Getting drop outs when playing videos

[Gully]

Trying to work out what is causing this problem so I would appreciate any insight, etc.

Not sure when it started happening and it only happens with downloaded videos played over my network. I'll lose sound and video for about a second or so at irregular times when playing the videos but it is always repeatable, so rewinding/jumping back will repeat the behaviour.

It doesn't seem like it is the source files or the networked computer as I can play the same file with Kodi on my Nvidia Shield and they play perfectly.

FW is v19.3.20191106, everything is connected by ethernet and HDMI to a Denon AVR and then to the TV.

[MrQuade]

Not sure when it started happening and it only happens with downloaded videos played over my network. I'll lose sound and video for about a second or so at irregular times when playing the videos but it is always repeatable, so rewinding/jumping back will repeat the behaviour.

It doesn't seem like it is the source files or the networked computer as I can play the same file with Kodi on my Nvidia Shield and they play perfectly.

So the same downloaded files are ok when played from the U4's harddisk?
How about recordings that you have copied to the PC then played on the U4 over the network?
I'll assume this is SMB if the files are stored on your PC.

Do you have automatic resolution/refresh modes enabled? If so, have you tried a fixed res/refresh?

[Gully]

So the same downloaded files are ok when played from the U4's harddisk?

No they exhibit the same problems. I don't believe it is the network.

How about recordings that you have copied to the PC then played on the U4 over the network?

From what I can see they are fine though I might need to view some more to be sure.

I'll assume this is SMB if the files are stored on your PC.

You assume correctly.

Do you have automatic resolution/refresh modes enabled? If so, have you tried a fixed res/refresh?

It was on auto so I just tried fixed res and multi refresh and didn't get the same behaviour.

So maybe that is where the problem is though not sure why, within a single file though I guess might be using some change of compression from scene to scene.

[MrQuade]

So maybe that is where the problem is though not sure why, within a single file though I guess might be using some change of compression from scene to scene.

The media player seems to be mis-detecting a change in the video mode/res and adjuting to suit.

I have noticed that the 19.3 firmware seems to be more prone to strange switches at the start or end of recording playback, but I've never had it mid-playback of downloaded media like you describe.

I think that the media player updates in 19.3 have probably introduced some bugs (maybe to deal with the V2's oddities, as we had all sorts of teething issues with playback on that at first).

[Gully]

The media player seems to be mis-detecting a change in the video mode/res and adjuting to suit.

I have noticed that the 19.3 firmware seems to be more prone to strange switches at the start or end of recording playback, but I've never had it mid-playback of downloaded media like you describe.

I think that the media player updates in 19.3 have probably introduced some bugs (maybe to deal with the V2's oddities, as we had all sorts of teething issues with playback on that at first).

Thanks for that. It does provide some confirmation so I might just have to stick to fixed resolution for now or at least until there are any updates on the media player.

[Paul_oz53]

The media player seems to be mis-detecting a change in the video mode/res and adjuting to suit.

I have noticed that the 19.3 firmware seems to be more prone to strange switches at the start or end of recording playback, but I've never had it mid-playback of downloaded media like you describe.

I think that the media player updates in 19.3 have probably introduced some bugs (maybe to deal with the V2's oddities, as we had all sorts of teething issues with playback on that at first).

Thanks for that. It does provide some confirmation so I might just have to stick to fixed resolution for now or at least until there are any updates on the media player.

I play a lot of downloaded content on fixed resolution settings with no problems so it does suggest there may be problems with auto resolution. I do recall having some content freeze up when partway through playback when it was auto over Xmas, so this would have been on 20191106 FW.

[MrQuade]

I do recall having some content freeze up when partway through playback when it was auto over Xmas, so this would have been on 20191106 FW.

Auto Resolution shouldn't have cause a total freeze, rather, when it gets confused, it just causes a HDMI re-sync, which can blank the screen temporarily as the re-sync occurs, or if you are unlucky, will blank the screen indefinitely if the re-sync fails (as can happen with with certain *cough*LG*cough* models).

[Paul_oz53]

LG being the common factor perhaps?

I wasn't in the room at the time but the complaint was of a frozen screen. Can't recall if it was all black.

[Gully]

LG being the common factor perhaps?

No, mine is a Sony.

[MrQuade]

I wasn't in the room at the time but the complaint was of a frozen screen. Can't recall if it was all black.

A frozen screen is a result of a more subtle bug, but is also related to screen mode changes. This frozen screen bug may be another LG (semi)specific interaction. It also only happens on the U4.

The U4 will play the video in the background, so you can hear the audio, and you can even bring up the GUI, but the video image doesn't change. To fix this, you just need to pause and play, or skip once, and everything comes good.

Honestly this frozen screen bug is pretty much guaranteed to happen on my set, and I am just in the habit of starting videos and skipping immediately to overcome it.

It has been reported, but I don't think much can be done about it.