YouTube App Audio Stutters on Apple TV HD

I have an Apple TV HD streaming (model A1625) device that I've been watching YouTube on for years. Just within the last week or so, the audio coming from the app is stuttering painfully: music, voice, whatever, it sounds like it's rapidly going in and out.  I've done about everything recommended that searches for remedies have made: unplug the device for 60 seconds, delete and re-install the YouTube app, and changed the audio settings in the Settings (3 options and none of them worked). The default TV Speakers route through a Samsung soundbar using HDMI and ALL of the other apps I stream with (Max, Apple+, Disney) have NO audio issues.  The only trick I tried on my own that seemed to work is to go to the Apple TV Settings and add another speaker, and selected my paired Homepod speakers in the same room, and I could hear the audio playing perfectly from both options with no issues, except the audio on the Homepod speakers were a bit delayed by a second or two. Which makes sense as that audio is Bluetooth. But what doesn't make sense is the direct-to-speaker via HDMI was now clean which tells me it's not the speaker system.  

Apparently the YouTube app updated on 12/7/23, which I discovered when conducting searches for possible remedies, and I contend could likely be the culprit. (The Apple TV OS just updated recently too so it might be the perfect storm.) The app and device have worked fine until just recently when I just happened to try and watch something and now get the stutter. Any suggestions out there would be greatly appreciated!