csbiegel

Q: Apple TV Download Ridculously Slow

Anyone else having a problem watching rented movies on Apple TV?   Ready to play in 2 hours!    My internet connection is 30+MB download, wireless signal strength is great, network test on the apple tv passes.  I have already tried resetting everything (ATV, cable modem, ASUS wireless router).   Wireless router shows Apple TV is only downloading between 1- 4MB MB/Sec.   Seems like a server problem to me.

Posted on Sep 6, 2015 10:06 PM

Close

Q: Apple TV Download Ridculously Slow

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by UGADog,

    UGADog UGADog Sep 6, 2015 10:14 PM in response to csbiegel
    Level 4 (1,902 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 6, 2015 10:14 PM in response to csbiegel

    It could be a server error.  What country are you in?  Also, do you have the latest firmware for Apple TV?  Has the Apple TV worked as expected in the past?

  • by dswinscoeDE,

    dswinscoeDE dswinscoeDE Sep 9, 2015 4:10 AM in response to UGADog
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 9, 2015 4:10 AM in response to UGADog

    I'm in Germany and I've been experiencing the same problem for the last month. Up until then, there was never an issue over my 100 MB DSL / WLAN Config. All typical troubleshooting (inkl. updates) has been done and all indicators point to an Apple Server problem / download degradation, since other streaming services, e.g. Netflix, function as usual. 

  • by vazandrew,

    vazandrew vazandrew Sep 9, 2015 8:35 AM in response to dswinscoeDE
    Level 6 (19,103 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 9, 2015 8:35 AM in response to dswinscoeDE

    Netflix and other services adapt to the connection. iTunes is at a fixed rate, higher quality, and needs to load a portion before playback begins.

     

    What exactly have you done to troubleshoot?

    If checking signal or doing network test on the device that will not account for issues.

  • by Christopher Noyes,

    Christopher Noyes Christopher Noyes Sep 20, 2015 8:28 AM in response to vazandrew
    Level 2 (248 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 20, 2015 8:28 AM in response to vazandrew

    I've been having the same issues (with a gen 3 apple tv, 720p).  Signal strength to apple airport extreme AP is great.  All other internet content streams fine (youtube at 720p streams fine).  I suspect this is most likely an issue with Akamai (one of their servers could be hosed; it's happened before for other services).  Apple uses Akamai to serve all their content.  Unfortunately, there is nothing that anyone can do (and Akamai seems not to give a crap based on troubleshooting sessions I've had with them on other services); I've seen this go away over time.

  • by vazandrew,

    vazandrew vazandrew Sep 20, 2015 8:34 AM in response to Christopher Noyes
    Level 6 (19,103 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 20, 2015 8:34 AM in response to Christopher Noyes

    Youtube would not be an apt comparison as its content is highly compressed, others would still be adapting to the connection. That being said, it could be down to location or ISP

  • by Christopher Noyes,

    Christopher Noyes Christopher Noyes Sep 20, 2015 9:02 AM in response to vazandrew
    Level 2 (248 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 20, 2015 9:02 AM in response to vazandrew

    Akamai is location based (what data center/server you get stuck to depends on your location).

  • by Jon Roemer,

    Jon Roemer Jon Roemer Sep 20, 2015 12:42 PM in response to csbiegel
    Level 2 (225 points)
    Sep 20, 2015 12:42 PM in response to csbiegel

    csbiegel wrote:

     

    Anyone else having a problem watching rented movies on Apple TV?   Ready to play in 2 hours!    My internet connection is 30+MB download, wireless signal strength is great, network test on the apple tv passes.  I have already tried resetting everything (ATV, cable modem, ASUS wireless router).   Wireless router shows Apple TV is only downloading between 1- 4MB MB/Sec.   Seems like a server problem to me.

     

    Same problem here.  Everything was fine until this past week.  Since I noticed on Friday impossibly long wait times before one can even watch something.  HBO Now is slow but watchable. Anything directly via AppleTV/iTunes - rented movies, TV series, etc., take forever.  A one hour TV show takes more than hour to buffer enough to start watching.

     

    Issue is not ISP speed.  I have FiOS and tests show it to be fine.  Rebooting the AppleTV does not help.

     

    I wonder if there are issues tied into Apple releasing iOS 9 that affect bandwidth for the iTunes Store/Apple TV.

  • by vazandrew,

    vazandrew vazandrew Sep 20, 2015 1:43 PM in response to Jon Roemer
    Level 6 (19,103 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 20, 2015 1:43 PM in response to Jon Roemer

    Network issues can come at any time. Internet speed us only one factor. Check DNS, WiFi vs wired, diagnostics for network, if it's occurring at specific times, test at another location.