d6be-493f-a75a-ec99cbc9a5b9_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-5ca61412-0b37-4583-8bc0-d6c607185f18_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-c52cdbd0-a61f-41ed-b29d-a0cd205db8e8_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-18329fc8-ab79-4d77-a1ec-48f49a4467df_1.txt

[Luke 42079]

Normally this kind of buffering means the bitrate just too high for the connection. I would try lowering the in-app quality setting and see if that helps. For example, try setting it to around 1 mbps. If this, then you can raise it as high as you can while still being able to sustain smooth playback.

[waces 1]

Hi Luke,

That was my initial thought as well, but lowering the bitrate (even below 720p) doesn't made any difference (went down to 480 which is pretty much the useless ratio are).

And uaing different devices but the same network and same emby server led to various results as above

[Luke 42079]

Hi, are you still running into this?

[waces 1]

well, as the issue won't fix itself. yes, as above still appears in some cases

[Carlo 4561]

How is your NAS connected to the network? Ethernet or WIFI?

Have you experience this issue on any client attached to the network via Ethernet cable or only WIFI?

[waces 1]

Hi Cayars.

Every devices are connected via wifi (same wifi for all). No option to connect these devices via cable (due the current setup, the hardware limitations of some devices and the building). However not every devices produce the issue.

[Carlo 4561]

That's kind of what I thought.  To me this sounds like a network issue or wifi issue.

You mentioned windows 10 as one having an issue.  Just as a test can you plug this computer into your network via Ethernet and see if the problem goes away?

 

[waces 1]

9 minutes ago, cayars said:

That's kind of what I thought.  To me this sounds like a network issue or wifi issue.

You mentioned windows 10 as one having an issue.  Just as a test can you plug this computer into your network via Ethernet and see if the problem goes away?

 

Hi Cayars.

Will require a bit of time but will do amd let you know. However see no patterns when the issue occurs on the wifi amd when not. But we'll see

Thanks

[Luke 42079]

Let us know how you get on. Thanks !

[waces 1]

Hi, sorry for the late response but required a bit of reorganization. So far if the nas (emby server) on wired network and the client (native emby app) are both on wired network the issue happens rarely (like 3 times during a ~6 hrs test). However being on wired netwrok is not an option. Especially when the wireless network speed is more than sufficiant (or at least hope so ) for streaming (where streaming is a lan based streaming as wan based streaming like netflix or apple tv never had an issue). Even if I use only 2.4 Ghz network on both devices (but in my case it's 2.4/5Ghz wifi). I understand that 1080i streaming is heavily network related (but once again this wifi speed could be enough) so i tested on wifi with a few, very small (300-400 megs) video with low (sd, 480p) quality. The issue occured on those sporadically (like video streaming stopped but the subtitles moved forward), during this time the only think i was able to see is some disk read/write on the nas but nothing major and not in pair with the issue itself.

However i tested on the wifi again with 1080/720 mkvs and when emby started puffering simply tried to play the mkv file with kodi or with the device native player (like the media player on the samsung smart tv) and not a single glitch.Will try to capture the actual CPU load as I think it's more like CPU related (that's why kodi have no issues as on the CPU side it's much more powerful than the nas)

Hope it helps.

[Carlo 4561]

6 hours ago, waces said:

So far if the nas (emby server) on wired network and the client (native emby app) are both on wired network the issue happens rarely

Tht pretty much says it all right there.

[waces 1]

On 15/01/2021 at 17:14, cayars said:

Tht pretty much says it all right there.

nope. the issue occurs on both wired and wireless but less frequently on wired, but frankly who use wired connection in the 21st century? also, not related with the wifi load/speed as native apps or kodi plays with no issues using the same wifi/nas

[Carlo 4561]

In your previous message you mentioned it only happened a couple of times on a 6 or so hour period on Ethernet which is likely going to happen if something else uses the network briefly.

Things will not be optimal when your Emby Server is attached via WIFI.  Unlike Ethernet, wifi is asynchronous and isn't good for trying to send lots of bits at the same time in two different directions. 

[pwhodges 2012]

15 hours ago, waces said:

but frankly who use wired connection in the 21st century?

People who want reliable connections, of course!

Paul

[waces 1]

9 hours ago, pwhodges said:

People who want reliable connections, of course!

Paul

well, except its not true. wifi can be reliable enough (like no issues with kodi or native app on the same network).

[waces 1]

10 hours ago, cayars said:

In your previous message you mentioned it only happened a couple of times on a 6 or so hour period on Ethernet which is likely going to happen if something else uses the network briefly.

Things will not be optimal when your Emby Server is attached via WIFI.  Unlike Ethernet, wifi is asynchronous and isn't good for trying to send lots of bits at the same time in two different directions. 

maybe in this case would be good to change the requirements to ethernet only

[Carlo 4561]

31 minutes ago, waces said:

well, except its not true. wifi can be reliable enough (like no issues with kodi or native app on the same network).

Except I think you proved this wrong yourself.
Without high end wifi routers that have multiple channels and beam forming you can't have multiple devices using the WIFI at the same time.  They "round robin" the bandwidth which adds latency.  The bandwidth is 100% sending or 100% receiving and all apps share this "spectrum". 3 or 4 devices on the network can quickly slow it down where Ethernet through a switch has no limitation and is synchronous, meaning it can send and receive at the same time.

So on a 1 Gb Ethernet connection the computer can send and receive at the same time AND the client (on Ethernet) can send/receive at the same time.

Far different on WIFI where each device gets a cut of the "bandwidth" time slice.  This is why you should try like hell to avoid having your server on WIFI as it's competing with the clients for a time slice of the WIFI bandwidth.  The more clients or load, the worse it gets with WIFI.  Mix in a computer download or torrenting and it just hurts the WIFI band. 

[Carlo 4561]

37 minutes ago, waces said:

maybe in this case would be good to change the requirements to ethernet only

It's not a requirement but a recommendation.  Each admin is responsible for their own Network.

Emby will due it's best to use the network the best it can but can't improve it.