UHD titles skipping & buffering

[Sorenson]

I have a Vero 4K running the October 2022.10-1 update, connected to an LG 4K OLED TV.

Some UHD titles are skipping frames within a few seconds of playback starting, and then pausing while buffering a few minutes later. The issue continues throughout the film (at least until I give up and hit stop).

I’ve noticed this has started within the past couple of months, and the main files affected seem to be Arrow UHDs. The files are stored on a WD NAS, connected via fstab configured nfs. All devices are connected via CAT6 cables.

I would have thought this would be adequate to playback UHD content on the Vero 4K, so I’m not sure if it’s a configuration issue or a problem with the files.

Here are the logs: https://paste.osmc.tv/inujefoqoy

Any suggestions or pointers would be hugely appreciated. Apologies in advance if I’ve missed something obvious!

[thechrisgregory]

Briefly, I’d suggest using iPerf3 to check your network speed (and retries) between the Vero and your NAS. Does the same thing happen with 1080p titles ?

See

[How To] Check Network Performance with iperf3

Sometimes it is important to check the network performance between your OSMC Device and the device providing your media (NAS, Server, PC). Especially when you are connected via wireless the throughput variations can harm you viewing experience. This short How To should give you the required information how to install iperf3 and how to run the respective tests. When doing these tests it is suggested to have a simple setup (single switch between Sender and Receiver and avoid other traffic on the …

[Sorenson]

Thanks very much for the linked thread. iPerf3 shows the Vero 4K is receiving across the network at a steady 94.1 Mbits/sec, and transmit fluctuates between 91.7 and 97.5 Mbits/sec.

I’m unable to run iPerf3 on the NAS as it doesn’t allow third party apps, so I’m transmitting & receiving between Vero 4K and PC, which are all connected by the same single gigabit network switch as the NAS.

The problem only seems to affect certain UHD titles. 1080p files (and below) play back fine. This makes me think that the affected files have a very high bitrate, so I assume a Vero 4K+ (with gigabit ethernet) should eliminate the buffering.

If anyone knows for sure, it would be nice to be certain it’s a bandwidth issue which can only be solved by upgrading the device - but I’m still happy to support OSMC by purchasing a Vero 4K+, as I’ve already had many happy years of using my original Vero 4K.

[angry.sardine]

It’s conceivable that 5GHz WiFi might be faster than 100Mbit Ethernet. You could possibly also try a USB gigabit adapter.

[thechrisgregory]

Two more suggestions:

1. Whilst playing a video, if you hold down (long press) the HOME button on the OSMC remote this should bring up a small debug display in the top lefthand corner of your display/TV, where you can monitor the ‘real time’ bit rate (at least it does for the Vero 4K+)

2. Try using some of the 4K 2160p test .mkv files here (with a range of bit rates) to detect at what bit rates the buffering starts to occur.

http://www.larmoire.info/jellyfish/

[sam_nazarko]

@Sorenson

If anyone knows for sure, it would be nice to be certain it’s a bandwidth issue which can only be solved by upgrading the device - but I’m still happy to support OSMC by purchasing a Vero 4K+, as I’ve already had many happy years of using my original Vero 4K.

Try WiFi first – make sure to disconnect Ethernet as we prioritise traffic over Ethernet by default. With a 5Ghz network you should easily get around 200Mbps throughput which should be sufficient for 4K UHD content.

Sam

[Sorenson]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I switched to a shared 5Ghz wifi connection, and while this improved the problem, I’m still experiencing occasional freezes & buffering which is probably due to increased wifi demand from other users and/or connection issues. As it’s definitely a bandwidth issue, I’ve decided to upgrade to a Vero 4K+.